Middleton eyeing development in upcoming events

A group of 12 players will fly to Las Vegas for the USA Sevens Invitational Tournament from March 3-5 before heading to Canada for the Vancouver Rugby Festival a week later.

Wales duo Laurie Harries and Jasmine Joyce, as well as Scotland's Stephanie Johnston, will join nine England team-mates to form the GB squad for the events.

England had to settle for a disappointing seventh-place finish in the recent Sao Paulo leg of the World Rugby Women's Sevens Series and Middleton is keen for his troops to get tournament experience under their belts ahead of the Rio Olympics in five months time.

And he also believes the competitions will provide the perfect opportunity to build on the solid foundations laid in a training tournament last month.

"These competitions are an integral part of our prep for Rio and give us the chance to see the GB squad in action again, building on from the January training tournament when the playing combinations started to develop well," said Middleton.

"It is also another opportunity for individuals to stake their claim and earn a place within the Olympic squad.

"It is great to be able to bring a GB squad together in a competitive environment.

"In terms of expectations we are again focusing on performance rather than outcomes. We want to see clear development in the cohesion of the squad and also the individual performance levels rising.

"Playing in front of the big crowds in the stadium in Las Vegas will be another learning experience for the players."

Sportsbeat 2016