Sonny Bill Williams

Williams is joined by three other rookies in Counties Manukau pair, Josh Van Lieshout and Sione Molia, and Hawke’s Bay’s Billy Ropiha who all impressed at the Bayleys National Sevens in Rotorua last weekend.

Van Lieshout and Sione Molia helped Counties Manukau to a first Bayley National Sevens title since 1995 after a stunning 54-14 victory over North Harbour in Sunday’s final.

The rugby star is one of a number of players from the fifteen-a-side game at an All Blacks Sevens' camp in Cambridge, hoping to crack the squad for the Rio Olympics.

Williams said he thought league pre-season was tough - but it was nothing compared to Tietjens' expectations.

The code-hopping superstar has started preparations for his latest sporting quest - an Olympic sevens gold medal with Tietjens and co in Rio this year.

And judging by his latest post on Twitter, the transition to the abbreviated format has certainly been an eye-opener for 'SBW'.

The popular All Black tweeted the two pictures, which Stuff has chosen not to publish due to their graphic nature, on Tuesday evening along with the caption: "What did these children do to deserve this? This summer share a thought for the innocent lives lost everyday in war."

The tweet comes less than a month after Williams' return from visiting a refugee camp in Lebanon as a Unicef ambassador.