SEVENS HEAVEN
OUR FUTURE STARS ON THE FIELD
THEY are the Gold Coast’s budding Charlotte Caslicks – or is that Portia Woodmans?
Leilani Ahsam, 12, Skyla Adams, 13, and Grace Qaranivalu, 16, are all rising Rugby Sevens talents who hope to emulate Australian Caslick or Kiwi speedster Woodman.
They are on the right track, now selected in Gold Coast Renegades under-12s, 14s and 16s age group teams off to Sydney this weekend.
The trio are among 30plus girls – most from the city’s Helensvale Hogs and Coomera Crushers rugby clubs – who will play Australia-wide and visiting international sides from Hong Kong at the Sydney Magic Sevens.
Gold Coast Renegades spokesman Laurence Faifua said he started the junior squads on the back of growth in girls playing tackle sevens.
Sevens at the Commonwealth Games back in April had only boosted the interest among youth, he said.
Leilani, who has played touch since she was five but is in her first season of tackle, said watching sevens at the Games – particularly the pulsating Australia-NZ women’s final – had inspired her on the field. “It was just so intense. I had to keep begging and asking my dad if he would let me play tackle and eventually he gave in. It’s a lot of fun and I really enjoy it,” the Emmanuel College student said.
Grace, of Coombabah State High, said she took up sevens because after turning 12 she was no longer allowed to play tackle 15-a-side with the boys – her favourite player is Woodman because “she’s tough and just keeps going”.
Skyla, of Helensvale High, hopes to play for NZ one day and said it was a thrill to be selected in the Renegades.
“I’m looking forward to testing out my skills,” she said.
Faifua said girls playing contact sports like sevens, union and Aussie rules now had a pathway to turning pro.