Americas women set for Olympic qualifier

With the men finishing up in Monaco last weekend, it’s now time for the women to put a bow on their Olympic offerings as they prepare for the final Olympic repechage qualifying tournament in Dublin. Three teams who took part with ‘core’ status in this year’s HSBC Sevens Series are included – Russia, Ireland, and Spain – with the Russians the highest ranked of the three and hot favorites to win in Dublin. As Spain showed in Monaco, however, anything is possible in the world of sevens.

The Americas will be represented by four teams. Mexico and Venezuela are grouped together in Pool B, Trinidad & Tobago is in Pool C, and Argentina is in Pool D. None of those teams made any appearances on the HSBC circuit this year, but each enter with ambitions of upsetting their fancied rivals.

In total 16 teams will be competing for one final spot at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. The games take place at the UCD Bowl with all games to be streamed live by World Rugby.

ARGENTINA
Mayra Aguilar, Gladys Alcaraz, Noelia Billerbeck (capt.), María Botelli, Rita Cazorla, Magali Fazzi, Isabel Fontanarrosa, Mayra Genghini, Sofía González, Valeria Montero, Josefina Padellaro, María Pedrozo

MEXICO
Ámbar Acardia, Michelle Farah, Bertha Fernández, María Hernández, Karina Landeros, Perla Leyva, Claudia Rendón, Rosa Rivera (capt.), Daniela Rosales, Carolina Sadoval, Martha Santiago, Georgina Zenteno

TRINIDAD & TOBAGO
Alesha Bruce, Latifah Caliste, Victoria Caliste, Ornella George, Apphia Glasgow, Fayola Jack, Dalia Jordan-Brown, Akila Lowman, Nicolette Pantor, Ayana Skeete (capt.), Kathleen Stephen, Kanisha Vincent

VENEZUELA
Nardelys Alvarado, Moureen Baloa, Claudia Contreras (capt.), Caring De Freitas, Daniela Díaz, Jetsy Ferrera, Maryoly Games, Ingrid Griffin, Marianny Izarza, Carla Lanzarote, Mariana Romero, Estefania Salami

DAY ONE FIXTURES – JUNE 25

05:00 ET – POOL D – Argentina vs Kazakhstan
05:22 ET – POOL D – Hong Kong vs Cook Islands
05:44 ET – POOL B – Mexico vs Venezuela
06:06 ET – POOL B – Spain vs Tunisia
06:28 ET – POOL A – Samoa vs Zimbabwe
06:50 ET – POOL A – Russia vs Madagascar
07:12 ET – POOL C – China vs Portugal
07:34 ET – POOL C – Ireland vs Trinidad & Tobago

08:06 ET – POOL D – Argentina vs Cook Islands
08:28 ET – POOL D – Hong Kong vs Kazahkstan
08:50 ET – POOL B – Mexico vs Tunisia
09:12 ET – POOL B – Spain vs Venezuela
09:34 ET – POOL A – Samoa vs Madagascar
09:56 ET – POOL A – Russia vs Zimbabwe
10:18 ET – POOL C – China vs Trinidad & Tobago
10:40 ET – POOL C – Ireland vs Portugal

11:12 ET – POOL D – Kazakhstan vs Cook Islands
11:34 ET – POOL D – Hong Kong vs Argentina
11:56 ET – POOL B – Venezuela vs Tunisia
12:18 ET – POOL B – Spain vs Mexico
12:40 ET – POOL A – Zimbabwe vs Madagascar
13:02 ET – POOL A – Russia vs Samoa
13:24 ET – POOL C – Portugal vs Trinidad & Tobago
13:46 ET – POOL C – Ireland vs China