You only have to mention Rugby World Cup Sevens 2009 to
Australia captain Cheryl Soon and her face lights up, a huge grin
spreading across her face as she recalls their historic sudden
death extra time victory over New Zealand to be crowned the first
ever women's Sevens champions.
Soon led Australia to that historic triumph in the Dubai
desert and will be joined at Women's Rugby World Cup 2010 by
seven of her teammates that day, all whom will be seeking a unique
double with no side having been able to unite the 15-a-side and
Sevens World Cups before.
"We reminisce about that day, that night, quite a
lot," admitted Soon at the WRWC 2010 launch at City Hall in
London on Tuesday. "A phenomenal achievement and we are just
here to play some good rugby and enjoy it and try to make history
again.
"We definitely had a taste of what success is like
winning the Sevens World Cup in Dubai. We have eight girls from
that campaign and it's a little confidence boost for us, but
saying that this is fifteens and it is very different to Sevens.
"It's a huge carrot [to unite the World Cups], but
we've just got to take each day as it comes and just focus on
our game plan, execution in all areas, our unified trust and belief
and also persistence. I believe we are very persistent and if we do
all those things and focus on the process the outcome will come.
Sevens flavour
"Most definitely [you can expect a Sevens style from
Australia]. We are very strong from one to 26 I believe, and I
believe this is the best squad we have brought to a World Cup, so
we are feeling a little confident in that regard.
"Most of our backs are from the Sevens World Cup team
playing so you can expect some exciting, fast, entertaining and
spectacular rugby. The girls coming from the Sevens, their linkage
in the back is very strong, it's quite pretty to watch and also
our forwards, they're not the biggest but they've got the
biggest hearts and we have the biggest hearts from one to 26."
Soon will be joined by IRB Women's Personality of the
Year 2009 Debby Hodgkinson, Ruan Sims, Nicole Beck, Tricia Brown,
Tobie McGann, Alex Hargreaves and Tui Ormsby in the Wallaroos squad
for this World Cup in England but Australia are far from alone in
selecting players with Sevens experience.
Six of the other nations involved in Women's Rugby World
Cup 2010 were among the 16 participants in the inaugural
Women's Rugby World Cup Sevens event last year in Canada,
England, France, runners up New Zealand and both losing semi
finalists in South Africa and USA.
A quick glance at the players who will grace the World Cup
stage at Surrey Sports Park over the next two weeks for these six
countries shows a similar trend to Australia with a number of
players with experience of that RWC Sevens extravaganza in the
Dubai desert.
More than half
In fact of the 84 players who represented those seven
countries in Dubai, more than half of them will don the jerseys of
their respective countries in WRWC 2010 with hosts England and
South Africa fielding the most of any team with nine players - it
would have been 10 had they not lost Claire Allan and Thamie Faleni
to injuries earlier this month respectively.
Danielle Waterman, Kat Merchant, Rachael Burford, Maggie
Alphonsi and Heather Fisher have all been named in the starting
line up for England's opening Women's Rugby World Cup 2010
match against Ireland on Friday, with Emma Croker (nee Layland) and
Charlotte Barras on the bench.
USA, who will meet England in what could be the Pool B
decider on 28 August, have the fewest playing crossing over from
RWC Sevens with two - centre Amy Daniels and wing Christy
Ringgenberg as the Women's Eagles look to claim a first
Women's Rugby World Cup title since 1991.
South Africa, one of the most improved sides in Women's
Rugby over the last couple of years, will start against three-time
defending champions New Zealand with seven of their RWC Sevens
squad, including their inspirational captain Mandisa Williams in
the back row.
Exciting young fly half Zenay Jordaan is one of five players
from that Sevens squad named in the South African backline to face
the Black Ferns, who have not lost a World Cup match since the 1991
semi finals, with Saloma Booysen and wings Yolanda Meiring and
Phumeza Gadu others to watch.
Top try-scorer
Carla Hohepa, the leading try scorer at RWC Sevens 2009 with
nine, will line up on the wing for the Black Ferns against South
Africa, one of six players from that tournament in the New Zealand
squad hoping to claim a fourth successive World Cup title.
Huriana Manuel, Justine Lavea, Victoria Grant and Renee
Wickliffe will all start in New Zealand's opening Pool A match,
while another member of their RWC Sevens squad Hannah Porter is the
Black Ferns' manager for this Women's Rugby World Cup
campaign in England.
Canada and France are tipped to battle it out for the top
spot in Pool C and both have a number of players with RWC Sevens
experience in their squad for this 15-a-side tournament, Fanny
Horta and Sandrine Agricole likely to be key players for France as
they seek to reach another WRWC semi final.
The Canadians, semi finalists at the last two Women's
Rugby World Cups, will have seven members of their Sevens squad in
the match day 22 to face Scotland in the opening match of the
tournament, including Mandy Marchak, Maria Gallo and Ashley Patzer
in the backline.
Another side with recent Sevens experience are Kazakhstan,
who surprisingly missed out on qualification for RWC Sevens 2009
despite being the dominant force in Asian Women's Rugby.
However, all 12 of their squad that lost the Asian Women's
Sevens final to China last month have also travelled to
England.
