THE Australian Rugby Union is focusing on the junior rugby league ranks to find future Wallabies and boost its dwindling player stocks.

ARU high-performance manager David Nucifora said yesterday it was imperative they closely look at what talent is available among young league players, while also being on top of whatever prospects continue to emerge from junior rugby.

The former Brumbies and Blues Super 14 coach said another key recruitment area was the Australian Sevens program because, as shown through the rise of Matt Giteau and James O'Connor, it works as a crucial international rugby stepping stone.

"We are keeping our eyes open at the young rugby league ranks among the 15- to 20-year-olds," Nucifora said.

"We have beefed [up] that area a bit and become more efficient. It's not just rugby league, but it also involves a stronger focus on talent spotting in our own junior rugby ranks. You need good people working for you in that area. It's a matter of identifying people who can provide you with good information."

Rugby sources confirmed that talent scouts were attending as many junior rugby league games and carnivals as possible.

It is no coincidence that Michael O'Connor, who has for some years been heavily involved in the ARU's recruitment program, doubles as the Australian Sevens coach.

While Sevens football is often forgotten and Australia has struggled to be a force in that area for some time, the ARU is not neglecting it. The World Cup Sevens tournament in Dubai next month will be used as a guide to whether some members of the Australian team are ready for Super 14 football and beyond.

The team includes Sydney University's Ed and Jono Jenkins, the first twins to represent Australia at Sevens level, and former Sydney Roosters league player Shaun Foley.

"We have faith in the Sevens program to give guys an opportunity and gain good experience," Nucifora said.

"The Sevens series is actually a really good area to gauge how these guys go - not just from a footballing point of view. It isolates people. You can see what players have ticker, see who can run and tackle, how they handle travel, how they back up …"