WORLD CUP winner Katy McLean has been named in Britain’s women’s rugby sevens squad as the sport returns to the Olympic schedule after a 108-year absence.

McLean, who hails from South Shields and plays her club rugby with Darlington Mowden Park Sharks, is part of a 12-strong women’s squad that will compete in Rio.

Newcastle Falcons winger Marcus Watson has been selected for the men’s squad, with the male competition, which sees GB drawn in a group with Kenya, Japan and New Zealand, due to take place between August 9-11.

The women’s competition comes first, between August 6-8, with GB initially drawn to compete against hosts Brazil, Japan and Canada in the Deodoro Stadium.

McLean has been a key part of the GB sevens squad that has been training together on a full-time basis since last October.

She is expected to form part of the first-choice line-up, although she will not skipper the side, with Emily Scarratt selected for captaincy duties.

“This is a hugely exciting moment for women’s rugby with sevens making its debut at the Olympic Games, and we believe we have selected the best possible group of players to achieve success in Rio,” said GB women’s coach Simon Middleton.

“The World Series this season proved how competitive the women’s rugby sevens circuit is and we’re very much looking forward to competing against the very best as a Team GB squad.

“The strength and depth of the wider training squad has not made the final selection easy. The players have been together since October and have trained so hard and really pushed the standards up of this group.”

Watson scored 11 tries in his 19 competitive appearances for Newcastle Falcons last season, having joined the Kingston Park club from the England 7s squad last summer.

Returning temporarily to the abbreviated code at the end of last season to pursue his Olympic ambitions, the London-born speedster has spent the past month as part of Team GB’s 24-man training squad, playing in tournaments in Russia, London and Exeter prior to final selection.

Newcastle Falcons director of rugby, Dean Richards, said: “We are incredibly proud that Marcus will be part of the Olympic Games and we wish him all the best for his time over in Brazil.

“It is fantastic that rugby sevens has been welcomed into the Games, it will help promote the sport to a new audience and for Marcus it is an amazing opportunity.

“He will be back with us in time to start the new Aviva Premiership season and from Newcastle Falcons’ perspective we look forward to hopefully having our first Olympic champion when he returns.”