World Series Qualifier, Dublin: Preview

Twelve teams from around the world compete for two places in next season's Women's Sevens World Series this weekend at University College, Dublin.

Published by John Birch, August 18th, 2015

14 minutes read

Try Audio

World Series Qualifier, Dublin: Preview

(Photo: Morgan Treacy/www.Inpho.ie)

This weekend’s World Series qualifier promises to be one of the closest and most unpredictable sevens tournaments ever. Eight of the squads taking part are actually or effectively full-time professional athletes and as many teams will start on Saturday with very realistic chances of success.

In addition, the top three seeds – Brazil, China and South Africa – played in all (or almost all) of last season’s World Series. On paper they will have the advantage of the experience that that will have provided, but they will be up against the three European teams with recent experience of playing in European Grand Prix, two rising Asian powers, two Central and South American teams straight out the PanAm Games, and the power and Pacific flair of the Samoans.

Brazil– the tournament’s top seeds – are one of two teams taking part who are currently assured of an Olympic place (though at least two other should join them), and they leadPool A. They were the guest team in five of the six World Series tournaments last year, and will be competing for a permanent place in the series for the first time. A huge investment has been made in their sevens programme in advance of the Olympics and they must start as one of the favourites to win one of the two series places. However it will not be easy. Their group sees them drawn against some relatively inexperienced but nonetheless potentially powerful opposition.

Walesmay not be able to take part in the Olympics, but the individual players in their squad will looking to impress and win a place in the Great Britain squad, and the World Series will give them a perfect platform to show GB selectors what they can do. The Welsh have an impressive sevens history – including a European Championship in 2006 – but dropped out after 2008 tournament, not re-entering until 2012. Despite the gap, they immediately won a place back in the Top 12, and have advanced up the rankings year-on-year to finish seventh in June.

They have never met non-European teams in this format before, which makes predictions about their performance even more difficult. However in this tournament only Ireland and South Africa have more active female rugby players than Wales, and that along with one of the most vibrant rugby communities means that Welsh teams always need to be respected.

As we post this preview their squad has yet to be announced, but the Welsh should make the quarters, after which anything is possible.

ForJapanthis is be first of two chances to knock China off their position as the top team in Asian sevens. A country with one of the longest histories of women’s rugby, until recent years administrative problems prevented their reaching their potential. However, with the JRFU now firmly in control of the elite women’s game development has been rapid, with matches between themselves and China now incredibly tight. This could be the year they go ahead. Whether that will be good enough to win them a place in the series, given the other competition on offer, is more difficult to say – but a seeding in the lower half of the draw should not fool anyone into thinking that they will not be in the running. A mark of their form was their recent game against Australia in Sydney where they lost 26-7, but shut out Australia completely in the second half.

Samoaare – as usual – an almost total unknown. Fiji are now the leading Pacific island women’s sevens union, but the gap between them and Samoa was not always so large. However, like the Fijians, though they have the potential they do not have the opportunity for regular competition at international level.

That said, as with their XVs team, many of the squad live and play in New Zealand so the Manusina are not to be underestimated. Their greatest threat could be their own self-confidence, but one good win could give them a quarter-final spot, and the boost that would give could take them a long way. Memories of their 2013 XVs World Cup qualification show what Samoans with a bit of self-belief are capable of.

InPool BChinalead the way, but will now be fighting for their lives. Twelve months ago the future seemed bright, and a place in the Olympics all but assured, but they do not seem to have taken as much advantage from a full year in the World Series as was expected. The Chinese struggled in every tournament and regaining their place in the Series now looks a very tough ask indeed.  That said they have probably had the best draw they could have hoped for and should make the quarter-finals with a relatively favourable draw.  Going beyond that is questionable.

For theNetherlandsthis should have been their way back to the top. Winning a place back in the World Series should have given them the chance to develop ahead of next year’s Olympic qualifier. But that all went disastrously wrong in Portugal last month. How they will respond to that devastating disappointment perhaps even they cannot know – but with funding under threat the fear is that this could huge pressure on the future of their programme.

That said the Dutch should be able to defeat every other team in this tournament – indeed (with the exception of the Irish) they pretty much have, in various competitions in the last 2-3 years. On paper they should win this pool quite comfortably, which should be enough to give them a clear run to the semi-finals, at the very least.

But the Dutch never seem to read the script.

Kenyahave developed slowly but surely in recent years, overtaking both Uganda and Tunisia to become Africa’s second-ranked sevens team. However, as both Tunisia and Uganda have found there is a sizable gap between winning success in Africa and beyond. Again experience is the key challenge.

Their key game will be againstColombia, who will be playing outside the Americas for the first time. Surprise (one might even say shock) winners of an Olympic place with their dramatic win over Argentina earlier this summer, the Colombians have since played in the PanAm Games where they were more than competitive against Mexico, but well beaten by the USA, Canada and Brazil.

The winner of Kenya v Colombia may squeak a quarter-final place, but neither would be expected to go much further.

The top seed inPool CisSouth Africa, who like China struggled in last season’s World Series – the two teams almost invariably playing off for 11thplace in most tournaments. South Africa have one of the largest player bases in the world, and have been in receipt of generous amounts funding in recent years. The potential is therefore huge – but so far it has been largely potential.

From time to time the South Africans have shown what they could be capable of. Their record against teams like England, for example, is good and they famously reached the final in Dubai in 2012, beating the Dutch on the way.

Indeed 2012 was not the only time they have beaten the Netherlands in a crucial quarter-final and there is every chance that history might repeat itself in Dublin as the Springboks should make the final eight – though probably not as pool winners.

And so to the hosts,Ireland.The Irish would probably not wish to admit it, but they start this tournament as probable favourites. Double plate winners in the European Championship (both times over the Dutch), they followed that with a place for the Olympic qualifier and – if they do win a place the Series – it might be unwise to bet against them reaching Rio.

This is not a foregone conclusion, however. Truth be told, that this new Irish team have yet to beat a World Series team but with home support behind them there cannot be any team in this draw that they will fear. They should definitely win the pool, after which they will just have to hold their nerve.

If there is one team who might just come from no-where and upset everything it is the next team in Pool C,Hong Kong.It is something of a Fascinating Fact that Hong Kong has more active women players than any other country in Asia – more than Japan, more than Kazakhstan, and even more than China. Nearly a quarter of the region’s players are women – a fact that seems to have gone unnoticed until very recently in what is really the beating heart of Asian rugby.

Only in very recent years has investment in the women’s game begun to match this huge potential, and improvements have been evident. What they miss at the moment, however, is consistency. They can – and have – beaten Japan and China, but a brilliant performance on one day of a tournament is not often reflected on the other.

They really should reach the quarters as they should beat Mexico and – if it is their day – could worry South Africa as well. After that…

FinallyMexico –the best team by far in central America and the Caribbean, but also - in all honesty - far behind almost everyone else. That said they did well against Colombia in the PanAm Games and will have hopes in the bowl on day two (where they will almost certainly be playing, barring some remarkable results).

Click here for fixtures and match timings

Squads

BrazilPaula Harumi Ishibashi (captain) – SPAC; Angélica Pereira Gevaerd – SPAC; Beatriz Futuro Muhlbauer – Niterói; Cláudia Jaqueline Lopes Teles – Niterói; Haline Leme Scatrut – Curitiba; Raquel Cristina Kochhann – Charrua; Thais Cruz Rocha – SPAC; Isadora Cerullo – Niterói; Mariana Barbosa Ramalho – SPAC; Luiza Gonzalez da Costa Campos – Charrua; Edna Santini – São José; Juliana Michele Carneiro da Silva – Curitiba.

ChinaTo be announced

ColombiaClaudia Alejandra Betancur, Laura Isabel Gonzalez, Estefanía Ramírez, Nicole Acevedo Tangarife, Camila Lopera, Solangie Delgado, Catalina Ramirez Talero, Carolina Naranjo, Isabel Romero Benitez, Ruth Lozano, Catalina Arango, Katherinne Medina

Hong KongRoyce Chan (C) (HKFC) 陳朗詩(香港足球會) Christy Cheng (Gai Wu) 鄭家慈(雞糊欖球會) Ivy Kwong (Tai Po Dragons ) 鄺秀欣(大埔龍欖球會) Amelie Seure (Valley) 愛美麗(華利欖球會) Chrissy Gordon (Kowloon ) 姬斯丁(九龍欖球會) Nam Ka Man (USRC) 藍家敏(三軍會欖球會) Natasha Olson-Thorne (USRC) 高香慧(三軍會欖球會) Dailo Malcolm Lai (USRC) 黎寶芬(三軍會欖球會) Aggie Poon (Gai Wu) 潘柏茵 (雞糊欖球會) Candy Cheng Tsz Ting (Gai Wu ) 鄭芷婷(雞糊欖球會) Lindsay Varty (USRC) 華蓮絲(三軍會欖球會) Sum Sham (Gai Wu ) 岑惠心(雞糊欖球會)

IrelandAudrey O'Flynn (TID), Jenny Murphy (Old Belvedere), Stacey Flood (Railway Union), Hannah Tyrrell (Old Belvedere), Amee-Leigh Crowe (Clanwilliam), Ashleigh Baxter (Belfast Harlequins), Katie Fitzhenry (Blackrock), Claire Keohane (UL Bohemians), Lucy Mulhall (Rathdrum) Capt, Claire Molloy (Bristol), Louise Galvin (UL Bohemians), Alison Miller (Portlaoise)

JapanYuka Kanematsu, Mateitoga Bogidraumainadave, Aya Takeuchi, Chiharu Nakamura, Ano Kuwai, Marie Yamaguchi, Makiko Tomita, Chisato Yokoo, Noriko Taniguchi, Yoko Suzuki, Yume Ohkuroda, Mifuyu Koide

KenyaCatherine Abilla (KCB-Captain), Camilyne Oyuayo (KCB-Vice Captain), Janet Owino (Kenya Harlequin),Rachael Mbogo (Kenya Harlequin), Sheila Chajira (Kenya Harlequin), Irene Atieno (Kenya Harlequin),Doreen Remour (Mwamba), Celestine Masinde (Mwamba), Philadelphia Olando (KCB), Sinaida Aura (KCB),Janet Akello (KCB),Linet Moraa (Kenya Harlequin)

MexicoAlejanda Daniella Rosales Robles (Templarias), Alma Deloa Rovera Orozco (Coyotas), Caroline Monsserat Sandoval Rivera (Saltilo), Claudia Montero Rodriguez (Coyotas), Garriela Garcia Jimenez ( Templarias), Georgina Zenteno Lopez (Wallabies) Maria Fernanda Carrilo Jimenez (Coyotas), Michele Farah Chalta (White Thunder), Rosa Adriana Rivera Campas) (Templarias/Barrie), Sandra Xiomana Rascon (Lobos), Wendy Lizette Garcia Patino (Templarias)

NetherlandsJoyce van Altena (Hilversum), Sanne Klem (URC), Nikki Weijers (The Bassets), Paula Schuten (AAC), Elke van Meer (Tilburg), Pien Selbeck (AAC), Dorien Eppink (RUS), Anne Hielckert (RC Eemkand), Annemarije van Rossum (The Bassets), Pleuni Kievit (The Dukes), Marsha Volker (Amstelveen), Jannicke IJdens (Groningen)

SamoaApaula Kerisiano Enesi, Soteria Pulumu, Taumaia Justine Iopu, Jacinta Ausa'i, Iunaite Falelua, Irene Saia, Tafale Roma Malesi, Maria Taalili Iosefo, Suititi Ailaoa, Maria Bernadette Robertson, Filoi Eneliko, Toluiva Keneti

South AfricaLorinda Brown, Phumeza Gadu, Rachelle Geldenhuys, Nosiphiwo Goda, Veroeshka Grain, Zenay Jordaan, Jacqueline Kriel, Sinazo Nobele, Marithy Pienaar, Fundiswa Plaatjie, Mathrin Simmers, Zaandre Theron

WalesFfion Bowen (Ospreys), Adi Taviner (Ospreys), Sian Williams (Capt - Dragons), Gemma Rowland (Dragons), Shona Powell-Hughes (Ospreys), Jess Kavanagh (Scarlets), Elinor Snowsill (Dragons), Elen Evans (Scarlets), Laurie Harries (Cardiff Blues), Rhian Nokes (Ospreys), Jasmine Joyce (Scarlets), Beth Dainton (Dragons)

Post