Rugby -Cooper freed up to continue sevens education in Vancouver

SYDNEY, March 8 (Reuters) - Quade Cooper has been given permission by French club Toulon to continue his sevens education with Australia at this weekend's Vancouver round of the World Series, the Australian Rugby Union said on Tuesday. The former Wallabies flyhalf was originally freed up for just the Sydney and Las Vegas legs of the series as he bids to secure a place in the squad for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in August. The 27-year-old was deemed insufficiently prepared to play on home soil and finally made his debut in the gambling capital of the United States last weekend, helping Australia to the final. Rather than head back to his Top 14 club this week, however, Cooper has been named in the 12-man Australia squad which will attempt to go one better in Vancouver this weekend. Cooper's first tournament was by no means an unqualified success as, for all his flicks and feints, he gave away the ball at two key moments in the final to allow Fiji to come from 15-0 down to win 21-15. He showed his ability to launch long cut-out passes out to the wings will be an effective weapon but struggled with the strong winds in the final, firing one such attempt well forward to handover possession at a crucial moment. That should not be a problem in Canada, however, as the Vancouver round of the series will be played indoors at BC Place. (Reporting by Nick Mulvenney; Editing by John O'Brien)