Scots land New Zealand in draw for Delhi Games

SCOTLAND have been drawn to face defending champions New Zealand as well as Canada and Guyana in this year's Commonwealth Games sevens, but that is not a guarantee that the Scottish team will in fact be in India.

The Scottish sevens squad are subject to the same selection criteria of all of the 17 sports bidding to be part of Scotland's team for Delhi and the Commonwealth Games Council for Scotland confirmed that the sevens draw, released by the IRB yesterday, does not mean the sevens team are definitely in.

Despite the IRB insisting the draw was made in conjunction with the Commonwealth Games Federation, a spokesperson told The Scotsman: "Organisations make their draws early, as hockey did in May, but it does not alter our own selection process. Not one sport has been confirmed for Scotland yet.

"The first selection panel will be at the end of this month and the next in August and after these we will officially announce the full Scotland team on 18 August. It may be that we can confirm some teams after the July panel, but until those panels are held the participation of no sport can be ratified."

Scotland's involvement in the 2010 Delhi Games sevens was in doubt earlier this year as the team struggled to qualify for the last eight in the IRB World Sevens tournaments. However, a strong finish at Murrayfield, in which the team clinched the plate in effectively finishing fifth, combined with a pledge from the SRU to ensure they will make a strong side available for the Commonwealth Games in October is expected to secure rugby's selection later this month.

Defending Commonwealth Games Sevens Champions New Zealand are top seeds and head Pool A, where they will face opening matches against Scotland and Canada as well as Caribbean champions Guyana, who competed on the World Series this season in Las Vegas.

Meanwhile, former England captain Steve Borthwick has been dropped from the 32-man elite squad for the forthcoming season and replaced by the uncapped Gloucester lock Dave Attwood.

England manager Martin Johnson has also axed wing Ugo Monye and centre Mathew Tait while lock Louis Deacon and hooker Lee Mears join them in being relegated to the second-string Saxons squad.

Leicester scrum-half Ben Youngs and prop Dan Cole are officially promoted into the seniors after establishing themselves in the Test team during England's tour of Australia and New Zealand.

Wasps' uncapped centre Dominic Waldouck has also been included along with Leeds flanker Hendre Fourie and Gloucester prop Paul Doran-Jones.