NZ women’s 7s team eager to shine in Suva

THE New Zealand women’s national 7s team will be the team to watch out for in the Mini International Women’s 7s tournament that will be held in Suva.

Head coach Cory Sweeney said his side was happy to be in Fiji and are anticipating an exciting competition when the mini-tournament starts today.

“We just love being here in Fiji, and the girls are excited for the competition ahead of us this weekend,” he said.

The 19-member squad have been conducting training sessions since the beginning of this week and will be facing Fiji, Australia and France in their opening matches.

“We got every single player in our squad for the tournament, and it’s been a long time since we had the girls all together like this, so they are all excited.

“The girls have been blending well over the past few days, and this will be the first time since the World Series last year since they’ve stepped on the field for a competition.”

Cory also mentioned his side have been going over a foundation phase over the past few months.

“So, this tournament will allow our players to test themselves, especially their physicality and their connection on the field.”

He said the tournament would allow the players to prepare ahead of the Pacific Games in the Solomon Islands in November.

“We just want to see where we are at the moment against some international team.

“We have two exciting matches coming up on Saturday where we will be playing the host, Fiji, so we are expecting a tough battle.

“It’s always a challenge facing Fiji at home.”

When asked about his thoughts on the tournament, Corey said more events as such should be held annually to help with the development of the sport.

“I think we should be having these types of tournaments every year, because it’s beneficial for all the teams taking part, before competing in other international tournaments.”