RUGBY SEVENS SQUADS CONFIRMED FOR COMMONWEALTH GAMES ON HOME SOIL

Mar 16 • General News, Sevens Rugby • 1377 Views • Comments Off on RUGBY SEVENS SQUADS CONFIRMED FOR COMMONWEALTH GAMES ON HOME SOIL

Commonwealth Games Australia is pleased to announce the Men’s and Women’s Australian Rugby Sevens squads for the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast next month.

This will be the first time Women will compete for Rugby Sevens Gold at the Commonwealth Games after the initial introduction of Rugby Sevens in Kuala Lumpur in 1998.

Australia’s Men’s Sevens team won Bronze four years ago at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games and claimed silver at Delhi in 2010.

The Australian Women’s Sevens team will compete for Gold at Robina Stadium as they look to add Commonwealth Games honours to Olympic Gold and Sevens World Series success.

Eight members of the Women’s Olympic Gold Medal-winning side have been selected for the Commonwealth Games team with Shannon Parry and Sharni Williams to share the leadership duties.

Nine members of the Men’s Sevens side will be making their Commonwealth Games debut with veterans Tom Lucas, Sam Myers, Jesse Parahi and James Stannard having tasted success in Glasgow.

Commonwealth Games Australia Chef de Mission Steve Moneghetti congratulated the team.

“We welcome the selection of the Men’s and Women’s Rugby Sevens team, which are our second last teams to be selected for the Gold Coast.

“The Australian Men went close in Glasgow and we hope this team can perform as well, or better, on the Gold Coast while the Women have been so exciting to watch since their Gold medal efforts in Rio,” Moneghetti said.

Australian Men’s Sevens coach Andy Friend said the team are focused on the Commonwealth Games.

“We targeted three major tournaments at the start of the season and the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast was one of those.

“We have been in some good form this season so far but I know we still have room to grow with just under a month left before the Games.

“In this squad I think we have an extremely talented group of players with the right mix of youth and experience so I’m looking forward to seeing this team perform to the best of their potential on the Gold Coast,” Friend said.

Australian Women’s Sevens coach Tim Walsh reiterated the strength of this Commonwealth Games Team.

“We’re a really process driven team so we know that we’ve prepared well and we’re ready to walk off the field after the last game without any regret.

“It’s always a privilege to play at home and something that we really enjoy but in reality, it’s the same size rugby field against the same number of players. The real difference is after the full-time whistle,” Walsh said.

Australian Men have been drawn in Pool B alongside Samoa, England and Jamaica while the Australian Women have been drawn in Pool B with Fiji, Wales and England.

 

Australian Men’s Sevens squad for the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games (in alphabetical order):

Lachlan Anderson*, 13 caps, Eastwood NSW

Timothy Anstee*, 16 caps, Eastwood NSW

Thomas Connor*, 4 caps, Warringah NSW

Lewis Holland (c)*, 36 caps, Queanbeyan

Boyd Killingworth*, 16 caps, Warringah NSW

Maurice Longbottom*, 4 caps, Lloyd McDermott Rugby Development Team

Thomas Lucas, 23 caps, Sunnybank QLD

Samuel Myers, 32 caps, Norths NSW

Benjamin O’Donnell*, 6 caps, Randwick NSW

Jesse Parahi, 39 caps, Norths NSW

John Porch*, 15 caps, Norths NSW

James Stannard, 47 caps, Souths QLD

Charlie Taylor*, 11 caps, Manly NSW

*Commonwealth Games debut

 

Australian Men’s Sevens fixtures on the Gold Coast on Saturday 14 April:

Australia v Samoa, Pool B

Australia v Jamaica, Pool B

Australia v England, Pool B

If Australia qualifies from the pool rounds, semi-finals and the Gold and Bronze medal matches will be played on Sunday 15 April.

 

Australian Women’s Sevens squad for the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games (in alphabetical order):

Charlotte Caslick*, 24 caps, QLD and Bond University

Emilee Cherry*, 26 caps, QLD and University of Queensland

Dominique Du Toit*, 7 caps, QLD and Macquarie University

Georgina Friedrichs*, 8 caps, QLD and University of Tasmania

Ellia Green*, 19 caps, VIC and University of Tasmania

Demi Hayes*, 4 caps, QLD and Griffith University

Shannon Parry (c)*, 25 caps, QLD and Griffith University

Evania Pelite*, 15 caps, QLD and University of Adelaide

Alicia Quirk*, 23 caps, NSW and University of New England

Cassandra Staples*, 4 caps, NSW and University of

Canberra Emma Sykes*, 7 caps, QLD and University of Queensland

Emma Tonegato*, 19 caps, NSW and University of Adelaide

Sharni Williams (c)*, 24 caps, ACT and University of Canberra

*Commonwealth Games debut

 

Australian Women’s Sevens fixtures on the Gold Coast on Friday 13 April and Saturday 14 April:

Australia v Wales, Pool B

Australia v England, Pool B

Australia v Fiji, Pool B

If Australia qualifies from the pool rounds, semi-finals and the Gold and Bronze medal matches will be played on Sunday 15 April

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