Brazil name Olympic 7s squads

Brazil have named their teams for both the men’s and women’s brackets of the Rio Olympic 7s tournament next month. The sides show few if any surprises, with the teams largely sticking to the groups that participated on the HSBC Sevens Series this season.

The men have opted to name Lucas Duque skipper for the tournament, with the quicksilver halfback taking over duties from regular skipper Juliano Fiori. Otherwise the team shows only a pair of changes from the group that played in London. Arthur Bergo and Stefano Giantorno come in for Lucas Muller and youngster Thiago Evaristo.

Included are several standouts from the Americas Rugby Championship including the Duque brothers and the Sancery twins, as well as versatile Franco-Brazilian Laurent Bourda-Couhet.

On the women’s side there are four changes to the team that traveled to Langford in April. Veterans Bruna Lotufo and Mariana Ramalho miss out, so too prospects Mariana Nicolau and Juliana Da Silva. Recalled to the team are four established players in Isadora Cerullo, Juliana Esteves, Beatriz Mulhbauer, and captain Paula Ishibashi.

Joining the men in Pool A are the USA, Argentina, and HSBC Series champions Fiji. The women find themselves in Pool C with Canada, Great Britain, and Japan.

BRAZIL MEN’S 7s
Gustavo Albuquerque (Curitiba), Arthur Bergo (SPAC), Laurent Bourda-Couhet (Bandeirantes), Lucas Duque (capt., São José), Moisés Duque (São José), Juliano Fiori (Richmond, UK), Stefano Giantorno (Na.For), Daniel Sancery (São José), Felipe Sancery (São José), Martin Schaefer (SPAC), André Silva (SPAC), Felipe Silva (SPAC)

BRAZIL WOMEN’S 7s
Amanda Araújo (Niterói), Tais Balconi (Desterro), Luiza Campos (Charrua), Isadora Cerullo (Niterói), Juliana Esteves (Bandeirantes), Paula Ishibashi (capt., SPAC), Raquel Kochhann (Charrua), Beatriz Muhlbauer (Niterói), Edna Santini (São José), Júlia Sardá (Desterro), Haline Scatrut (Curitiba), Claudia Teles (Niterói)