AUSTRALIAN WOMEN’S SEVENS STAR PELITE CALLED UP FOR SEASON CLIMAX IN AMSTERDAM
Qantas Australian Women’s Sevens Head Coach Tim Walsh has made one change for the final leg of the 2014/15 Women’s Sevens World Series, starting Friday (22 May).
Needing only to reach the Cup Quarter-Finals to ensure automatic qualification for the Rio 2016 Olympics, Walsh has recalled Evania Pelite to his squad after the 19-year-old successfully recovered from a thigh injury. Skipper Sharni Williams will win her 15th cap at the NRCA Stadium having been an ever-present since the inaugural Women’s Sevens World Series in 2012. Australia has been drawn in Pool B alongside Russia, England and China. Qantas Australian Women’s Sevens Head Coach Tim Walsh said: “I was delighted with how all of the 12 players performed in London. As was proved in the Cup Final, we needed to call on every one of the squad in order to get over the line which underlined the depth we have in the Women’s program. I’m pleased to welcome Evania [Pelite] back into the squad – she will freshen us up after what was a tough tournament last weekend. “However, we have set the bar very high for ourselves and it’s up to us to maintain the intensity we showed last weekend. If we don’t keep to those standards, we have experienced first-hand what can happen. “If you look at each of the pools for Amsterdam, this is probably the toughest and one we won’t be taking lightly. We haven’t beaten Russia yet this season and they could and perhaps should have beaten a red-hot Canada in London. England are the current Women’s Rugby World Cup winners and have a group of players that can beat anyone on their day. Both countries are vying for that fourth automatic spot and will be desperate to turn it on in Amsterdam to avoid what looks like being an extremely competitive regional qualifying tournament in Europe. “Sevens World Series history across the Men’s and Women’s game shows it is incredibly tough to win back-to-back tournaments but I’m confident we will be ready and prepared come Friday and Saturday to create our own little slice of history.” Australia are currently second in the 2014/15 Women’s Sevens World Series standings, ahead of Canada on points difference and 14 points clear of fifth-placed USA. Contracted national team players Tanisha Stanton and Dominique Du Toit, meanwhile, will play for the Tribe in the Amsterdam invitational tournament that will run alongside the World Series tournament. Fans can watch both days play LIVE via www.worldrugby.org/womens-sevens-series/. FOX SPORTS will once again broadcast Finals Day from 11.20pm AEST on Saturday 23 May through to 2.10am AEST on Sunday 24 May. Qantas Australian Women’s Sevens fixtures in Amsterdam, Netherlands, 22-23 May: Qantas Australian Women’s Sevens squad for the 2014/15 HSBC Sevens World Series in Amsterdam, Netherlands: |
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