Olympic Women’s 7s Preview

The wait is over. Rugby is back in the Olympics, and it starts today. The women will kick things off with 12 teams battling it out for the gold. Australia enter as favorites having conquered the HSBC Sevens Series but Canada were crowned champions at the final event in Clermont-Ferrand and New Zealand can never be counted out. Great Britain will also have a say as England came out on top in Langford earlier in the year. The women are often overshadowed by the men’s competition, but this is their time to shine with the spotlight firmly on their corner for the next three days.

 

POOL A

There’s no question Australia have the leg-up in this pool. USA finished a distant 6th place and while they have stars Bui Baravilala and Victoria Folayan mixing it up with inspirational characters Jillion Potter and Alev Kelter, the Australians have rolled out all their big guns at once and have arguably the deepest squad in the competition with no weak spots on their roster.

Fiji are not the powerhouse side that their men’s counterparts are, though they have improved this season under head coach Chris Cracknell. Forward pair Rusila Nagasau and Litia Naiqato can mix it with the best. Unfortunately the supporting cast doesn’t seem quite capable of toppling the contenders.

For the Acevedo sisters and Colombian captain Alejandro Betancur this will be a tournament to savor as they just snuck in past Argentina. A win would be magical but if they can score a try or two that should grab the support of the crowd.

Expect Australia to come through without too much trouble. Charlotte Caslick and Emma Tonegato have emerged as world class players, and Ellia Green has just about become a household name for followers of the circuit. The gold is another matter altogether but the pool is theirs to lose.

AUSTRALIA
Nicole Beck, Charlotte Caslick, Emilee Cherry, Chloe Dalton, Gemma Etheridge, Ellia Green, Shannon Parry (co-capt.), Evania Pelite, Alicia Quirk, Emma Tonegato, Amy Turner, Sharni Williams (co-capt.)

COLOMBIA
Nicole Acevedo, Sharon Acevedo, Alejandra Betancur (capt.), Solangie Delgado, Laura González, Camila Lopera, Guadalupe López, Nathalie Marchino, Khaterinne Medina, Ana Ramírez, Estefanía Ramírez, Isabel Romero Benitez

FIJI
Merewai Cumu, Raijieli Daveua, Rusila Nagasau, Litia Naiqato, Timaima Ravisa, Viniana Riwai, Asena Rokomarama, Ana Maria Roqica (capt.), Timaima Tamoi, Rebecca Tavo, Lavenia Tinai, Luisa Tisolo

USA
Bui Baravilala, Ryan Carlyle, Lauren Doyle, Joanne Fa’avesi, Carmen Farmer, Victoria Folayan, Kelly Griffin (capt.), Jessica Javelet, Kathryn Johnson, Alev Kelter, Jillion Potter, Richelle Stephens

 

POOL B

New Zealand are the class of this pool but the enigmatic French are not to be dismissed. Camille Grassineau and Shannon Izar are Dream Team contenders while Marjorie Mayans and Caroline Ladagnous are ferocious tacklers. If there is a dark horse in the tourney, France are surely it.

Further down the ladder and less potent are Spain, though they have improved considerably over the course of the year with coach José Antonio Barrio a popular figure. Still it seems far-fetched that they might cause an upset after only just qualifying via the repechage avenue. Kenya are even less remarkable, hampered by funding problems and appearing only once on the HSBC Series.

In Portia Woodman the Black Ferns have one of the most potent attackers in rugby. Outstanding forward Sarah Goss and teenage sensation Terina Te Tamaki are just two more weapons in a punishing arsenal. Expect them to be in medal contention come finals day.

FRANCE
Audrey Amiel, Pauline Biscarat, Camille Grassineau, Lina Guérin, Elodie Guigliou, Fanny Horta (capt.), Shannon Izar, Caroline Ladagnous, Jade Le Pecq, Marjorie Mayans, Rose Thomas, Jennifer Troncy

KENYA
Kate Abilla (capt.), Linet Arasa, Janet Awino, Sheila Chajira, Celestine Masinde, Rachael Mbogo, Doreen Nziwa, Janet Okelo, Philadelphia Olando, Irene Otieno, Stacy Otieno, Camilyne Oyuayo

SPAIN
Marina Bravo, María Casado, Angela Del Pan, Iera Echebarría, Amaia Erbina, Berta García, Patricia García, Elisabet Martínez (capt.), Paula Medín, Bárbara Plá, Ana Rial, María Ribera

NEW ZEALAND
Shakira Baker, Kelly Brazier (capt.), Gayle Broughton, Theresa Fitzpatrick, Sarah Goss, Huriana Manuel, Kayla McAlister, Tyla Nathan-Wong, Terina Te Tamaki, Ruby Tui, Niall Williams, Portia Woodman

 

POOL C

Hosts Brazil have found themselves in the toughest pool with two highly ranked contenders in Canada and Great Britain while Japan have the capacity to surprise. Captain and playmaker Paula Ishibashi will lead the charge with protege Edna Santini and tireless forward Júlia Sardá also key figures.

All eyes will be on Sunday’s match-up between top seeds Canada and Great Britain. The Brits might as well be wearing English colors with only one Welsh player added to the side. With the abrasive Heather Fisher and world class Emily Scarratt in their side they will certainly take some stopping.

If one team is up to the task it will be Canada. Head coach John Tait has forged Canada’s greatest ever group of 12 and on paper they are equaled only by their antipodean rivals. Kelly Russell is one of the most imposing figures in the tournament and Ghislaine Landry is a magician with ball in hand. Further inspiration will come from the likes of super-charged captain Jen Kish and playmaker Ashley Steacy, who has recovered from knee surgery to win her spot in the side. Canada are the greatest hope for a medal out of the Americas and have a real shot at Olympic glory.

BRAZIL
Amanda Araújo, Tais Balconi, Luiza Campos, Isadora Cerullo, Juliana Esteves, Paula Ishibashi (capt.), Raquel Kochhann, Beatriz Muhlbauer, Edna Santini, Júlia Sardá, Haline Scatrut, Claudia Teles

CANADA
Brittany Benn, Hannah Darling, Bianca Farella, Jen Kish (capt.), Ghislaine Landry, Megan Lukan, Kayla Moleschi, Karen Paquin, Kelly Russell, Ashley Steacy, Natasha Watcham-Roy, Charity Williams

GREAT BRITAIN
Claire Allan, Abbie Brown, Heather Fisher, Natasha Hunt, Jasmine Joyce, Katy McLean, Alice Richardson, Emily Scarratt (capt.), Emily Scott, Danielle Waterman, Joanne Watmore, Amy Wilson-Hardy

JAPAN
Yuka Kanematsu, Mifuyu Koide, Ano Kuwai, Kana Mitsugi, Chiharu Nakamura (capt.), Yume Okuroda, Ayaka Suzuki, Noriko Taniguchi, Makiko Tomita, Marie Yamaguchi, Mio Yamanaka, Chisato Yoko

 

POOL FIXTURES (all times local Rio)

SAT, AUG 6 – 11:00 – POOL B – France vs Spain
SAT, AUG 6 – 11:30 – POOL B – New Zealand vs Kenya
SAT, AUG 6 – 12:00 – POOL C – Great Britain vs Brazil
SAT, AUG 6 – 12:30 – POOL C – Canada vs Japan
SAT, AUG 6 – 13:00 – POOL A – USA vs Fiji
SAT, AUG 6 – 13:30 – POOL A – Australia vs Colombia

SAT, AUG 6 – 16:00 – POOL B – France vs Kenya
SAT, AUG 6 – 16:30 – POOL B – New Zealand vs Spain
SAT, AUG 6 – 17:00 – POOL C – Great Britain vs Japan
SAT, AUG 6 – 17:30 – POOL C – Canada vs Brazil
SAT, AUG 6 – 18:00 – POOL A – USA vs Colombia
SAT, AUG 6 – 18:30 – POOL A – Australia vs Fiji

SUN, AUG 7 – 11:00 – POOL B – Spain vs Kenya
SUN, AUG 7 – 11:30 – POOL B – New Zealand vs France
SUN, AUG 7 – 12:00 – POOL C – Brazil vs Japan
SUN, AUG 7 – 12:30 – POOL C – Canada vs Great Britain
SUN, AUG 7 – 13:00 – POOL A – Fiji vs Colombia
SUN, AUG 7 – 13:30 – POOL A – Australia vs USA