The equation is simple for Team GB’s rugby sevens stars at the European Games - win gold and they qualify for the Olympics.
It is not their last chance but it is their first and neither the men’s nor the women’s side have plans to flirt with the Final Olympic Qualification Tournament in June 2024.
“We know what’s at stake and the level of competition is going to be ruthless,” says Tokyo Olympian Alex Davis.
“It’s a winner takes all approach and it comes down to who’s in the better headspace when the moment comes.”
Only gold will do for the men, while the women could still qualify with silver as Ireland have already reached Paris through the World Series.
The teams will spar at this weekend’s Algarve Sevens which will determine the seedings for the crunch tournament at Henryk Reyman Stadium, home of Wisla Krakow.
“Europeans are always a different kettle of fish,” said two-time Olympian Abbie Brown.
“It’s physical, and about whoever shows up on the day. We’ve been grafting all year for this big month and we can’t wait to get out there and show what we’re about.”
The tournament will done and dusted in three days from 25-27 June, across the middle weekend of the European Games.
Multi-sport Games are a unique challenge and still a relatively new one for the sport of rugby sevens.
A number of the Krakow squad call on Commonwealth Games experience but only five women (Brown, Meg Jones, Jasmine Joyce, Lisa Thomson and Emma Uren) and four men (Davis, Robbie Fergusson, Max McFarland and Ross McCann) have represented Team GB.
“This is something bigger than just rugby,” said Brown. “It puts our sport on a bigger map for people to see and it’s a really cool thing to be a part of. It’s an opportunity for us.
“We see the same people all the time with Sevens. We’ll be seeing all different kinds of sports, all different people, it’s on another scale.”
Davis added: “The experiences I had in the run-up to Rio and the Games out in Tokyo, are ones I’ll never forget.
“The outcomes haven’t been the ones that myself and the team would wish for but they’ve been unforgettable and I’ve been trying to share those learnings with the guys.
"There are so many things when it comes to a multi-sport Games that are sprung on you and you have to adapt very quickly to them.
"For the young lads, it’s about embracing the moment. These opportunities go by very fast, especially coming to the end of my career and having injuries, you appreciate that they can be over in a flash.
"That’s something I’m trying to impress on them.”
Women: Ellie Boatman, Abbie Brown, Shona Campbell, Heather Cowell, Megan Jones, Jasmin Joyce, Rhona Lloyd, Isla Norman-Bell, Jade Shekells, Lisa Thompson, Lauren Torley, Emma Uren, Amy Wilson-Hardy
Men: James Barden, Kaleem Barreto, Api Bavadra, Alex Davis, Jordan Edmunds, Tom Emery, Robbie Fergusson, Will Homer, Ross McCann, Max McFarland, Freddie Roddick, Morgan Williams, Tom Williams
Sportsbeat 2023