'The Olympics would be on anyone's wish list': Wallabies rookie reveals interest in playing at Tokyo 2021

1:13am, 28 November 2020

Australia’s chances of medalling at next year’s Tokyo Olympics have received a boost with Wallabies rookie Tom Wright expressing interest at playing at next year’s Games.

The two-test wing, who scored a try in his debut for the Wallabies in their 24-22 victory over the All Blacks in Brisbane earlier this month, revealed to The Aussie Rugby Show that the chance to take part in the Olympics would be “awesome”.

“I think the Olympics would just about be on anyone’s radar. We ran into a few of the [sevens] guys today and it was good to see them back training,” he said.

The Aussie Rugby Show | Episode 28

“I think to play at the Olympics would be on anyone’s wish list. Obviously focusing on all this stuff here first, but it’d be awesome to be part of if the opportunity came up one day.”

Wright, a former Manly Sea Eagles player in the NRL, would be a valued addition to the Australian sevens camp as they aim to achieve improve on their eighth place finish at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

He could join former Wallabies and current Suntory Sungoliath loose forward Sean McMahon, who has already pledged his allegiance to Australia’s push for an Olympic gold medal.

Rugby Australia and Suntory Sungoliath struck a special deal last year to allow McMahon to play for the Australian sevens side despite being unable for the Wallabies under current eligibility laws.

The 25-year-old played at last year’s Cape Town Sevens event on the World Sevens Series prior to the cancellation of the 2019-20 series – and the Tokyo Olympics, originally scheduled for July and August – due to COVID-19.

For the time being, however, Wright is focused on his duties with the Wallabies, with the side still in with a chance to clinch their first Tri-Nations title since their success in the Rugby Championship five years ago.

Hopeful of a tight encounter between the All Blacks and Los Pumas in Newcastle on Saturday, Wright admitted the Wallabies need to address their decision-making and accuracy that proved costly in their 15-all draw against Argentina last week.

Most pundits expect the All Blacks to exact revenge on Los Pumas after their shock maiden defeat to the Argentines in Sydney a fortnight ago, but an ex-Wallaby isn't so sure. #ARGvNZL #TriNations https://t.co/RCKm68RG9k
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) November 28, 2020

Do that, and the Wallabies could emerge as champions with a victory over the South Americans at Bankwest Stadium in Sydney next week.

“They’ve come over here to Sydney and put on a couple of clinical performances,” Wright told The Aussie Rugby Show of Argentina.

“It’s been a couple of days now since our game so we’ve had a bit of time to reflect on what was obviously a fair encounter but we probably didn’t put our best foot forward.

“A little bit of decision-making we’ve got to improve on and a little bit of accuracy when we first get the ball, so if we can tidy up a couple of those areas, I think we’re going to go a long way to putting on a better performance at Bankwest in a couple of weeks.”