Corey Toole wants to go out with a bang, vowing to throw everything into his sevens farewell before starting his physical and mental transition for a Super Rugby chance.
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The electric winger has lit up the sevens circuit over the past 12 months with his blistering speed and remarkable ability to score tries from anywhere.
The sight of Toole tearing down the sideline will warm the hearts of ACT Brumbies fans, and in particular new coach Stephen Larkham, ahead of his move back to the 15-a-side format.
With a top speed of 10 metres per second, a sevens world series win and a bag of individual awards, Toole looms as one of Australian rugby's most exciting prospects.
The challenge, he says, will be adding bulk to his frame without losing the speed that helped him score one of the most remarkable tries ever seen in sevens when he ran more than 110 metres in a superb solo effort.
But until he relocates to Canberra, Toole is determined to go out on a high at the sevens World Cup in Cape Town.
The Australian men's side won the world series for the first time in 23 years last week, with Toole picking up the rookie of the year and impact player awards.
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"This is a great way to finish up," Toole said. "If we can go out on a high at the World Cup, it would be amazing.
"I think you still pinch yourself every time you run out there. It's been a wild sort of year, I haven't reflected too much but I've really enjoyed it and we still want to get the job done [in Cape Town]."
Toole is set to join the Brumbies later this month after signing a deal to link with Larkham.
The Wagga junior moved to the capital to play for the Gungahlin Eagles, which led to a Brumbies academy deal and a sevens call up.
He is in Larkham's plans already, and the coaches will get their first chance to see Toole up close in end-of-season trial matches against the NSW Waratahs and Melbourne Rebels over the next four weeks.
Toole's X-factor will help ease the pain of losing fullback Tom Banks to a giant offer in Japan, with Larkham keen to test back line combinations in the off-season to find the right mix.
For Toole, it means adding to his 85 kilograms to handle the physicality of Super Rugby. But Banks, 93 kilograms, proved you don't need to be big to be successful.
And Toole is used to giving away a weight advantage after starting in the Wagga competition as a 70 kilogram teenager playing against men.
"Obviously the Super Rugby boys are a lot bigger than the guys in sevens," Toole said. "So yeah, I want to put on a little bit [of weight], but I don't want to be too slow.
"I'm obviously not the biggest guy out there. But I've got to be strong and make my tackles."
"There are a lot of boys in sevens who have gone into Super Rugby, so that definitely gives me confidence. Hopefully it can translate and I can get some Super Rugby games."
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