Three members of the WA Women's State side, the Amazons, have been selected in the Australian squad for the upcoming tour of Samoa...
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Three members of the WA Women's State side, the Amazons, have been selected in the Australian squad for the upcoming tour of Samoa...
More...
Congratulations to Cottesloe's Debby Hodgkinson & Rebecca Clough and Perth Bayswater flyhalf Stacey Kilmister :cheers:
Wallaroos? Shouldn't the female Wallabies be called the Wallashes?
Wallaroos name squad for WRWC qualifier
(IRB.COM) Wednesday 8 July 2009
Four months ago Cheryl Soon, Debby Hodgkinson, Nicole Beck, Tricia Brown, Ruan Sims, Alex Hargreaves and Tui Ormsby were part of the Australian side that wrote their names into the history books by claiming the inaugural women’s title at Rugby World Cup Sevens in Dubai with a sudden-death extra time defeat of New Zealand.
These seven players have now been named in a 40-strong squad to prepare for a one-off match with Samoa in Apia on Friday 7 August to determine Oceania’s qualifier who will join defending champions New Zealand at the 15-a-side Women’s Rugby World Cup in England next year.
Soon, Brown, Hargreaves and Sims are no strangers to the pinnacle of the Women’s Game, having all played in the last Women’s Rugby World Cup in 2006 when Australia finished seventh in Canada.
Seven other players named by head coach John Manenti in the squad, which was announced following the conclusion of the Women’s National Championships last weekend, also played for the Wallaroos in 2006 tournament.
Australia and Samoa both played at the last Women’s Rugby World Cup, but only one of them will be able to contest the title in 2010 by securing one of the two remaining qualifying spots available in the 12-team competition.
Defending champions New Zealand, hosts England and bronze medal winners France had already qualified and have been joined by South Africa, Canada and USA who all gain automatic passage from their respective regions.
Wales and Ireland secured their passages as the best two sides in this year’s RBS Women’s Six Nations outside of England and France, while Scotland and Sweden came through the European Women’s Trophy to claim the region’s final two places in the World Cup.
This leaves two spots, one for the winner of the Australia-Samoa play-off and the other for the Asian champions. The dates and venue for the Asian Women’s Championship, which will double as their Women’s Rugby World Cup qualifier, are still to be confirmed.
Australia Wallaroos squad:
*Iliseva Batibasaga (QLD), ~Nicole Beck (NSW), *~Tricia Brown (QLD), Erin Caldwell (ACT), Cheyenne Campbell (QLD), Rebecca Clough (WA), Dalena Dennison (NSW), Kelli Donnelly (QLD), Kristy Giteau (ACT), *~Alexandra Hargreaves (NSW), Ashley Hewson (ACT), ~Debby Hodgkinson (WA), Tuaine Ina Mate (NSW), Stacey Kilmister (WA), Tasha Leota (NSW), Emerena Marsh (ACT), Danielle Meskell (NSW), Cobie Morgan (NSW), *Lindsay Morgan (ACT), ~Tui Ormsby (NSW), Shannon Parry (QLD), Kylie Pennell (NSW), Michelle Perry (NSW), *Silei Poluleuligaga (VIC), *Kate Porter (ASRU), Natalie Reid (VIC), Chris Ross (NSW), Brooke Rowlands (ACT), Saofaiga Saemo (VIC), *Se’ei Sa’u (QLD), Megan Shanahan (NSW), *~Ruan Sims (NSW), *~Cheryl Soon (NSW), * Alana Thomas (NSW), Selene Thornton (NSW), *Rebecca Trethowan (NSW), Caroline Vakalahi (ASRU), Melissa Waterford (NSW), Margaret Watson (NSW), Sharni Williams (ACT).
* = Played at Women’s Rugby World Cup 2006
~ = Played at Rugby World Cup Sevens 2009