Scot Beattie leading GB sevens set-up as Olympics loom

Great Britain's rugby sevens teams are stepping up preparations for this summer's Paris Olympics, with Scots at the heart of the campaigns.

The women's team have already qualified but the men have to overcome South Africa, and others, next month to secure their spot.

Heading up the GB sevens programme is Ciaran Beattie, from Selkirk, who he is assisted as women's head coach by fellow Scots Scott Riddell and Sean Lamont.

The 38-year-old admits he is now confident of GB success after getting to grips with the sudden merger of Scotland, England and Wales in 2022.

"We got told in the August, 10 days before the Commonwealth Games [in Birmingham], so we're heading to Scotland, England and Wales for the Commonwealth Games, we get told, look, this is happening. And in a month's time you're going to be sitting in a room as GB," Beattie tells BBC Scotland.

"We started that year with zero foundations, finding our feet, me finding my feet in a sort of new role, and acknowledging that as well and not shying away from it.

"And part of that is then going, look, now we're year two into it. We're a couple of months away from an Olympics, which is being a big focus for the two years and helped us drive forward is this sort of next cycle of four years."

Beattie says Scotland could have a strong presence in the Olympics squads and revealed the Saltire remains prominent in the GB dressing rooms.

"Nobody is coming in there on a token gesture - there's not a quota to hit and everybody is there on merit," he added.

"If there's a Scottish presence, an English presence, a Welsh presence, it's the best people.

"However, it is important to acknowledge the uniqueness. We speak about GB having a proud Scot, proud English, proud Welsh, and how do we come together an not fight against that?

"We've got the GB flag up in the changing room, but there's the three home flags up as well because we're proud of that."