News Sonny Bill Williams is used to being the centre of attention, but after being confirmed in New Zealand’s rugby squad for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, he was happy to leave the spotlight to his sister Niall Williams, a 28-year-old mother of two, was called up for the women’s team as the famous All Blacks announced the 24 players who will represent the nation when rugby returns to the Olympic Games – in the sevens form of the game – after a 92-year absence “I was happy when I got the phone call, but the biggest cheer we got in my household was when my sister made it,” Sonny Bill told the Daily Telegraph “It’s awesome, just seeing where she’s come from, a mother of two, when she first started her journey she wasn’t contracted, she had to get up in the early hours of the morning to do her training and then look after her girls and then train again at night I’m proud of her ” While Sonny Bill mixes speed, ability and massive bone-crunching hits like this His sister has shown she has handling skills to die for One of the most interesting characters in global sport, Sonny Bill, who has won two rugby world cups and also been New Zealand’s heavyweight boxing champion, said his call-up justified his decision to switch to the seven-a-side version of the game “The reason why I have put myself in this situation for the whole year was to try to make this squad – this was the dream, to go to the Olympics with the New Zealand sevens side,” he said The men’s team will be captained by Scott Curry, who returns from a shoulder injury suffered in December “The Olympic Games is the pinnacle in world sport so to get an opportunity to go is really special,” he said “What’s really exciting for me is just being part of the wider New Zealand Olympic team ” Curry visited Rio earlier this year with Tim Mikkelson, who captained the side in his absence New Zealand’s women’s team have also visited the host city, in February 2015, when they performed the famous haka on Ipanema beach Women’s captain Sarah Goss said the team has a strong mix of experience and talent “We all have our parts to play and we know what we have to do to perform to our best,” she said “We’re all really excited to be part of history and to contribute to the success of the New Zealand Olympic team ” Rugby meets capoeira as New Zealand Olympic team begins partership with Rio favela community NZL men’s sevens team: Scott Curry (captain), Sam Dickson, DJ Forbes, Akira Ioane, Rieko Ioane, Gillies Kaka, Tim Mikkelson, Augustine Pulu, Teddy Stanaway, Regan Ware, Joe Webber, Sonny Bill Williams Reserves: Sione Molia, Lewis Ormond NZL women’s sevens team: Shakira Baker, Kelly Brazier, Gayle Broughton, Theresa Fitzpatrick, Sarah Goss (captain), Kayla McAlister, Huriana Manuel, Tyla Nathan-Wong, Terina Te Tamaki, Ruby Tui, Niall Williams, Portia Woodman Reserves: Michaela Blyde, Shiray Tane |