The final squads have been announced for this weekend’s HSBC Kitakyushu Sevens at the Mikuni World Stadium.
The first ever HSBC World Rugby Women’s Sevens Series round to be played in Japan is the fourth stop on the 2016-17 series with New Zealand, winners in Dubai and Las Vegas, leading the way with 56 points, six more than Olympic champions Australia with Canada a further four points adrift.
Fifteen players are in line for their series debuts in Kitakyushu, six of them for hosts Japan who field a squad with only 31 tournaments between them as they prepare to test themselves against the world’s best teams ahead of their return to the series as a core team in 2017-18.
Contrast that to Sydney winners Canada who, with 146 tournaments, boast the most experienced squad, followed by Australia (136) and New Zealand (134).
All three teams have only made minimal changes to their squads since Las Vegas last month when they shared the podium.
Australia coach Tim Walsh has left his co-captain Sharni Williams at home and opted to give young players such as Youth Olympic Games gold medallist Dominique du Toit an opportunity to shine on the series, while the Black Ferns Sevens welcome back Rebekah Cordero-Tufuga, their two-try scorer from the Dubai gold medal match.
Canada have lost the services of Kayla Moleschi for the rest of the series through injury, but the blow is softened by being able to recall an experienced player like Ashley Steacy, who missed the Las Vegas round to attend her sister’s wedding.
England, who will open their tournament against Canada, will be hoping that the return of Women’s Six Nations Grand Slam winners Katy Mclean, Amy Wilson-Hardy and Sarah McKenna will be the spark to kickstart their season after failing to reach the Cup quarter-finals in both Sydney and Las Vegas.
“This is a far stronger England side than we have seen all season and just the injection of those three very experienced players is going to have a massive impact I believe,” World Rugby commentator Melodie Robinson said this week. “Katy Mclean is going to come in and just organise them. Their captain Abbie Brown has just needed a little bit of support underneath and she is going to get it, while Amy Wilson-Hardy is an absolute star.”
The action gets underway on Saturday at 10:30 local time (GMT +9) with USA v Spain in Pool C.
Sevens’ Squads:
| Australia
Shannon Parry Demi Hayes Dominique Du Toit Mahalia Murphy Georgina Friedricks Evania Pelite Charlotte Caslick Chloe Dalton Emma Sykes Alicia Quirk Emilee Cherry Ellia Green |
Brazil
Mariana Nicolau Luiza Campos Isadora Cerullo Edna Santini Paula Ishibashi Maira Behrendt Haline Scatrut Beatriz Muhlbauer Cleice Lopes Raquel Kochhann Bianca Silva Claudia Teles |
Canada
Brittany Benn Julia Greenshields Sara Kaljuvee Breanne Nicholas Ashley Steacy Charity Williams Jennifer Kish Bianca Farella Ghislaine Landry Hannah Darling Natasha Watcham-Roy Megan Lukan |
| England
Emily Scott Abbie Brown Alice Richardson Millie Wood Katy Mclean Deborah Fleming Heather Fisher Meg Jones Sarah McKenna Joanne Watmore Holly Aitchison Amy Wilson Hardy |
Fiji
Rusila Nagasau Miriama Naiobasali Pricilla Sauvavi Siata Asinate Savu Talica Vodo Merewai Cumu Ana Maria Roqica Tima Raisa Lavenia Tinai Ana Maria Naimasi Raijieli Daveua Viniana Riwai |
France
Rose Thomas Serafine Okemba Chloe Pelle Pauline Biscarat Caroline Drouin Jade le Pesq Clemence Gueucier Camille Grassineau Lenaig Corson Elodie Guiglion Laurelin Foucade Lina Guerin |
| Ireland
Audrey O’Flynn Hannah Tyrrell Stacey Flood Megan Williams Amee Leigh Murphy Crowe Ashleigh Baxter Sene Naoupu Claie Keohane Lucy Mulhall Kim Flood Louise Galvin Emma Murphy |
Japan
Raichierumiyo Bativakalolo Mateitoga Bogidraumainadae Ano Kuwai Chiharu Nakamura Noriko Taniguchi Yuki Ito Mayu Shimizu Emii Tanaka Iroha Nagata Yume Hirano Honoka Tsutsumi Mio Yamanaka |
New Zealand
Ruby Tui Alena Saili Rebeka Cordero Tufuga Niall Williams Sarah Goss Michaela Blyde Tyla Nathan-Wong Kelly Brazier Katarina Whata-Simpkins Theresa Fitzpatrick Portia Woodman Cheyelle Robins-Regi |
| Russia
Daria Noritsina Arina Bystrova Daria Bobkova Alena Mikhaltsov Baizat Khamidova Ekaterina Skoromko Marina Petrova Marina Kukina Snezhanna Kulkova Elena Zdrokova Yulia Ledovskaya Mariia Perestiak |
Spain
Maria Losada Olivia Fresneda Amaia Erbina Patricia Garcia Uribarri Barrutieta Nerea Agruirre Barbara Pla Sabina Hurtado Maria Casado Raquel Garcia Iera Echebarria Maria Ribera |
USA
Joanne Faavesi Kristen Thomas Kelly Griffin Nicole Hevirland Lilly Durbin Leyla Alex Kelter Naya Tapper Jordan Gray Kelsi Stockert Megan Saders Bulou Mataitoga Nikki Snyder |
Report courtesy of World Rugby
