The Australian Women’s Sevens program has claimed the 2021-22 HSBC Sevens World Series crown in Langford, defeating New Zealand in the final.
Australia had an 18-point lead on the World Series ladder with an additional point differential of 20-points from winning the cup final making them unable to be beaten as the Series enters its final leg on May 20 in France.
The Women’s program again excelled on the World Series, completing day one undefeated, taking down Mexico and Spain with ease before rising to the challenge of Canada, defeating them to top pool A.
Day two saw the Aussies again take on Spain in the Cup Quarter Final, defeating them 55-0 before they claimed another victory over the eventual bronze medallists, Ireland 26 to 5.
Australia would face New Zealand in the cup final, with Lily Dick stealing almost certain victory from New Zealand following a nail-biting final in Langford, capping off a highly successful weekend for the Aussie Women.
The team will now head to France to prepare for their final leg of the World Series in Toulouse, kicking off on May 20.
A full game-by-game summary of the weekend can be found here.
Vote now to see Charlotte Caslick and Faith Nathan in the Langford Dream Team, click here to vote.
Speaking after the Langford final on broadcast, Women’s co-captain Charlotte Caslick said: “It’s amazing to have New Zealand back on the Series; we’ve been looking forward to playing them for such a long time.
“It was an incredible effort from our girls; we started the game well and obviously continued that through to the finish, which I’m incredibly proud of.
“It would have been bittersweet if we came away with the World Series but not a tournament win, so we’ll definitely take time to celebrate that result with the team tonight.
Australian Women’s Sevens Head Coach, Tim Walsh said: “It has been so good to have New Zealand back on the circuit. We both love the competitive encounters and the challenges we impose on each other.
"The energy at the warm-ups was infectious (we warm up pretty much next to each other), almost like a competition as to who was having more fun.
"To win the World Series is a remarkable and memorable experience for all involved, and to do it with an exceptional win showing resilience and character multiplies the emotions.
There were many moments in the tournament that we will now be able to draw upon in the future. We had team members at all levels developing themselves to be better for the team.
We will acknowledge the wins we had today in an appropriate manner but know that this is just one objective for our 2022 season.,” Walsh said.
Rugby Australia Chief Executive, Andy Marinos said: “What a fantastic achievement by our Women’s Sevens team! The turnaround by this talented group from the disappointment in Toyko has been wonderful to watch.
“There are small margins between success and failure in this format, however this result provides great momentum leading into the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and the World Cup in South Africa later this year.
“To be crowned World Series Champions is a massive achievement for our Women’s team - and sets them up for success for the rest of the year.
“Well done to Tim, Demi, Charlotte, and the rest of the squad - we are proud of what you have achieved!
“Let’s hope the nation can get behind the team as they move on to the Commonwealth Games, the World Cup and the Olympic Games in Paris in 2024.”
