The Queensland Women’s Sevens teams have been named ahead of this weekend’s National Sevens Championships, taking place in Bendigo across Saturday 25 November and Sunday 26 November.
Drawing from Queensland’s AON Uni 7s teams and club Rugby, 24 players have been selected across the two sides.
Queensland Red head into the tournament as defending champions, having last year gone through the tournament undefeated.
From last year’s championship side, Georgie Friedrichs and Lauren Brown have both gone on to represent the Australian Women’s Sevens, while Samantha Treherne and Kiri Lingman both represented the Wallaroos earlier in 2017.
Only six players from the 2016 Queensland Red and White squads will be returning to the fold, but through the Queensland Academy of Sport (QAS) Women’s Sevens program and the introduction of the AON Uni 7s series, the coaching staff are confident in depth within Queensland Women’s Sevens pathway.
Queensland Red head coach Sione Fukofuka said: “The squads are shaping up really well, we’ve prepared together and both teams will be very competitive.
“We’ve been able to select new girls into the squad this year with the majority of them having played in the AON series.
“We have a number of girls from last year’s youth squads who got their first taste of senior Rugby through the AON series, playing alongside the best players in the world like Emilee Cherry and Charlotte Caslick, and will now have the chance to represent the senior Women’s side in Bendigo this weekend.
“The girls who come into the program now have much better skills, and a lot of that is being achieved through schools and the grassroots. Each time they reach a new level they progress even further. The AON Series is a perfect example, where the standard of play was really high.
“The young girls who have been working with Lachlan Parkinson through the QAS program have been exposed to a semi-professional environment week-in-week-out, and they’re now pushing for selection in the wider Australian squad. In terms of our team, I think we’re at a level where we can hopefully defend our title.”
Queensland Rugby Union’s Sevens High Performance Manager Lachlan Parkinson said: “This year’s Queensland Women’s teams showcase the next crop of talent coming through our pathway system.
“We’ve worked hard in partnership with the Queensland Academy of Sport to establish a program that generates talent for the Australian Women’s Sevens side, and we’ve seen players such as Brooke Walker, Demi Hayes, Dominque Du Toit, Georgie Friedrichs and Lauren Brown all earn their Australian debut after graduating from the program.
“In this year’s squad, we have Grace Kaihau and Alysia Lefau-Fakaosilea returning from the Australian Sevens squad as development players to represent Queensland, further demonstrating our commitment to nurture and development Women’s Sevens talent in Queensland.”
Queensland White will face the Australian Defence Force in their first game at 9:00am AEDT on Saturday morning, followed by Queensland Red’s clash against Victoria at 9:44am AEDT. All matches will be streamed LIVE via Rugby.com.au.
To view the tournament draw, follow this link:: http://bit.ly/2hX9dwj
QUEENSLAND WOMEN'S RED
Given Name AON Team / Club
1. Erica Fowler University of Queensland
2. Emily-Claire Bass Bond University
3. Laura Waldie (VC)Griffith University
4. Bodil van Wijnbergen University of Queensland
5. Marikki Watego University of Queensland
6. Eseta Fangaloka Griffith University
7. Mackenzie Sadler (VC) University of Queensland
8. SamanthaTreherne Griffith University
9. Jessika Elliston Bond University
10. Grace Kaihau University of Queensland
11. Alysia Lefau-Fakaosilea Griffith University
12. Tallisha Harden © Sunnybank
Coach Sione Fukofuka
Manager Kimberly Rase
Physio Caitlin Bailey
Physical Performance Coach Owen Flyn
QUEENSLAND WOMEN'S WHITE
Given Name AON Team / Club
1. Sasha Mahuika (C)Sunnybank
2. Taylor Mapusua Griffith University
3. Vetaronnica Tafito Fomai University of Queensland
4. Ivania Wong Griffith University
5. Alana Elisaia Griffith University
6. Trinity Mamoe Bond University
7. Miranda Scroope University of Queensland
8. Georgia Page Bond University
9. Brianne Rossato (C)University of Queensland
10. Sarafina Vosqua University of Queensland
11. Terri-Anne Egan University of Queensland
12. Steph Rutherford Bond University
Coach Moea Niha
Manager Shannon Matheson
Physio Caitlin Bailey
Physical Performance Coach Owen Flyn
