Source: World Rugby

Final Squads announced for HSBC Kitakyushu Sevens

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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