The squad to represent Brazil for the first time at a World Cup has just been announced.
It is:
ALINE MAYUMI
ANA SANTANA
BIANCA SILVA
CAMILIA ISIS
CAROLYNE PEREIRA
DAYANA DAKAR
EDNA SANTINI
ESHYLL COIMBRA
FERNANDA TENORIO
FRANCIELE BARROS
GIOVANA BARTH
IRIS COLUNA
ISABELA SACCOMANNO
ISADORA LOPES
JULIA LENI
LARISSA CARVALHO
LARISSA HENWOOD
LELIA SILVA
LETICIA MEDEIROS
LETICIA SILVA
LUIZA CAMPOS
MARCELLE SOUZA
MARIA GRAF
MARIANA NICOLAU
MARINA FIORAVANTI
NATALIA JONCK
PAMELA SANTOS
RAQUEL KOCHMANN
SAMARA VERGAMA
TAIS PRIOSTE
YASMIM SOARES
Though this is their first entry to an RWC, their Sevens squad has form. They created a sensation by beating world champions, Australia, 14-12 last February in the SVNS Series.
The new squad contains eleven Olympians from Paris, but not Thais Costa, who has already posted 100 tries in 7s! So there was stiff competition for places.
Now they make the huge jump to the long-format game. We wish them luck, not least because they become pioneers for the spread of the game across the whole of South America.
Most of the 32 players are home based, but Tais Prioste plays in Paris for Bobigny; Leticia Medeiros is at Bond University in Queensland, and both Natalia Jonck and Maria Graf play for Brothers, also in Queensland.
Larissa Henwood (familiar surname in Kiwiland!) has played for Counties Manakau and in Japan.
Their head coach, Emiliano Caffera from Uruguay, has been putting them through their paces, and they are hugely excited at what lies before them.
As the first South American nation to reach this stage, we can only hope they have a great time.
Their three pool-stage opponents are South Africa, France and Italy.
