FLINT-BORN full-back Afon Bagshaw has set his sights on a full international call-up for Wales.
The 24-year-old RGC ace has once again been named in the Welsh Sevens squad ahead of their 2018/19 World Rugby Series campaign
And while he’s delighted to be part of the Series preparations once more, he admits that emulating sevens team mate Luke Morgan and earning a call-up to the Welsh senior squad would be the realisation of a lifetime ambition.
Bagshaw said: “It would be fantastic to earn a full international call-up one day.
“Growing up playing rugby in Wales I think every young player dreams of representing their country.
“I’m no different and when you see players like Luke making that step up, and the guys who’ve gone before him like Justin Tipuric and Alex Cuthbert - you see that the pathway from the sevens upwards is really working.
“That’s a big motivator for players like myself, who one day hope to get to the same level.”
For now though, Bagshaw insists he is fully focused on helping the Dragons enjoy a successful Series, which is set to kick-off in Dubai on December 1.
Bagshaw has exerted a growing influence on the sevens side since his initial selection last year and was recently rewarded for his exceptional performances with a sevens contract from the Welsh Rugby Union.
One of the core players named in head coach Richie Pugh’s 24-man squad, Bagshaw is optimistic that Wales can better their 14th place finish at last year’s series.
He said: “I’m massively excited to be involved once again after what was a pretty successful year for me last year.
“There’s a freshness about the current squad and a good feeling among everyone involved that we can have a very good series.
“The most important thing is that we find some consistency in our performances in the next series.
“We’ve been training as a group since the late summer and there’s definitely more cohesion and a better understanding of each other’s games.
“The regional boys joining up with us a month before the Dubai games and I’m sure we’ll be ready to hit the ground running. The aim for us is to keep improving and with the blend of youth and experience we have here, I’m sure we can make that happen.”
Bagshaw’s dual commitments with club and country mean he has to divide his time between two camps.
Consequently his availability for the Gogs has been limited this term, but he admits that better time management and forward planning have helped him this season
He said: “I’ve been dividing my time between Wales and playing my club rugby with RGC. Doing that for the first time last season was difficult, because I didn’t always know where I’d be one week to the next.
“There was so much travelling, which was new to me and that can put a burden on the time you’ve got with your partner and family. But working with Richie I’ve been able to schedule training and playing commitments better and things have definitely improved.”
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