Qantas Australian Men’s Sevens magician, Maurice Longbottom has committed to Rugby Australia until the Tokyo Olympic Games.
Longbottom became a viral sensation when he first made his debut for Australia in 2017, with the quick stepping back dancing rings around opposition defences on the World Series.
Since then, he has become a stalwart of the Australian Sevens program with his creative brilliance and ability to break the line making him one of the most respected players across the series.
A former Souths Rugby League junior, Longbottom was told he was “too small” for the rigours of elite sport but has consistently proven the doubters wrong with his performances across the world and at the HSBC Sydney 7s.
With now 20 caps for Australia and an established season with Randwick Rugby Club in 2020 in the Shute Shield, Longbottom brings new experience for 2021.
Qantas Australian Men’s Sevens Head Coach, Tim Walsh said: “Despite several other lucrative offers Maurice has chosen to continue with his quest toward the Olympic podium. We as a program are delighted to have his commitment leading into Tokyo.
“There is no doubt of Moz’s brilliance on the field; creative, attacking minded, matched with his ability to break the line has been a great weapon in our arsenal since his debut.
"He is renowned for his lethal attacking exploits, what impresses me is his defence and contact area improvements. He possesses a true high-performance mindset.
“Off the field he has been a leader for this squad, during covid19 he has chosen an attitude of positivity and opportunity.
“We officially relaunched our campaign a few weeks ago and continue to work for our goals in Tokyo next year.”
Qantas Australian Men’s Sevens Player, Maurice Longbottom said: “I’m really pumped to have signed on the dotted line and committed until Tokyo with this team.
“Our goals for Tokyo 2020 have been delayed but this team has continued to work hard for each other in a challenging environment. Our objective was to ‘survive and thrive’ and adapt to every situation in a positive and performance-based mindset.
“The group is tighter than ever before, and I am looking forward to enjoying the hard work as we work towards our goals.”
