WELLINGTON, New Zealand — After winning National Rugby League titles in Australia, a Rugby Union World Cup with New Zealand and a Super Rugby championship with the Chiefs, the code-hopping star Sonny Bill Williams is making another switch as he eyes his biggest prize yet: Olympic gold.
Rugby sevens will make its Olympic debut in next year’s Games in Rio de Janeiro, and New Zealand Rugby announced on Wednesday that Williams had been included in the initial squad for next season’s World Sevens Series (and Olympics). He will be joined on the team by another current All Black, Liam Messam, as both focus on the shorter, faster version of the sport in 2016 in preparation for the Olympics.