Wallaby Samu Kerevi has kept the door open for a return to Sevens in time for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Kerevi made the shift to the shortened format for the 2020 Olympics, earning a place on the 13-man side.
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After a disappointing seventh-placed finish, the 27-year-old was open to making a return in three years time as the men push for an elusive Olympic medal.
“If the body is right and the drive is still there, I would love to have another crack,” he told reporters on Thursday.
“I didn’t go over to the Olympics to take part. I wanted to compete and help the team get the results that we wanted.
“I’m excited for it being only three years away but I’m happy to be in the program here (at the Wallabies) and getting through sessions over the next few days."
Despite the short stint, Kerevi believes the program has been beneficial for his development as he begins the return to 15-a-side with the Wallabies after earning a call-up for the Rugby Championship and third Bledisloe Test.
“I think their passion from the program. Speaking to them a lot and learning how committed they are to the program, we definitely fell short on where we expected to be and how we expected to play,” Kerevi said on what he learnt from the stint.
“Their love from the program and how much they push each other to be better is something I really admire. They work really hard on the fitness side of things and executing their skills.
“It’s definitely something that I’ve picked up in terms of my running to get better at and apply it to 15’s.”
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The Suntory centre's journey over the past three months hasn't been easy, spending a month in quarantine in between trips between Japan and Australia.
He praised the work of the Sevens team to maintain his fitness during the tough times, leaving him ready to go if called upon by Dave Rennie for the third Test on August 28.
“I came out the first quarantine and went straight into the Sevens program, that was pretty tough because the running loads are a lot but I thought Will Stuart, the Strength and Conditioning coach, did a good job to manage my loading into that program.
“The same thing happened here but a lot of work has to be done in quarantine, it’s the work no one sees. It’s the dark times on the watt bike, doing your gym sessions by yourself.
“Even though you have plenty of time, it’s tough to stay motivated in those situations because you have 14 days of that but I think it’s important to stay disciplined to the craft here and whatever the program has been set which is a big driver for me. Hit every nail on its head, every session and try and get something out of it because it’s all you can do.”
