'I'm not playing any rugby' - Weir rubbishes World Cup Sevens rumour

President and head coach of Racers Track and Field Club, Glen Mills, said he's unaware of any plans by Olympics 200 metres bronze medallist, Warren Weir, to join the Jamaica's rugby sevens team. The team is set to make a historic appearance at the Rugby Sevens World Cup in San Francisco, this month. Some time last year, Jamaica Rugby Football Union (JRFU) chairman, Jerry Benzwick, revealed the association's intention to recruit track and field personnel to improve the team's competitiveness, and recent reports even suggested Weir had taken up an invitation from the union to join the team for the July 20-22 tournament.

But when The Gleaner contacted the 2013 World Championship silver medallist, he was tight-lipped, even though he stated that "I am not playing any rugby" before saying he had 'no remarks'.

Mills was, however, more straight-forward, stating he has no knowledge of the sprinter taking up the rugby challenge, and that he himself knows very little of the sport and how the rugby union could utilise Weir's talents.

No discussion

"I have nothing I can tell you. I haven't had any discussion with the rugby people or Warren," Mills told The Gleaner yesterday.

"I don't know (how it could affect Warren). I am not familiar with rugby. At first I thought it was something like American football, but I just see people run and grab the ball. I don't know what it means. But maybe the rugby people see characteristics or things that he (Weir) has that could help the game.

"But looking at the people who I see play it, he looks a bit small. But I don't know the skill set he has that the rugby people see they can utilise. The one thing I know is that he would probably be the fastest rugby player. But I cannot pass judgement in ignorance (of the sport)," he continued.

Mills admitted that he has spoken very little with the former Calabar High School star since his disappointing seventh place finish at the Commonwealth Games recently, and says he knows nothing of his immediate future plans.

"He came back from the Commonwealth Games injured and he never recovered. He then went abroad for treatment but right now I am not certain about his plans for the next season. I haven't been in dialogue with him in recent time," he said.

Weir rose to fame in 2012 when he finished third behind Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake in Jamaica's clean sweep of the 200 metres at the 2012 London Olympics.

He then followed that up with a silver medal at the World Championships in Russia a year later.

In recent times the sprinter has struggled, dropping out at the semis at the 2015 World Champs in China.

That was followed by an even more disappointing run at the World Championships in London last year, where he was eliminated in the heats.

Then against an inferior field at the recent Commonwealth Games at the Gold Coast, Australia this year, he could only managed seventh in his pet event.