WOMENS RUGBY

TOURNAMENT

#ATLANTA7s|@USARUGBY

WELCOME FROM WORLD RUGBY

Welcome to Atlanta for the third round of the World Rugby
Womens Sevens Series 2014-15.

It is great for World Rugby to be able to bring the series back to

the USA and I know there is a huge amount of excitement ahead
of this event.

With qualification on offer for next years Olympic Games for the
top four teams at the end of the season, weve seen another step
up in the level of competition in the Womens Sevens Series.

New Zealand sit at the top of the standings but have been under
increased pressure as the skill levels and intensity has stepped
up from last season.

This weekends tournament in Kennesaw State University will

be another wonderful opportunity for our sport to show Rugby to
the USA and the wider world so that we can introduce it to new
territories. Rugby is a sport for men and women of all ages so its very encouraging that great strides have
been made in recent years to promote womens Rugby and the successful campaign to restore Rugby to the
Olympic programme will help raise standards even higher.

Womens Rugby is an exhilarating spectacle that demonstrates the full range of attributes required to
succeed in Rugby, such as strength, skill, speed and teamwork, while also staying true to our core values.

We look forward to the growth of the Womens Sevens Series in the coming years. Even though were only
in the third year of this tournament, its already a wonderful advertisement for our great game.

I wish all teams the best of luck and have a great weekend in Atlanta!

Bernard Lapasset
Chairman
World Rugby

WELCOME FROM USA RUGBY

Welcome to the Fifth Third Bank Stadium in Atlanta for the
third stop on the World Rugby Womens Sevens Series.
This is the second time that the event has been played
in Atlanta, and this year the stakes are exceptionally
high! The 2014-15 Series will be part of the Olympic
qualification process with the top four teams gaining
automatic qualification to the 2016 Rio Olympic games.
As you can imagine, raising the bar with the potential to
become an Olympian has led to a fiercely competitive
series resulting in some fantastic rugby, incredible
athleticism and impressive skills.
It is my pleasure to welcome all the teams, coaches and
management to Atlanta, and to wish them a successful
tournament. We hope everyone returns home with happy
memories. I would also like to thank the fans for their
support of the eventgrowing the Series is a massive
challenge for everyone and we are definitely making
progress in this respect. The global viewing figures have
been very strong, potential sponsors are starting to take a closer look at Womens Sevens, and I am sure
that in the next few years the womens series will continue to build on these strengths.
I would also like to welcome the teams who have traveled to Atlanta to support the Eagles and play in
our high school, college and club rugby tournament this weekend. Additionally, we are excited to host our
second Stay in the Game Event, our first USA Womens National Team Recruitment Festival, a USA Rugby
College Fair, and the annual International Festival held on the stadium grounds. It will surely be a great
weekend of rugby for all of those involved.
Have a wonderful weekend and may the best team win. Go Eagles!
Nigel Melville
Chief Executive Officer
USA Rugby

WOMENS SEVENS
TEAM

DUB

SERIES STANDINGS
BRA

TEAM

DUB

BRA

2015 ATLANTA 7s CAPTAINS PHOTO

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7 rules of

7s

the olympic sport of rugby sevens is a fun, fast-paced game that everyone can enjoy.
here are seven things to get you acquainted with the game of sevens.

1
2
3
4
5

Each team is allowed seven players on

the field and each half is seven minutes
long.
As in 15-man rugby, players may only
pass the ball backwards or sideways.
When a player is tackled, he or she must
release the ball. Other players may then
form a RUCk to try and win possession of
the ball.
A TRy is worth five points and is awarded
when a player touches the ball down on or
beyond the opposing teams TRy LiNE.
kiCkiNg from hand is allowed at any time
during the game but this is quite rare in
Sevens. After a TRy is scored, the team
also has a chance to register an additional
two points with a CONVERSiON kiCk, a
drop-kick at the posts taken from level
with where the TRy was scored.

6
7

Play only stops when there is an infringement

or when the ball goes out of play.

Play can be restarted through a kiCk,

a SCRUM, a LiNE-OUT, QUiCk TAP, or QUiCk
THROW-iN.

RUCk: Formed when at least one player from each side bind
onto each other to contest the ball on the ground between them.
Each side attempts to push the other off the ball or use their
feet to hook it back towards their own side. Hands may not be
used in a ruck.
TRy: When the ball is grounded over an opponents try line it is
worth five points.
iN-gOAL AREA: Is the scoring area similar to an end zone in
football. The ball must be touched on the ground to score a try.
kiCk: The ball can be kicked at any time during open play. There
are three instances in which you can also kick for points:
1. After scoring a try the scoring team gets an attempt to kick
the ball over the crossbar and through the posts of the rugby
uprights. A conversion is worth two points.
2. If the opposition commits a penalty, a team can choose to
drop-kick (drop the ball on the ground and kick it) at the goal,
although this is rarer in Rugby Sevens than the 15-man game. A
penalty kick is worth three points.
3. During play, a team may also attempt to drop-kick the ball
through the posts - a drop-goal. This is worth three points.
PENALTy: Penalties can be awarded for many reasons in rugby.
Some of the most common are: high tackle (tackle above
shoulder height), not rolling away at a tackle or ruck (a player
on the ground must not interfere with play), offside. A severe
or cynical offence may result in a yellow card, at which time the
player spends two minutes in the sin-bin and the team plays the
ensuing period a player down. For very serious offences, the
referee can issue a red card, which means the offending player
is sent off for the remainder of the match.
SCRUM: Used to restart play after a minor infringement occurs
(eg forward pass or knock-on). The scrum consists of three
of the seven players from each side. These three players
bind together and come head to head with the players of the
opposition. The ball is thrown into the middle of the scrum on
the ground and the players work with their feet to hook the
ball behind them, making it available to play. The ball is then
collected by the scrum-half and passed out to the back line.
LiNE-OUT: When the ball goes over either sideline play is
restarted with a line-out. Two lines are formed by players from
each teams. The ball is thrown between the lines. Teams can lift
players to contest for the ball.
QUiCk-TAP: A type of restart chosen by a team after a free-kick
or penalty is awarded. Play is restarted when the ball leaves a
players hand and is tapped by his/her foot.

29

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DESTINATIONS

JUST DONT COMPETE.

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SOUTH AFRICA
CAPTAIN: Zenay Jordaan
COACH: Renfred Dazel
YEARS ON WOMENS SEVENS CIRCUIT: 1
CURRENT RANK:
11th Place
4 pts
TEAM STRENGTHS FOR 2014/15:
Our strengths are the versatility of our players and
the balance between youth and experience within
the squad.
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
1) Fundiswa Plaatjie, who was recently named
the South African Rugby Unions womens top
achiever. She is utility player who can cover the
backs and forwards. 2) Siviwe Basweni - she
made her debut on the World Series in Brazil
and is a fast and skillful player. 3) Zenay Jordaan
- she is the captain of the side and one of the
main playmakers. She also comes off a solid
performance in Brazil.

ROSTER:
1. SIVIWE BASWENI
2. RACHELLE GELDENHUYS
3. SUNELLE BARNARD
4. FUNDISWA PLAATJIE
5. ZENAY JORDAAN
6. ZAANDRA THERON
7. PHUMEZA GADU
8. NOSIPHIWO GODA
9.SINAZO NOBELE
10. MATHRIN SIMMERS
11. JACQUELINE KRIEL
12.MARITHY PIENAAR

USA

CAPTAIN: Kelly Griffin

COACH: Ric Suggitt
YEARS ON WOMENS SEVENS CIRCUIT: 3
CURRENT RANK:
6th Place
18pts
TEAM STRENGTHS FOR 2014/15:
Our strength is our fitness, speed and growth. If
we trust those three things we will do well in the
tournament.
WHAT IS YOUR TEAMS BIGGEST
CHALLENGE?
Our challenges thus far have been our defense,
mainly our tackling. Also, penalties against us and
consistency. However, these are things we have
been working on and getting better at so were
expecting an improvement here in Atlanta.

POOL A
ROSTER:
1. MEGAN BONNY
2. KELLY GRIFFIN
3. KATHRYN JOHNSON
4. AKALAINI BARAVILALA
5. JESSICA JAVELET

6. KRISTEN THOMAS
7. VICTORIA FOLAYAN
8. LEYLA ALEV KELTER
9. HANNAH LOPEZ
10. KATHERINE ZACKARY
11. JOANNE FAAVESI
12. LAUREN DOYLE

NEW ZEALAND
CAPTAIN: Sarah Goss
COACH: Sean Horan
YEARS ON WOMENS SEVENS CIRCUIT: 3
CURRENT RANK:
1st Place
40 pts
TEAM STRENGTHS FOR 2014/15:
Strong culture within the team that drives an ethos
of hard work, dedication and pride in the black
jersey.
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
Portia Woodman, Kayla McAlister and Sarah Goss
for their x-factor, power and work ethic.

ROSTER:
1. RUBY TUI
2. HONEY HIREME
3. HAZEL TUBIC
4. ALEXIS TAPSELL
5. SARAH GOSS
6. MORGAN MORROW
7. TYLA NATHAN-WONG
8. KELLY BRAZIER
9. MICHAELA BLYDE
10. SELICA WINIATA
11. PORTIA WOODMAN
12. KAYLA MCALISTER

RUSSIA

POOL A

CAPTAIN: Kudinova Nadezhda

ROSTER:
COACH: Baranovskiy Pavel 1.YULIA GUZEVA
YEARS ON WOMENS SEVENS CIRCUIT: 3
2. KRISTINA SEREDINA
3. EKATERINA KABEEVA
CURRENT RANK:
4.ALENA BOGACHEVA
7th Place
5. BAIZAT KHAMIDOVA
14 pts
6. ANNA MALYGINA
7. MARIA SHEMCHUK
8. MARINA KUKINA
WHAT IS YOUR TEAMS BIGGEST
9. NADEZDA KUDINOVA (C)
CHALLENGE?:
10. EKATERINA KAZAKOVA
11. ANASTASIIA MUKHARIAMOVA
To get to Rio 2016!
12. MARIIA TITOVA
WHAT IS THE MOST INTERESTING FACT

ABOUT YOUR TEAM OR ONE OF YOUR
PLAYERS?:
Three of our players are married and two of them
have husbands who work in rugby.

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FRANCE
CAPTAIN: Fanny Horta
COACH: David Court ext
YEARS ON WOMENS SEVENS CIRCUIT: 1
CURRENT RANK:
4th Place
28 pts
TEAM STRENGTHS FOR 2014/15:
Our creativity and ability to confuse the
oppositions defense.
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
Camille Grassineau and Marjorie Mayans are 2
players who participated in the World Cup in 2014
and who have been named in the Tournament
selections in both Dubai and So Paulo. However,
we sincerely believe that each player on the
French team will be one to watch if we have a
good tournament.

POOL B
ROSTER:
1. LAURIANNE LISSAR
2. CHLOE PELLE
3. MARJORIE MAYANS
4. PAULINE BISCARAT
5. CHRISTELLE LE DUFF
6. FANNY HORTA (c)
7. CAROLINE LADAGNOUS
8. CAMILLE GRASSINEAU
9. JENNIFER TRONCY
10. ELODIE GUIGLION
11. SHANNON IZAR
12. JADE LE PESQ

A U S T R A L I A POOL B
CAPTAIN: Sharni Williams
COACH: Tim Walsh
YEARS ON WOMENS SEVENS CIRCUIT: 3
CURRENT RANK:
2nd Place
36 pts
WHAT IS YOUR TEAMS BIGGEST
CHALLENGE?
Every tournament presents new challenges with
every team continuing to improve.
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
Shannon Parry continues to impress after strong
performances in the first 2 legs. She will be looking
to continue her good form.

ROSTER:
1. SHANNON PARRY
2. SHARNI WILLIAMS
3. TIANA PENITANI
4. BROOKE WALKER
5. EMMA TONEGATO
6. EVANIA PELITE
7. CHARLOTTE CASLICK
8. CHOLE DALTON
9. AMY TURNER
10. ALICIA QUIRK
11. EMILEE CHERRY
12. ELLIA GREEN

FIJI

POOL B

CAPTAIN: Ana Maria Roqica

ROSTER:
COACH: Iliesa Tanivula 1. ESITERI RAUCA BULIKIOBO
YEARS ON WOMENS SEVENS CIRCUIT: 1
2. ASINATE UFIA SAVU
3. TALICA VODO
TEAM RECORD:
4. LITIA NAIQATO
8th Place
5. TIMAIMA TAMOI
14 pts
6. TIMAIMA RAVISA
7. ANA MARIA ROQICA (c)
TEAM STRENGTHS FOR 2014/15:
8. LAVENIA TINAI
We have a bunch of naturally talented players that
9. LUISA BASEI TISOLO
can be very unpredictable and can easily catch our
10. RUSILA NAGASAU
opponents off-guard.
11.BRITTANY COATES
12.ROELA RADINYAVUNI
WHAT IS YOUR TEAMS BIGGEST
CHALLENGE?:
The team is very young in professional rugby
years, so we have lots of room for improvement,
which we have been showing coming into the
Series.
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
Litia Naiqato - coming back fully recovered from
injury in the Oceania 7s Tournament in Noosa,
Australia 2014

S PA I N
CAPTAIN: Elisabet Martinez
COACH: Jose Ant Onio Barrio
YEARS ON WOMENS SEVENS CIRCUIT: 3
CURRENT RECORD:
10th Place
5 pts
TEAM STRENGTHS FOR 2014/15:
Team Work
Players to watch:
Brbara Pla & Amaia Erbina

POOL B
ROSTER:
1. BERTA GARCIA
2. PAULA MEDIN
3. VANESSA RIAL
4. BARBARA PLA
5. AFRICA FELEZ
6. ELISABET MARTINEZ (c)
7. MARIA CASADO
8. AMAIA ERBINA
9. IERA ECHEBARRIA
10. MARIA RIBERA
11. LAURA ESBRI
12. ANGELA DEL PAN

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CANADA
CAPTAIN: Jen Kish
COACH: John Tait
YEARS ON WOMENS SEVENS CIRCUIT:3
CURRENT RANK:
3rd Place
32 pts
WHAT IS YOUR TEAMS BIGGEST
CHALLENGE?
Our teams biggest goal and challenge this season
is to qualify for Rio 2016 during the Womens
Sevens Series by finishing in the top four.
WHAT IS THE MOST INTERESTING FACT
ABOUT YOUR TEAM:
We have players from five different provinces.

POOL C

-ROSTER:
1. BRITTANY BENN
2. KAYLA MOLESCHI
3. KAREN PAQUIN
4. KELLY RUSSELL
5. ASHLEY STEACY
6. MANDY MARCHAK
7. JENNIFER KISH (C)
8. BIANCA FARELLA
9. GHISLAINE LANDRY
10. JULIA GREENSHIELDS
11. ELISSA ALARIE
12. NATASHA WATCHAM-ROY

CHINA

CAPTAIN: Sun T Ingting

COACH: Lu Xiaohui

YEARS ON WOMENS SEVENS CIRCUIT:
CURRENT RANK:
12th Place
3 pts
TEAM STRENGTHS FOR 2014/15:
We have a lot of speed this year and are looking
forward to using it.
WHAT IS YOUR TEAMS BIGGEST
CHALLENGE?
Our biggest challenge is our size.
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
The entire team has the opportunity to play well
and we expect everyone to contribute to the
games and excite the crowd!

POOL C
ROSTER:
1. YULIA GUZEVA
2. KRISTINA SEREDINA
3. EKATERINA KABEEVA
4. ALENA BOGACHEVA
5. BAIZAT KHAMIDOVA
6. ANNA MALYGINA
7. MARIA SHEMCHUK
8. MARINA KUKINA
9. NADEZDA KUDINOVA (c)
10. EKATERINA KAZAKOVA
11. ANASTASIIA MUKHARIAMOVA
12. MARIIA TITOVA

BRAZIL
CAPTAIN: Luiza Campos
COACH: Christopher Neill
YEARS ON WOMENS SEVENS CIRCUIT: 3
CURRENT RANK:
9th Place
10 pts
TEAM STRENGTHS FOR 2014/15:
This season weve grown and expanded to further
improve the system that is in place.
Strength and conditioning is also one of our
strengths this season.
WHAT IS YOUR TEAMS BIGGEST
CHALLENGE?:
Playing in cold weather.
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
Paula Ishibashi is a player to watch. Keep an eye
on Julia and Luiza as well. Amanda is also a new
player who is filling an experienced spot so it will
be exciting to watch her step up to the challenge.

POOL C
ROSTER:
1. JULIANA ESTEVES SANTOS
2. KARINA GODOI
3. KARINA GODOI
4. AMANDA ARAUJO
5. PAULA ISHIBASHI
6. LUIZA CAMPOS (c)
7. HALINE SCATRUT
8. BEATRIZ FUTURO MUHLBAUER
9. BRUNA LOTUFO
10. RAQUEL KOCHHANN
11. MARIANA RAMALHO
12. THAIS ROCHA

ENGLAND
CAPTAIN: Abi Chamberlain
COACH: Simon Middleton
YEARS ON WOMENS SEVENS CIRCUIT: 3
CURRENT RANK:
5th Place
24 pts
TEAM STRENGTHS FOR 2014/15:
Strength in depth and now in a full time
programme with 20 contracted players
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
All of them - its a team game. Anybody could be
the stand out player.

POOL C

ROSTER:
1. NATASHA BRENNAN
2. NATASHA HUNT
3. ALICE RICHARDSON
4. EMILY SCARRATT
5. RACHAEL BURFORD
6. DANIELLE WATERMAN
7. ABIGAIL CHAMBERLAIN
8. MARLIE PACKER
9. SARAH MCKENNA
10. JOANNE WATMORE
11. MICHAELA STANIFORD
12. AMY WILSON-HARDY

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