The Australian Olympic Committee have announced 24 athletes to the Australian Olympic team for Tokyo for Rugby Sevens.
Sharni Williams and Shannon Parry will co-captain the defending Olympic champion women’s side, while Nick Malouf will captain the men’s team.
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With 205 World Series caps, the women’s side sees
Rio Olympians Parry, Williams, Emma Tonegato, Evania Pelite and Charlotte Caslick return for their second Games, while Demi Hayes, Dominique Du Toit, Sariah Paki, Faith Nathan and Maddison Ashby make their Olympic debut.
Boasting 174 caps of World Series experience in the men’s squad, Malouf and Henry Hutchison return for their second Olympics, joined by debutants Lachlan Anderson, Joe Pincus, Dylan Pietsch, Henry Paterson, Maurice Longbottom, Joshua Coward, Joshua Turner, Lachlan Miller, Samu Kerevi and Dietrich Roache.
The women’s team has an average age of 24, with Australian Head Coach John Manenti balancing both experience and youth as the team looks to defend their gold medal status.
The men’s debutants include Dylan Pietsch, a proud Wiradjuri man and Maurice Longbottom, a member of the Dharawal nation, along with 33-Test and World Cup Wallaby, Samu Kerevi, who has transitioned from the XVs format of the game.
The men’s team will face off against New Zealand, Argentina and Republic of Korea in their pool, while the women’s team have been drawn against USA, China and hosts Japan.
Chef de Mission of the Australian Olympic Team Ian Chesterman welcomed the athletes to the Australian Olympic Team.
“It is fantastic to announce these 24 athletes to the Australian Olympic Team for Tokyo,” Mr Chesterman said. “Rugby Sevens debut in 2016 and that historic women’s gold is one of the standout memories from Rio and we are thrilled to have such strong squads named for Tokyo.”
“COVID and the postponement has made this a tough campaign, and today’s selection is testament to the extraordinary determination of these athletes to be at their best and to represent their country despite those difficulties.
“Thank you to Rugby Australia for developing a great sevens program and helping take athletes from their first game of rugby to competing on the world’s biggest sporting stage and to the players’ families, friends, teammates and supporters who have been their every step of the way.”
23-year-old debutant Dylan Pietsch said he was honoured to represent his country with his teammates.
“It’s an incredible moment for everyone in the team to be selected to compete at an Olympic Games,” Pietsch said. “It’s not about us as individuals, instead as a collective team.”
“To have both myself and Moz [Maurice Longbottom] in the team coming from an Indigenous background makes the selection extra special and it’s a credit to the pathways in place with the Lloyd McDermott foundation.
“We have spent the past few years developing our systems, refining and process and will now look to apply ourselves on the world stage.”
Australian Women’s Sevens co-captain Sharni Williams said her second Olympic Games still felt as special as her debut.
“It’s amazing to be here five years after Rio, never did I think I would get an opportunity to represent my country, let alone at a second Olympics,” Williams said.
“How we play is a representation of more than just the selected players, we have an entire Aussie 7s family back home who have sacrificed so much to get us here, the unknown has been hard to navigate but we now have the Olympics firmly in our sights.”
Australian Women’s Head Coach John Manenti said this has been one of the most challenging team selection processes in his career.
“As coaches, we have selected the best performing squad, and while some decisions were tough, ultimately, we have selected a team which will put us in the best position to perform.
“Playing last weekend has been great preparation ahead of Tokyo, game time is always important, and it gave us an opportunity to get that.
“There is a good combination of youth and experience within the team, but this is a new team and we’ll be looking to write our own Olympic chapter,” Manenti said.
Australian Men’s Head Coach, Tim Walsh welcomed today’s announcement.
“The most anticipated Olympics in history is only 20 days away and today we finalised the final 12 representing the Aussie 7s program, Rugby Australia and the Australian Olympic Committee,” Walsh said
“We are a diverse squad of individuals and skillsets and together we are ready to challenge the best players and teams in the Rugby sevens world.
“Today we are both physically and mentally fit, thanks to players and management making performance choices and doing their job to their best ability. Congratulations to the final 12 and the entire Sevens program for delivering us to this point, the next month is going to be one to remember.”
Australian Olympic Team for Tokyo – Rugby Women
Name | Age | Olympic Games | Suburb | State | Postcode | ||||||
Madison Ashby | 20 | Debut | Jamisontown | NSW | 2750 | ||||||
Charlotte Caslick | 26 | 2nd (2016) | Corinda | QLD | 4075 | ||||||
Dominique du Toit | 24 | Debut | Little Mountain | QLD | 4551 | ||||||
Demi Hayes | 23 | Debut | Randwick | NSW | 2031 | ||||||
Tia Hinds | 19 | Debut | Caringbah | NSW | 2229 | ||||||
Maddison Levi | 19 | Debut | Broadbeach Waters | QLD | 4218 | ||||||
Faith Nathan | 20 | Debut | Forestville | NSW | 2087 | ||||||
Sariah Paki | 19 | Debut | Dee Why | NSW | 2099 | ||||||
Shannon Parry (c) | 31 | 2nd (2016) | Cleveland | QLD | 4163 | ||||||
Evania Pelite | 25 | 2nd (2016) | Kogarah | NSW | 2217 | ||||||
Emma Tonegato | 26 | 2nd (2016) | Wollongong | NSW | 2500 | ||||||
Sharni Williams (c) | 33 | 2nd (2016) | Newport | NSW | 2106 |
Australian Olympic Team for Tokyo – Rugby Men
Name | Age | Olympic Games | Suburb | State | Postcode | ||||||
Lachlan Anderson | 23 | Debut | Kellyville | NSW | 2155 | ||||||
Josh Coward | 24 | Debut | Zetland | NSW | 2017 | ||||||
Henry Hutchison | 24 | 2nd (2016) | Gladesville | NSW | 2111 | ||||||
Samu Kerevi | 27 | Debut | Everton Park | QLD | 4053 | ||||||
Maurice Longbottom | 26 | Debut | Randwick | NSW | 2031 | ||||||
Nick Malouf (c) | 28 | 2nd (2016) | Collaroy | NSW | 2097 | ||||||
Lachlan Miller | 26 | Debut | Kingsford | NSW | 2032 | ||||||
Henry Paterson | 24 | Debut | Matraville | NSW | 2036 | ||||||
Dylan Pietsch | 23 | Debut | Randwick | NSW | 2031 | ||||||
Joe Pincus | 24 | Debut | Double Bay | NSW | 2028 | ||||||
Dietrich Roache | 19 | Debut | Merrylands | NSW | 2160 | ||||||
Josh Turner | 25 | Debut | Queenscliff | NSW | 2096 |
The men’s Rugby Sevens competition will be conducted on 26-28 July and the women’s competition from 29-31 July at the Tokyo Stadium. Find out more about Rugby at the Olympics in the infographic below.
Today’s announcement takes the number of athletes selected to 412 of an expected 470 Team size. Catch all the latest team info, stats and athlete bios at www.olympics.com.au/games/
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