Top talent lines up for sevens day

THE state’s top women’s rugby players are in Hobart tomorrow for the first rugby sevens gala day at the University field.

The knockout series to decide the state title will be contested by northern champions North-West Panthers, as well as Launceston Devonport, against southern champion Glenorchy, plus University and Taroona.

A trial will be held to find talent before University’s campaign in the 2017 women’s uni 7s series in August. The UTAS team has been allocated Rio gold medallist Ellia Green, as well as national players Georgie Friedrichs and Shanice Parker, for the women’s uni sevens series.

Stars of the Australian women’s sevens team have been split up to join the eight teams in the new uni series, a national competition comprised of four two-day tournaments.

In teams based at major universities around the country, fulltime professionals in the Australian program will team with amateur upand-comers.

Uni player Claire Milligan is excited about the talent search and the first gala day for women.

“The sevens competition has been running for 10 weeks and we all come together this weekend for gala day,” Milligan said. “We’re split into two pools, and it’s a knockout series until the final.”

Tomorrow’s talent scouting session is from 9.30-11.30am, followed by the opening game of the gala day.