WSWS: Squads for Sydney

Jen Kish returns from injury for Canada

POOL A - NZ,Canada, France, Papua New Guinea

Canada

Canada coach John Tait has renamed all of his Dubai squad for Sydney training squad. Jen Kish and Kaili Lukan, the younger sister of Megan, join them for a training camp at Narrabean after which Tait will select his final 12 for the tournament.

Canada squad:Britt Benn, Hannah Darling, Bianca Farella, Julia Greenshields, Sara Kaljuvee, Jen Kish, Ghislaine Landry, Kaili Lukan, Megan Lukan, Kayla Moleschi, Breanne Nicholas, Ashley Steacy, Natasha Watcham-Roy, Charity Williams.

France

France are prioritising the Six Nations – and the World Cup – this season, but despite that this is not a squad without experience, and is arguably as strong as the team that played in Dubai. Five of the squad - Biscarat, Grassineau, Guerin, Horta and Thomas – were in the Rio squad while five more - Amedee, Coutouly, Fourcade, Sainlo, and Neissen - return from Dubai. Only Mayans and Boujard miss this round, replaced by Neissen and Gueucier.

“Yes, it was a very disappointing performance in Dubai, where we sometimes found it hard to perform at our level, but we must not be pessimistic,” says David Courteix. “We know what is required in sevens. If you show up at 80 per cent of your capacity, your game drops, you start having doubts and you drown. However, we can rebuild for a better future and we are working hard for this.”

France squad:Montserrat Amedee (Montpellier/ FFR); Pauline Biscarat (AC Bobigny/ FFR); Mathilde Coutouly (Stade Toulousain); Laurelin Fourcade (Stade Bordelais / FFR); Camille Grassineau (Stade Bordelais / FFR); Lina Guerin (Marcoussis / FFR); Clémence Gueucier (AC Bobigny / FFR); Fanny Horta (FFR); Carla Neissen (Blagnac Saint Orens / FFR); Chloé Pelle (LMRCV / FFR); Joanna Sainlo (AC Bobigny); Rose Thomas (Stade Bordelais / FFR)

New Zealand

Despite naming teenager Alena Saili in their squad, New Zealand have named an experienced squad for Sydney. Head Coach Allan Bunting said the Sydney tournament was another opportunity to continue the teams goal for this series of build thier foundations for next year and the Tokyo Olympics in 2020.“We have decided to provide continuity to most for the players who went to Dubai while giving opportunities to younger players to learn and grow around the experienced ones.“We enter Sydney off the back of a good start in Dubai, a really encouraging national tournament where a lot of new talent was on display and a great week preparing in Wellington with the wider contracted squad. We are looking forward to getting back out there and putting our learning’s into practice.”

New Zealand squad:Sarah Goss (captain), Michaela Blyde, Kelly Brazier, Theresa Fitzpatrick, Tyla Nathan-Wong, Alena Saili*, Terina Te Tamaki, Ruby Tui, Kat Whata-Simpkins, Renee Wickliffe, Niall Williams, Portia Woodman

POOL B -Australia, Ireland, Fiji, Brazil

Australia

Rio gold medalists Ellia Green and Evania Pelite return to the squad for the much-anticipated Sydney round of the World Series, having missed out on Dubai where Australia fell in the final to New Zealand.  They replace Brooke Anderson and Emma Tonegato, who has been forced out due to an elbow injury at training last week.

Coach Tim Walsh said: “It’s very exciting to play on home soil, to have round two of the World Series at home. We’ve prepared well and the girls are going to be pumped from game one.

“Ellia (Green) is a remarkable healer and she has worked really hard on her rehab which has been outstanding. She’s almost back to full strength in terms of fitness and power. It’s very pleasing to have the fastest woman on the HSBC Sevens World Series coming back into the side. ”

Squad:Shannon Parry (c) (Brisbane, QLD); Sharni Williams (c) (Batlow, NSW. Hometown: Canberra, ACT); Tiana Penitani (Sydney, NSW ); Chloe Dalton (Sydney, NSW ); Evania Pelite (Brisbane, QLD); Georgina Friedrichs (Harare, Zimbabwe. Hometown: Toowoomba, QLD); Charlotte Caslick (Brisbane, QLD); Alicia Quirk (Wagga Wagga, NSW); Emma Sykes (Sunshine Coast, Queensland ); Emilee Cherry (Roma, QLD. Hometown: Toowoomba, QLD); Ellia Green (Suva, Fiji. Hometown: Melbourne, VIC); Mahalia Murphy (Sydney, NSW)

Ireland

Ireland will travel to Australia a week early to stay at the Sydney Academy of Sport and Recreation in Narrabean where they will train alongside Australia, as they did last year when they met Australia in a three-match exhibition series during the men’s sevens.

Anthony Eddy has named squad of 14 for the camp from which 12 players be selected for Sydney.

“This camp in Narrabeen will be important for our build-up to the Sydney Sevens tournament,” admitted Eddy. “The preparation time in Australia will allow us to adapt to the summer weather, which has been very hot in recent weeks and will also allow the squad to recover fully from the long trip.

“Having the opportunity to train with the Australian women's sevens team, who are Olympic gold medallists and won the world sevens series last season, should prove highly beneficial for the players as we head into round two of the series in Sydney.”

Ireland squad for Sydney camp:Ashleigh Baxter, Chloe Blackmore, Nicole Cronin, Katie Fitzhenry, Kim Flood, Stacey Flood, Louise Galvin, Katie Heffernan, Lucy Mulhall, Emma Murphy, Amee-Leigh Murphy-Crowe, Hannah Tyrrell, Megan Williams, Susan Vaughan.

POOL C -England, Russia, Spain, USA

England

James Bailey coaches the England team in Sydney and makes two changes from the Dubai squad, with 19-year-olds Rachael Woosey and Chantelle Miell making World Series debuts.

Abbie Brown will again captain the side and, as in Dubai, here England finished fourth. She is joined GB teammates Heather Fisher, Alice Richardson-Watmore and Jo Richardson-Watmore. However, Amy Wilson Hardy is Six Nations squad earlier this month.

Bailey said: “We got the season off to a promising start with a fourth place finish in Dubai. As a new squad it's important we are constantly looking at ways we can improve and develop, and our preparation for Sydney has enabled us to focus on some key areas post Dubai."

“Our focus this season remains very much to qualify for the 2018 World Cup through the HSBC World Rugby Women’s Sevens Series. Sydney will be another great opportunity for the squad to test themselves against the best teams in the world."

England squad:1. Natasha Brennan; 2. Abbie Brown (C); 3. Alice Richardson-Watmore; 4. Millie Wood; 5. Lauren Cattell; 6. Rachael Woosey; 7. Heather Fisher; 8. Kelly Smith; 9. Fran Matthews; 10. Jo Richardson-Watmore; 11. Katie Mason; 12. Chantelle Miell

USA

Four Olympians, including Rio captain Kelly Griffin, have been named to Richie Walker's squad. Having finished a disappointing 11th, Griffin's return is a boost to his squad. She has been training on her own away from the Chula Vista centre where the USA's centralised players are based having been named head coach of the women's programme at USA Rugby National Development Academy Santa Barbara Rugby Academy. T

"Even though she's no longer a resident, she came into camp in good shape and had the right attitude to get the job done," Walker said. "She works hard remotely, which is tough, but just proves hard work does pay off."

USA squda: 1. Cheta Emba 2. Kristen Thomas 3. Kelly Griffin 4. Ryan Carlyle 5. Nicole Heavirland 6. Alev Kelter 7. Naya Tapper 8. Kate Zackary 9. Joanne Fa'avesi 10. Kayla Canett 11. Bulou Mataitoga Hope Rogers 12. Sarah Buonopane