The threat of Covid-19 forced Tonga to announce Monday it would select Europe-based players rather than their official sevens squad for the June Olympic rugby sevens qualification tournament in Monaco. Tonga Rugby Union chief executive Peter Harding said that although Tonga has a specialist sevens squad based in New Zealand, there was less risk using 15-a-side internationals who would not be returning immediately to Tonga after the tournament. The small Pacific island kingdom is one of the few countries in the world to successfully keep out the virus. "The team from Europe will consist of many 'Ikale Tahi (Test) players and will be very strong. The announcement of the team and management will be made as soon as final arrangements are completed," Harding said. Sending a team from New Zealand would require the 16 players to spend two weeks in managed isolation on their return and such spaces were "extremely hard to acquire and taking 16 places at this particular time is not the right path to take". The third option of sending a team from Tonga was ruled out because France was battling a third wave of the virus and "we have decided we will not risk bringing the virus back from France into our communities", Harding said. str/cf/je