Pita Ahki returns to All Blacks Sevens squad

  • 31/03/2016
Pita Ahki (Photosport)
Pita Ahki (Photosport)

Pita Ahki returns to the All Blacks Sevens squad and is in contention to travel to the Hong Kong and Singapore Sevens.

Ahki last played for New Zealand at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014 and was also a winning member of the 2013 World Cup squad.

Sonny Bill Williams and Isaac Te Tamaki return from injury which ruled them out of the Las Vegas and Vancouver legs.

Coach Gordon Tietjens will narrow his squad down to 12 for the Hong Kong leg next week.

"The key this year is getting the balance right so we give all the players the opportunity in a really important year to stake their claim to be in contention for the Olympics by playing in a World Series tournament," said Tietjens.

"We've lost Joe Webber and Ben Lam to injury so Pita gives us that experience. Defensively he's very strong and has a very good understanding of the game which is hugely important."

The All Blacks Sevens are currently third in the series after winning the Vancouver Sevens.

Sevens squad: Pita Ahki, Kurt Baker, Dylan Collier, Sam Dickson, DJ Forbes, Gillies Kaka, Liam Messam, Tim Mikkelson (Captain), Sione Molia, Lewis Ormond, Teddy Stanaway, Isaac Te Tamaki, Regan Ware, Sonny Bill Williams.

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