SEAN McMahon will be back in an Australian jersey next weekend after the dynamic flanker was cleared to play in the Aussie men’s sevens team in Cape Town.
Rugby Australia and McMahon’s Japanese club Suntory have struck a deal that will see the a 26-cap Wallaby join Tim Walsh’s Australian team for the second leg of the World Sevens Series.
In the first step of a potential inclusion in the Australian sevens team for the Tokyo Olympics next year, McMahon will fly to Cape Town and suit up for the Aussie team for the first time since 2014.
McMahon’s addition in South Africa will be a huge boost to the Australian men’s sevens team, who looked impressive in an unbeaten pool stage in Dubai but fell to Samoa in the quarter-finals.
The upside of strong form in the pool games was a fifth-placed finish, with rankings matches for positions between 5th and 8th now scrapped at combined men’s and women’s tournaments, and points-differential used instead.
McMahon doesn’t lack experience in sevens; he played two season with the Australian men’s sevens team between 2012 and 2014, before shifting across to XVs and Super Rugby for Melbourne in 2014, and then debuting for the Wallabies in 2015.
Walsh admitted before Dubai he was talking with McMahon and fellow Suntory-based Wallaby Samu Kerevi about having a crack at making the Aussie sevens team for the 2020 Olympics, given neither currently qualify for the Wallabies.
“Seanny and I have been in contact for a while about how to make it happen,” Walsh told RUGBY.com.au from Dubai.
“His desire to play for Australia is huge. It is very pleasing that Suntory have supported him and us for that, so we are very thankful.
