Speed has been no problem for Iopu Iopu and Gareth Williams-Spiers in the past.

Now the two Suburbs rugby players will foot it with the best on the world stage after being selected for Gordon Tietjens' New Zealand Sevens squad for the upcoming IRB sevens circuit.

Despite the silver lining it's been a torrid year for the duo who have both suffered injuries towards the back end of Suburbs' Alan McEvoy rugby campaign.

But they have come back strong in rehabilitation.

Williams-Spiers' quadriceps injury cost him eight weeks of game time while Iopu was out for 10 weeks after he received a stress fracture in his leg.

"If anything the frustration made me stronger.

"Sevens is great because you have lots more space to work with than in rugby union and I'm looking to improve my game," Iopu says.

Williams-Spiers has been on the sevens radar for a while and is happy to have cracked the team.

"After my injury I just had to recover and work hard on my fitness and I'm glad to make it.

"Hopefully I can secure a starting position for the first game against the USA," he says.

The naming of both players has been huge for the Suburbs club says coach Ramsey Tomokino.

"We're absolutely stoked for them as they've been tested mentally and physically with their injuries.

"Gordon had spoken to them while they were watching our quarterfinal game from the sidelines which encouraged them and gave them something to aim for," Tomokino says.

The Gold Coast Sevens kicks off on Saturday.

- © Fairfax NZ News