‘Best in the world’: Brown ready for backyard battle in Ultimate Sevens finale

One of England’s most decorated sevens players Abbie Brown has experienced first hand the incredible athletic feats sevens rugby players can accomplish.

As the Ultimates Sevens tournament is set to begin at Brentford Community Stadium in London on Thursday, the Team GB star, Commonwealth Games medalist and captain of the Albion Athletic women’s team is hoping the tournament can show how much potential the format has outside of the SVNS Series circuit.

Athletic currently sit at the bottom of the table coming into the final round – but with the unique format of Ultimate Sevens seeing a winner-takes-all format in Brentford, Brown’s side is more than capable of coming home late with a wet sail to win.

It was a fact Brown relayed as such, speaking in an interview with The Rugby Paper ahead of Thursday.

“Some people would say sevens athletes are the best in the world,” Brown said. “I really do believe that. The athletes themselves are just incredible.

“This is pretty much the best of the best all playing against each other and, under the floodlights on a night in London, what more could be better?

“It’s so fast-paced. You’re only there for a few hours and it’s go, go, go. You don’t have time to stop.”

The Ultimate Sevens has been able to land some of the biggest names in the short format of rugby, players who after years of facing off against each other at international level in the SVNS Series now find themselves frequently on the same team.

Conversely, seven other members of Team GB found themselves alongside Brown in the Draft Pool for the tournament, the 30-year-old now finding herself facing off against the likes of teammates Katie Shillaker and Ellie Boatman.

“I know Ellie and she was handing me off,” Brown laughed.

“I’ve never been on the other side of her hand-off before! It really caught me off guard because she’s a close mate and I know her so well.

“There’s been a really good feel within Ultimate Sevens. Everyone has been expressing themselves.”

The tournament has also marked a chance to show sevens stars in a new light, and for Brown, this marks a critical part of why she hopes to deliver a big result this Thursday.

To do so in the UK also serves as a great chance to inspire the next generation of stars to pick up the short format of rugby and try it for themselves, especially for the rapidly developing women’s game.

“Growing up, I never really had a women’s rugby role model because it wasn’t really publicised,” Brown reflected.

“It wasn’t really on TV or anything like that. Social media wasn’t that big when I was growing up, so my role models were people like Jonny Wilkinson.

“It’s really cool now. I’m really close with Red Roses players and to see the impact they have had, and to see that they are now role models, is also inspiring to me.

“I always want to be a role model in the sevens world.

“This event is huge from a GB point of view. We want to get in as many people watching it as possible and showcase what sevens is all about.

“It’s a time where we can inspire the next generation and inspire people in this country in a way that we haven’t done before with sevens.

“It’s so special and exciting for this event to be in London. I’ve travelled to some amazing places over the years and I’m really fortunate to have gone to those places, but there’s no place like home.”

Albion Athletic will commence their campaign on Thursday, facing off against Sol Feroz with the winner earning a place in the semifinals.