2015 atlanta 7s program

W O M E N S R U G B YT O U R N A M E N T

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usa-rugby-app-usavallblacks.pdf 1 10/21/14 12:41 AM

#ATLANTA7s|@USARUGBY

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usa-rugby-app-atlanta.pdf 1 3/13/15 5:07 PM

WELCOME FROM WORLD RUGBYWelcome 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

ChairmanWorld Rugby

WELCOME FROM USA RUGBYWelcome 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 OfficerUSA Rugby

WOMENS SEVENS SERIES STANDINGS

TEAM DUB BRA TEAM DUB BRA

2015 ATLANTA 7s CAPTAINS PHOTO

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7 rules of

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.

7s 1

Each team is allowed seven players on

the field and each half is seven minutes

long.

6 Play only stops when there is an infringement or when the ball goes out of play.7

Play can be restarted through a kiCk,

a SCRUM, a LiNE-OUT, QUiCk TAP, or QUiCk

THROW-iN.

2 As in 15-man rugby, players may only pass the ball backwards or sideways.

4 A TRy is worth five points and is awarded when a player touches the ball down on or beyond the opposing teams TRy LiNE.5

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.

3When 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.

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.

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CAPTAIN: Zenay JordaanCOACH: Renfred DazelYEARS 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 BASWENI2. RACHELLE GELDENHUYS3. SUNELLE BARNARD 4. FUNDISWA PLAATJIE5. ZENAY JORDAAN 6. ZAANDRA THERON 7. PHUMEZA GADU 8. NOSIPHIWO GODA 9.SINAZO NOBELE 10. MATHRIN SIMMERS 11. JACQUELINE KRIEL 12.MARITHY PIENAAR

S O U T H A F R I C A

U S ACAPTAIN: Kelly GriffinCOACH: Ric SuggittYEARS 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.

ROSTER:1. MEGAN BONNY 2. KELLY GRIFFIN 3. KATHRYN JOHNSON 4. AKALAINI BARAVILALA 5. JESSICA JAVELET 6. KRISTEN THOMAS 7. VICTORIA FOLAYAN8. LEYLA ALEV KELTER 9. HANNAH LOPEZ10. KATHERINE ZACKARY11. JOANNE FAAVESI12. LAUREN DOYLE

P O O L A

CAPTAIN: Sarah GossCOACH: Sean HoranYEARS 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 TUI2. 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 WOODMAN12. KAYLA MCALISTER

N E W Z E A L A N D

CAPTAIN: Kudinova NadezhdaCOACH: Baranovskiy Pavel YEARS ON WOMENS SEVENS CIRCUIT: 3


WHAT IS YOUR TEAMS BIGGEST CHALLENGE?:To get to Rio 2016!

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.

ROSTER:1.YULIA GUZEVA2. KRISTINA SEREDINA 3. EKATERINA KABEEVA4.ALENA BOGACHEVA5. BAIZAT KHAMIDOVA6. ANNA MALYGINA7. MARIA SHEMCHUK8. MARINA KUKINA9. NADEZDA KUDINOVA (C)10. EKATERINA KAZAKOVA11. ANASTASIIA MUKHARIAMOVA12. MARIIA TITOVA

R U S S I A P O O L A

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CAPTAIN: Fanny HortaCOACH: David Court ext YEARS ON WOMENS SEVENS CIRCUIT: 1


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.

ROSTER:1. LAURIANNE LISSAR 2. CHLOE PELLE3. MARJORIE MAYANS4. PAULINE BISCARAT 5. CHRISTELLE LE DUFF 6. FANNY HORTA (c) 7. CAROLINE LADAGNOUS 8. CAMILLE GRASSINEAU9. JENNIFER TRONCY 10. ELODIE GUIGLION11. SHANNON IZAR12. JADE LE PESQ

F R A N C E P O O L B

CAPTAIN: Sharni WilliamsCOACH: Tim WalshYEARS 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

A U S T R A L I A P O O L B

CAPTAIN: Ana Maria RoqicaCOACH: Iliesa Tanivula YEARS ON WOMENS SEVENS CIRCUIT: 1

TEAM RECORD: 8th Place 14 pts

TEAM STRENGTHS FOR 2014/15:We have a bunch of naturally talented players that can be very unpredictable and can easily catch our opponents off-guard.

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

ROSTER:1. ESITERI RAUCA BULIKIOBO2. ASINATE UFIA SAVU3. TALICA VODO4. LITIA NAIQATO5. TIMAIMA TAMOI6. TIMAIMA RAVISA7. ANA MARIA ROQICA (c)8. LAVENIA TINAI9. LUISA BASEI TISOLO10. RUSILA NAGASAU11.BRITTANY COATES12.ROELA RADINYAVUNI

F I J I P O O L B

CAPTAIN: Elisabet MartinezCOACH: Jose Ant Onio BarrioYEARS 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

ROSTER:1. BERTA GARCIA2. PAULA MEDIN3. VANESSA RIAL4. BARBARA PLA5. AFRICA FELEZ6. ELISABET MARTINEZ (c) 7. MARIA CASADO8. AMAIA ERBINA9. IERA ECHEBARRIA10. MARIA RIBERA11. LAURA ESBRI 12. ANGELA DEL PAN

S P A I N P O O L B

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@ATLANTA7s#ATLANTA7s

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PLAY HARD. TRAIN SMART.London Heathrow Airport to central London in 15 minutes, every 15 minutes*

Heathrow Express is the smarter way to travel between London HeathrowAirport and central London. Our non-stop, premium train service is thefastest and most reliable way to get to and from London Heathrow.

Heathrow Express are proud to be the Offi cial Partner of USA Rugby.We have developed a strong connection with rugby and the values ofthe game, no matter where in the world the game is played.

* The 15 minute journey time relates to the journey between Paddington and Heathrow Terminal 1, 2 & 3, there is an additional 4 minutes to Terminal 5. A free transfer service to Terminal 4 departsHeathrow Terminal 1, 2, & 3 every 15 minutes and arrives in only 4 minutes. Heathrow Express operates between 05:10 23:25 from Paddington and 05:12 - 23:48 from Terminal 1, 2 & 3 to Paddington.

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CAPTAIN: Jen KishCOACH: John TaitYEARS 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.

-ROSTER: 1. BRITTANY BENN2. KAYLA MOLESCHI 3. KAREN PAQUIN 4. KELLY RUSSELL 5. ASHLEY STEACY 6. MANDY MARCHAK 7. JENNIFER KISH (C) 8. BIANCA FARELLA9. GHISLAINE LANDRY 10. JULIA GREENSHIELDS 11. ELISSA ALARIE 12. NATASHA WATCHAM-ROY

C A N A D A P O O L C

CAPTAIN: Sun T Ingting COACH: Lu Xiaohui YEARS ON WOMENS SEVENS CIRCUIT:


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!

ROSTER:1. YULIA GUZEVA2. KRISTINA SEREDINA3. EKATERINA KABEEVA4. ALENA BOGACHEVA 5. BAIZAT KHAMIDOVA 6. ANNA MALYGINA 7. MARIA SHEMCHUK 8. MARINA KUKINA9. NADEZDA KUDINOVA (c) 10. EKATERINA KAZAKOVA 11. ANASTASIIA MUKHARIAMOVA 12. MARIIA TITOVA

C H I N A P O O L C

CAPTAIN: Luiza Campos COACH: Christopher NeillYEARS ON WOMENS SEVENS CIRCUIT: 3


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.

ROSTER:1. JULIANA ESTEVES SANTOS 2. KARINA GODOI 3. KARINA GODOI4. AMANDA ARAUJO 5. PAULA ISHIBASHI6. LUIZA CAMPOS (c)7. HALINE SCATRUT8. BEATRIZ FUTURO MUHLBAUER 9. BRUNA LOTUFO 10. RAQUEL KOCHHANN 11. MARIANA RAMALHO 12. THAIS ROCHA

B R A Z I L P O O L C

CAPTAIN: Abi ChamberlainCOACH: Simon Middleton YEARS ON WOMENS SEVENS CIRCUIT: 3


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.

ROSTER:1. NATASHA BRENNAN2. NATASHA HUNT3. ALICE RICHARDSON4. EMILY SCARRATT5. RACHAEL BURFORD6. DANIELLE WATERMAN 7. ABIGAIL CHAMBERLAIN 8. MARLIE PACKER 9. SARAH MCKENNA 10. JOANNE WATMORE11. MICHAELA STANIFORD 12. AMY WILSON-HARDY

E N G L A N D P O O L C

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2015 atlanta 7s program

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