OLYMPIC gold medallist Emilee Cherry recently scored the 100th try of her sparkling World Series sevens career yet there’s not a single dot-down in Queensland among them.
Sevens poster girls like pigtailed dynamo Charlotte Caslick, Shannon Parry and Cherry play just a single World Series tournament a season in Australia.
They are TV talent to admire from Dubai to Japan to France yet largely invisible on fields at home.
There just hasn’t been a viable series idea for Aussie fans to get close enough to ogle at the skills and excitement of the sport played at its best. Until now.
Cherry is certain the groundbreaking women’s Uni Sevens series in August-September will fill the void and flush out new Olympians and Commonwealth Games stars.
Olympic golden girls Charlotte Caslick and Shannon ParrySource:Supplied
Rugby has brainstormed a winning formula to harness the excellent facilities and untapped backing of some of Australia’s biggest universities to nourish sevens on home soil.
Eighteen players from Australia’s world-beating squad will head eight university sides in four tournaments across as many weekends.
“There’s a huge market for sevens with the unis and the party vibe,” Cherry said.
“Having two Australian players per team will bring a professionalism for new girls testing the waters.
“In the years before the Rio Olympics, we had girls trying sevens from backgrounds in touch, like me, athletics, basketball and so on.
“I’ve no doubt there will be girls who give sevens a go in these tournaments who are capable of playing at the Olympics in Tokyo in 2020.
“It’s exciting and testing for us as Australian players because we are playing against teammates we train and play with all year.”
Australia has just one event a year with the Sydney SevensSource:AAP
The Uni Sevens will also be valuable extra game time for youngsters like Emma Sykes and Demi Hayes as they push for more prominent roles at next year’s Commonwealth Games tournament on the Gold Coast.
Cherry’s link with the University of Queensland was a no-brainer because last year she completed a degree in Bachelor of Health, Sport and Physical Education.
“This is my first chance to represent UQ and a first chance for friends and my dad to see me play in Brisbane,” Cherry said.
Close friend Caslick will play for Bond University, hosts of the September 29-30 round on the Gold Coast, while UQ will be the hub on the September 16-17 weekend.
Australian co-captain Shannon Parry and long-striding find Hayes will headline the Griffith University challenge.
“Most of our Olympic sevens champions started out in other sports so the Uni Sevens is a great way for us to find some athletes with a real point of difference,” Australian sevens coach Tim Walsh said.
2017 Women’s Uni 7s Series Player Allocations:
Griffith University, QLD – Shannon Parry and Demi Hayes
Bond University, QLD – Charlotte Caslick and Brooke Walker
University of Queensland, QLD – Emilee Cherry and Emma Sykes
Series Draw
Round 1 – Uni of Tasmania, Launceston, August 25-26
Round 2 – Macquarie University, Sydney, September 9-10
Round 3 – University of Queensland, Brisbane, September 16-17
Round 4 – Bond University, Gold Coast, September 29-30
Originally published as Uni Sevens to showcase wealth of talent
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