He was part of the Australian Men’s Sevens set up for four years but now Tom Cusack is back in the 15-man format trying to realise a boyhood dream.
The 23-year-old has signed a one-year-deal with the Brumbies for 2017, the team he supported as a child growing up in Canberra.
“It’s an aspiration of mine to pull on the jersey and although I haven’t done it yet, I’m in the right position to do so and hopefully perform and set a good example out on the field,” Cusack said.
The Olympian joins several fresh faces in the nation’s capital vying for positions left vacant by the likes of Wallabies veteran David Pocock.
“There’s a lot of good blokes out here, great personalities with a lot of skill,” he said.
“All I know is that I’ll be there when called upon and that’s all a coach can ask of an individual.”
Cusack left the Sevens program after Rio and was part of the NSW Country Eagles successful 2016 Buildcorp NRC campaign before being snapped up by Stephen Larkham’s side.
The 102kg and 191 centimetre backrower, won the Brumbies’ preseason time trial and is hoping to combine his Sevens skills to bring a new dimension to the side’s playing style in 2017.
“I like to be the fittest there and set an example in that sense,” he said.
“It’s a representation of how I want to play in my game, a bit more versatile and a bit more adaptable playing off the backs.”
