Wagga rugby product Corey Toole will live out a childhood dream when he pulls on the green and gold jumper for the first time next month.
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Toole will fly out for Dubai on Sunday on his first overseas trip after being selected in the Australian men's rugby sevens squad.
The 21-year-old has spent the week training with the Australian squad in Sydney and will make his international debut at the Dubai Sevens on December 3 and 4.
Toole, a Waratahs premiership player, is in his third season in Canberra where he is on a development contract with the Brumbies.
The Wagga speedster is still coming to terms with the fact he will represent Australia on the world stage next month.
"It should be good. It feels pretty cool, pretty special. I'm pretty excited, to be honest," Toole said.
"It will be pretty crazy. I haven't (represented Australia) in juniors or anything. I'm not too sure what it's going to be like but it will be pretty cool."
Toole was called up into the Australian training squad after impressing for Gungahlin this year, scoring the most tries in the Canberra club competition, the John I Dent Cup.
He also shone for Oceania Barbarians, against the Australian team, at the Oceania Cup in Townsville in July.
"I've been training hard for a while now so it's good to get a bit of reward I guess," Toole said
"I can't really believe it right now. It doesn't feel real."
Most international sevens teams have experienced a high turnover of players since the Olympics, and Australia is no different.
Toole is one of eight players brought into the Australian men's squad for the tournament. Rugby Australia announced a shake-up of the sevens program this week with a smaller permanent squad to work with Super Rugby clubs and allow players to move back and forth more frequently between the shortened and traditional versions of the game.
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Toole, who is still chasing his Super Rugby dream at the Brumbies, does not have a preference for a particular pathway to the top.
"Whatever comes first. Whatever opportunities come first I guess," he said.
It is an exciting time in the sevens space with the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham next year, followed by the World Cup in South Africa later in the year.
Toole is taking it one step at a time however and not getting too carried away with his goals.
"Just make an impact when I come off the bench. Have some fun. Have a crack, really," Toole said.
"That all would be pretty cool to go to but it's a long way away. I've just got to play some good footy here and hopefully get a few good touches."
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