No longer Uni-ted
THERE is a major rivalry brewing on the Gold Coast.
Excitement is growing about the start of the inaugural Women’s University Sevens Series later this month, when Australia’s finest rugby players will be spread across the competition.
Three of the eight competing campuses are Queenslandbased, including Griffith University and Bond University being a mere 17km apart.
National stars Demi Hayes and Shannon Parry have been allocated to Griffith while Bond gain Charlotte Caslick and Brooke Walker.
The latter revealed chatter has been aplenty in the buildup to the four-tournament series.
“We have thrown a bit of banter around about it especially with the Griffith girls Shannon Parry and Demi Hayes,” Walker said.
“We know they’re both Gold Coast universities so that one is going to be quite an interesting battle.
“There is definitely a bit of banter around all that which is quite healthy I think, the competitive nature of it all.”
Bond teammate Caslick agreed, saying the honour of being the state’s top side would be highly coveted by both Gold Coast teams as well as the University of Queensland.
“The Queensland teams will all have a strong rivalry against each other and want to be the best Queensland team so we’re pretty excited about that,” said Caslick, who was in Toowoomba yesterday as part of the national squad’s regional tour.
Meanwhile Hayes, a “through and through” Queenslander from outback Glenmorgan, hopes to see the trio of teams north of the border gang up on NSW rivals University of New England and Macquarie University.
The 19-year-old has been in the Australian set-up for roughly a year now and wants to use the series as a platform to further establish herself as a front-line player.
“This is a huge chance to show what we have got,” she said. “Obviously our coaches are looking at other players as well but I suppose we really have to perform and help the other girls that aren’t so professional step up.”
Round 1 of the series will kick-off at the University of Tasmania in Launceston on August 25-26.