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Craig HillAustralian Women's Team For Sevens RWC Named
February 7th 2009 07:09
The heroines of Australia’s Oceania qualifying tournament success will lead the way again at next month’s women’s Rugby World Cup Sevens, after the 12-strong squad was confirmed today.
Long-time Paper-to-Paper Wallaroos skipper Cheryl Soon (pictured) will lead Australia, as she did during last year’s stunning upset of the pre-tournament fancies New Zealand at the Oceania women’s Sevens qualifying tournament in Samoa.
Australiatwice beat New Zealand at that tournament, 15-5 during the qualifying, and then 22-15 in a tight final, which was decided when Sydney University winger Nicole Beck sped away for the winning try in the final minute of play.
Ten of the member’s of the team from the qualifying event in August have been named today.
Of the two to miss out – Brothers (Queensland) halfback Iliseva Batibasaga has been named as shadow member of the squad, alongside the Newcastle University flyhalf Tobie McGann, to back up the touring party.
SydneyUniversitywinger Selene Thornton, who also played at the Oceania Sevens, has missed selection.
The two newcomers are the Warringah winger Bo De La Cruz and the Cottesloe (Perth) centre Shelley Matchem.
Both impressed recently playing in the women’s section of last month’s Hottest Sevens in Darwin.
Eight of the players selected today featured for the Sydney-based Zonnators side which won that tournament.
While De La Cruz wasn’t among them, playing for Queensland instead, participation in that tournament was still satisfying given that she originally hails from the Northern Territory and had only arrived in Sydney six years ago to further her sporting career.
While Australia, like most of the women’s World Cup participants, lacks major Sevens history; the side selected today boasts a wealth of international and World Cup experience.
Seven of the players selected -Tricia Brown (2006), Alex Hargreaves (2002, 2006), Debby Hogkinson (2002), Tui Ormsby (1998, 2002), Ruan Sims (2006), Cheryl Soon (2002, 2006) and Selena Tranter (1998, 2002, 2006) – have previously appeared at the 15-aside women’s Rugby World Cup.
Sims is a sister of current St George-Illawarra rugby league star Ashton Sims.
Tranter (nee Worsley) is the most capped Wallaroo, having featured in 24 Tests, nine of which she appeared as captain.
The openside flanker carries the Wallaroo number of seven, having started in that position in the first Test ever played by an Australian women’s team, 15-years ago.
New Australia women’s Sevens coach Jason Stanton says competition for places in the squad was tight, forcing some tough selection calls to be made.
“It hasn’t been an easy side to select, but hopefully that is a good sign as to how we’ll go,” Stanton says.
“The girls have worked extremely hard up until now and will continue to do so right up until the tournament starts.”
Stanton, who has a background in Touch Rugby but is also a skills coach at the Queensland Reds, has taken over the coaching reins of the Australian women’s Sevens.
His successor, Shawn Mackay, stood down to further his own career on the playing roster of the Brumbies for the upcoming Investec Super 14.
Mackay was in charge of the Australian side when it won on its debut appearance at last year’s Oceania Sevens in Samoa.
Australia’s success there earned it the number one seeding from Oceania for the Rugby World Cup, landing it in Pool A alongside the Netherlands, France and China.
16-teams will compete in the inaugural women’s Rugby World Cup Sevens, which will be conducted alongside the men’s event at Dubai in the United Arab Emirates on March 6-7.
The Sydney University (Beck, Hargreaves and Judd) and Warringah clubs (De La Cruz, Soon & Ormsby) have each provided three members of the squad while Western Australia’s Cottesloe (Hogkinson & Matchem) has two representatives.
The squad assembles at the AIS in Canberra on 24 February, where it will prepare alongside the Australian men’s team, before departing for the Rugby World Cup from Sydney on Sunday 1 March.
The Australian women’s Sevens squad for the Rugby World Cup Sevens at Dubai in the UAE on March 6-7 is: Cheryl Soon (NSW, captain), Nicole Beck (NSW), Tricia Brown (Queensland), Bo De la Cruz (NSW), Alexandra Hargreaves (NSW), Debby Hogkinson (Western Australia), Amanda Judd (NSW), Shelley Matchem (Western Australia), Tui Ormsby (NSW), Ruan Sims (NSW), Rebecca Tavo (Queensland), Selena Tranter (Queensland).
AAP
Long-time Paper-to-Paper Wallaroos skipper Cheryl Soon (pictured) will lead Australia, as she did during last year’s stunning upset of the pre-tournament fancies New Zealand at the Oceania women’s Sevens qualifying tournament in Samoa.
Australiatwice beat New Zealand at that tournament, 15-5 during the qualifying, and then 22-15 in a tight final, which was decided when Sydney University winger Nicole Beck sped away for the winning try in the final minute of play.
Ten of the member’s of the team from the qualifying event in August have been named today.
Of the two to miss out – Brothers (Queensland) halfback Iliseva Batibasaga has been named as shadow member of the squad, alongside the Newcastle University flyhalf Tobie McGann, to back up the touring party.
SydneyUniversitywinger Selene Thornton, who also played at the Oceania Sevens, has missed selection.
Cheryl Soon Australian Captain
The two newcomers are the Warringah winger Bo De La Cruz and the Cottesloe (Perth) centre Shelley Matchem.
Both impressed recently playing in the women’s section of last month’s Hottest Sevens in Darwin.
Eight of the players selected today featured for the Sydney-based Zonnators side which won that tournament.
While De La Cruz wasn’t among them, playing for Queensland instead, participation in that tournament was still satisfying given that she originally hails from the Northern Territory and had only arrived in Sydney six years ago to further her sporting career.
While Australia, like most of the women’s World Cup participants, lacks major Sevens history; the side selected today boasts a wealth of international and World Cup experience.
Seven of the players selected -Tricia Brown (2006), Alex Hargreaves (2002, 2006), Debby Hogkinson (2002), Tui Ormsby (1998, 2002), Ruan Sims (2006), Cheryl Soon (2002, 2006) and Selena Tranter (1998, 2002, 2006) – have previously appeared at the 15-aside women’s Rugby World Cup.
Sims is a sister of current St George-Illawarra rugby league star Ashton Sims.
Tranter (nee Worsley) is the most capped Wallaroo, having featured in 24 Tests, nine of which she appeared as captain.
The openside flanker carries the Wallaroo number of seven, having started in that position in the first Test ever played by an Australian women’s team, 15-years ago.
New Australia women’s Sevens coach Jason Stanton says competition for places in the squad was tight, forcing some tough selection calls to be made.
“It hasn’t been an easy side to select, but hopefully that is a good sign as to how we’ll go,” Stanton says.
“The girls have worked extremely hard up until now and will continue to do so right up until the tournament starts.”
Stanton, who has a background in Touch Rugby but is also a skills coach at the Queensland Reds, has taken over the coaching reins of the Australian women’s Sevens.
His successor, Shawn Mackay, stood down to further his own career on the playing roster of the Brumbies for the upcoming Investec Super 14.
Mackay was in charge of the Australian side when it won on its debut appearance at last year’s Oceania Sevens in Samoa.
Australia’s success there earned it the number one seeding from Oceania for the Rugby World Cup, landing it in Pool A alongside the Netherlands, France and China.
16-teams will compete in the inaugural women’s Rugby World Cup Sevens, which will be conducted alongside the men’s event at Dubai in the United Arab Emirates on March 6-7.
The Sydney University (Beck, Hargreaves and Judd) and Warringah clubs (De La Cruz, Soon & Ormsby) have each provided three members of the squad while Western Australia’s Cottesloe (Hogkinson & Matchem) has two representatives.
The squad assembles at the AIS in Canberra on 24 February, where it will prepare alongside the Australian men’s team, before departing for the Rugby World Cup from Sydney on Sunday 1 March.
The Australian women’s Sevens squad for the Rugby World Cup Sevens at Dubai in the UAE on March 6-7 is: Cheryl Soon (NSW, captain), Nicole Beck (NSW), Tricia Brown (Queensland), Bo De la Cruz (NSW), Alexandra Hargreaves (NSW), Debby Hogkinson (Western Australia), Amanda Judd (NSW), Shelley Matchem (Western Australia), Tui Ormsby (NSW), Ruan Sims (NSW), Rebecca Tavo (Queensland), Selena Tranter (Queensland).
AAP
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