Australia women’s 7s team to raise the bar

HAVING won the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series, Commonwealth Games and Rugby World Cup Sevens within the space of a few months, 2022 will be a hard year for Australia’s women’s sevens team to top.

As a response to the team’s disappointing performance at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, it could not have been any more emphatic.

Such was their dominance, Australians accounted for three of the four places on the World Rugby Women’s Sevens Player of the Year shortlist, with Charlotte Caslick beating off competition from teammates, Maddison Levi and Faith

Nathan, as well as Ireland’s AmeeLeigh Murphy Crowe, the 2022 World Series top try-scorer, to win her second award.

The core of the Australian squad that swept all before them has been retained for this season and Caslick and Demi Hayes will again serve as co-captains.

Such continuity can only serve Australia well, but despite the dominance and titles, head coach Tim Walsh believes there are areas of growth left in the side.

“It’s a real privilege to work with this group of exceptional athletes but there’s still room for growth, there are still massive amounts of it,” he said.

“I reckon this team can certainly take areas of their game to the next level.

“If you look at attack, defence, the restart and restart reception as the sort of key areas, in every single one of those areas, there’s room for improvement, some more than others.

“They’re a good attacking team. Defence wins tournaments, and while we’re not the biggest team, we are getting fitter and more powerful, thanks to (head of Athletic Performance) Tom Carter.”

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