World Sevens Series returns in Dubai

The World Sevens Series makes its return on Friday (late Thursday in the Americas) when the first of two tournaments in Dubai kicks off. Both Men’s and Women’s teams will be in action as the Series begins to work its way back from the severely truncated 2021 campaign.

Though a longer series has already been confirmed the pandemic’s affects are still very much being felt with only 10 teams competing in the first tournament of the season for the Women and 12 for the Men. Great Britain continues to represent England, Scotland, and Wales until the new year and both New Zealand and Samoa are unable to travel to the event.

The Women will kick things off in Dubai with an atypical format of two pools of five. They did not play a 2021 season at all with the Vancouver and Edmonton events featuring only ‘Fast Four’ tournaments. With Olympic champions New Zealand absent it’s Silver medallists France who enter with top billing.

Emilie Bydwell’s first official event as Head Coach of the USA will see Series debuts for Jasmine Gray, Alex Sedrick, Sui A’au, Summer Harris-Jones, and Lote Tausinga. Abby Gustaitis and Alena Olsen have been nominated as co-captains.

Canada are coached by Jack Hanratty in an interim capacity, with Breanne Nicholas captaining the side. They see great turnover in the roster with only four returning players from previous World Sevens campaigns. Pamphinette Buisa joins the team directly from the 15-a-side tour to the UK with Olivia Apps and Emma Chown the other Series veterans.

Brazil are the only South American representatives and are coached by former Tupis scrumhalf Will Broderick. Luiza Campos is captain with Series debuts going to Thalia Costa, Marina Fioravanti, and Gabriela Lima. Costa and Fioravanti were part of the Olympic squad but this will be 18-year-old Lima’s first tournament with the team. She is the youngest player set to play in Dubai.

South Africa are technically the defending Series champions on the Men’s side and with only two new players are the team to beat. Olympic champions Fiji did not compete at the two Canadian stops and conversely have only two returning players in captain Josua Vakurunabuli and playmaker Waisea Nacuqu.

Bronze-winning Argentina are again coached by the legendary Santiago Gómez Cora and captained by Santiago Álvarez. Los Pumas have named a competitive side with five new players in Tomás Elizalde, Tomás Lizazu, Joaquín Lamas, and u20 graduates Matteo Graziano and Santiago Vera Feld.

Mike Friday’s USA side features a number of returning starts but also two new players in Logan Tago from the Utah Warriors and former Hong Kong u20 cap Lucas Lacamp. Kevon Williams is the new captain after Madison Hughes opted to take a hiatus from the sport.

Canada continue with Henry Paul at the helm and Josh Thiel captains with Nate Hirayama now retired. Four players are set to make their Series debuts in Cody Nhanala, D’Shawn Bowen, Jarvis Daskewytch, and Lockie Kratz. The latter plays for NOLA Gold while the other three have come through the Pacific Pride national development program.

The tournament begins on Thursday at 11:48pm Eastern time (8:48 Pacific). Live broadcasts will be available on the CBC Sports website in Canada, Peacock TV in the USA, ESPN in South America, and on the World Rugby website for those located abroad.

Full fixture lists can be seen here: WOMEN / MEN

 

WOMEN’S POOL A

AUSTRALIA
Madison Ashby, Rhiannon Byers, Charlotte Caslick, Lily Dick, Dominique du Toit, Demi Hayes (capt.), Tia Hinds, Alysia Lefau-Faka’osilea, Maddison Levi, Tean Levi, Faith Nathan, Sariah Paki, Sharni Williams

BRAZIL
Andressa Alves, Luiza Campos (capt.), Isadora Cerullo, Thalia Costa, Marina Fioravanti, Aline Furtado, Raquel Kochhann, Gabriela Lima, Mariana Nicolau, Edna Santini, Bianca Silva, Leila Silva, Marcelle Souza

FRANCE
Coralie Bertrand, Anne-Cécile Ciofani, Mathilde Coutouly, Joanna Grisez, Shannon Izar, Ian Jason, Valentine Lothoz, Carla Neisen, Lou Noel, Séraphine Okemba, Chloé Pelle, Jade Ulutule (capt.), Yolaine Yengo

SPAIN
Ingrid Algar, Amalia Argudo, María Calvo, Beatriz Domínguez Sánchez, Lea Ducher, Iciar Pozo Eizaguirre, Amaia Erbina, Anne Fernández de Corres (capt.), Olivia Fresneda, María García Gala, Iera Echebarría, Silvia Morales, Paula Requena

USA
Sui A’au, Cheta Emba, Joanne Fa’avesi, Jasmine Gray, Abby Gustaitis (co-capt.), Summer Harris-Jones, Alev Kelter, Ilona Maher, Alena Olsen (co-capt.), Alex Sedrick, Naya Tapper, Lote Tausinga, Kris Thomas

 

WOMEN’S POOL B

CANADA
Elissa Alarie, Olivia Apps, Fancy Bermudez, Pamphinette Buisa, Emma Chown, Chloe Daniels, Olivia de Couvreur, Renee Gonzalez, Asia Hogan-Rochester, Nakisa Levale, Breanne Nicholas (capt.), Sabrina Poulin, Krissy Scurfield

FIJI
Rogosau Adimereani, Adivani Buleki, Levania Cavuru, Raijieli Daveua, Sesenieli Donu, Laisana Likuceva, Rusila Nagasau (capt.), Ana Maria Naimasi, Alowesi Nakoci, Ana Roqica, Vasiti Solikoviti, Lavenia Tinai, Reapi Ulunisau

GREAT BRITAIN
Ellie Boatman, Abbie Brown (co-capt.), Abi Burton, Shona Campbell, Heather Cowell, Grace Crompton, Megan Jones (co-capt.), Jasmine Joyce, Alicia Maude, Kelly Smith, Lisa Thomson, Emma Uren, Amy Wilson-Hardy

IRELAND
Kathy Baker, Claire Boles, Megan Burns, Kate Farrell-McCabe, Stacey Flood, Katie Heffernan, Eve Higgins, Brittany Hogan, Erin King, Lucy Mulhall (capt.), Amee-Leigh Murphy-Crowe, Beibhinn Parsons, Aiobheann Reilly

RUSSIA
Asiyat Alieva, Anna Baranchuk, Iana Danilova, Viktoria Em, Baizat Khamidova, Marina Kukina, Snezhanna Kulkova, Daria Lushina, Daria Noritsina, Mariya Pogrebniak, Kristina Seredina, Nadezhda Sozonova (capt.), Alena Tiron

 

MEN’S POOL A

AUSTRALIA
Ben Dowling, Henry Hutchison, Kristian Jensen, Maurice Longbottom, Nick Malouf (capt.), Bill Meakes, Henry Paterson, Dietrich Roache, Jed Stuart, Corey Toole, Josh Turner, Solomone Vosaicake, Yool Yool

CANADA
Nick Allen, D’Shawn Bowen, Cooper Coats, Andrew Coe, Jarvis Dashkewytch, Elias Ergas, Thomas Isherwood, Lockie Kratz, Josiah Morra, Cody Nhanala, Theo Sauder, Jake Thiel (capt.), Brock Webster

FIJI
Elia Canakaivata, Tevita Daugunu, Manueli Maisamoa, Jeremaia Matana, Waisea Nacuqu, Panapasa Qeruqeru, Kaminieli Rasaku, Iowane Raturaciri, Filipe Sauturaga, Joseva Talacolo, Iowane Teba, Josua Vakurunabili (capt.), Daniele Yaya

FRANCE
Nelson Épée, Nisie Huyard, William Iraguha, Jonathan Laugel, Pierre Mignot, Marvin O’Connor, Stephen Parez, Varian Pasquet, Rayan Rebbadj, Paulin Riva (capt.), Jordan Sepho, Alexandre Tchaptchet, Joachim Trouabal

 

MEN’S POOL B

ARGENTINA
Santiago Álvarez (capt.), Lautaro Bazán Vélez, Joaquín de la Vega, Felipe del Mestre, Tomás Elizalde, Luciano González, Matteo Graziano, Rodrigo Isgro, Joaquín Lamas, Tomás Lizazu, Gastón Revol, Germán Schulz, Santiago Vera Feld

KENYA
Levy Amunga, Edmund Anyaa, Herman Humwa, Alvin Marube, Timothy Mmasi, Bush Mwale, Billy Odhiambo, Johnstone Olindi, Jeff Oluoch, Anthony Omondi, Alvin Otieno, Nelson Oyoo (capt.), Daniel Taabu

SPAIN
Javier de Juan (capt.), Eduardo López, Juan Martínez, Jaime Mata, Manuel Moreno, Nico Nieto, Alex Pérez, Pol Pla, Juan Ramos, Tiago Romero, Tobías Sainz-Trápaga, Alejandro Sánchez, Josep Serres

USA
Perry Baker, Gavan D’Amore-Morrison, Naima Fuala’au, Martin Iosefo, Carlin Isles, Lucas Lacamp, Matai Leuta, Folau Niua, Joe Schroeder, Logan Tago, Stephen Tomasin, Marcus Tupuola, Kevon Williams (capt.)

 

MEN’S POOL C

GREAT BRITAIN
Jamie Barden, Tom Bowen, Alex Davis, Jamie Farndale, Robbie Fergusson (capt.), Paddy Kelly, Ross McCann, Max McFarland, Freddie Roddick, Luke Treharne, Will Trenholm, Morgan Williams, Tom Williams

IRELAND
Niall Comerford, Sean Cribbin, Billy Dardis (capt.), Fergus Jemphrey, Ed Kelly, Jack Kelly, Terry Kennedy, Hugo Lennox, Aaron O’Sullivan, Jude Postlethwaite, Mark Roche, Liam Turner, Zac Ward

JAPAN
Johnny Fa’auli (capt.), Moeki Fukushi, Taisei Hayashi, Ryota Kano, Aseri Masivou, Chikara Morita, Kazuma Nakagawa, Larry Sulunga, Kavaia Tagivetaua, Tumanawa Tawhai, Shotaro Tsuoka, Netani Vakayalia, Tomoya Yamamura

SOUTH AFRICA
Ronald Brown, Selvyn Davids, Zain Davids, Muller du Plessis, Branco du Preez, Christie Grobbelaar, Ryan Oosthuizen, JC Pretorius, Tiaan Pretorius, Siviwe Soyizwapi (capt.), Impi Visser, Shilton van Wyk, Shaun Williams