How 'heartbreaking' Olympics omission fuelled Aussie 7s star
As a little kid, Australian sevens star Lily Dick “always wanted to go to the Olympics.” But as the adage goes, things don’t always go to plan.
Having grown up in a passionate rugby family, Dick has always had a love for the game. The Queenslander was a Reds member, and even went to the Hong Kong Sevens as a fan in 2013.
But rugby wasn’t always an option for Olympic hopefuls.
Instead, Dick wanted to be a swimmer and an athletics star during her childhood – she wanted to be an Olympian, and has continued to chase that dream.
Rugby sevens made its debut on the world’s biggest sporting stage at the 2016 Rio Games, with the Australian Women’s Sevens team claiming an historic gold medal.
Years later, a rising star joined the champion team on a full-time deal.
Dick made her Sevens World Series debut in 2018, with the Olympics only a few years away – of course, the Tokyo Games were postponed until 2021 due to the Covid pandemic.
But after a few years of international rugby, Dick wasn’t able to realise her Olympic dream in Japan. As reported by The Sydney Morning Herald, Rio gold medalist Shannon Parry was selected ahead of the young Queenslander.
“It was obviously heartbreaking, that’s obviously what I aimed to get selected for and put a lot of time and effort into,” Dick told RugbyPass.
“But as part of an athlete, that’s part of it, missing out on selections and I think you only come back better from them.
“I had about eight weeks off, I actually tore my meniscus about a week out so I was in rehab during that time off and it was Covid as well so I was back at home rehabbing by myself.”
Uncapped players Tia Hinds and Maddison Levi were picked in the prestigious Olympics squad, while another five internationals were named for their first Games.
But Dick wasn’t going to let that setback define her.
In her own words, the 23-year-old said she “came back bigger, better and stronger” as she played in every World Series tournament the following season.
“It probably was a good time for me to reflect on where I needed to get better and improve on,” she added.
“It was heartbreaking but you can only come back better from it.
“Obviously it only comes around once every four years and your lifetime as an athlete isn’t very long, so definitely motivated me to be better.
“With only 500 days I think it was till the Olympics, yeah it’s definitely a motivator and I’m hoping to get to Paris 2024.”
Dick will be part of history this weekend after being named in the Australian squad for the Hong Kong Sevens. The Women’s World Series will go to Hong Kong for the first time from March 31 to April 2.
After going to Hong Kong as a fan with her brother and dad a decade ago, Dick described the tournament as “one of the best sevens legs in the world.”
“Looking back as a kid I probably didn’t realise how big of an event it was.
“It was pretty awesome. My dad went off to the south stand, my brother and I were just watching.
“Back then I probably didn’t think Sevens is as big as what it is now.
“Hong Kong is one of the best sevens legs in the world and obviously the first time the women get to play there.”
History will be made in Hong Kong this weekend. While Dick is yet to realise her Olympic dream yet, the rising star is certainly a player to watch.
The Australian Women’s team are currently second on the World Series standings, with the top four teams at the end of the season securing automatic qualification for the Paris Games.
A successful campaign in Hong Kong could potentially go a long way to seeing Dick compete at the Olympics in a couple of years time.
Comments on RugbyPass
Except for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
33 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
33 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
33 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
33 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
33 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
33 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
1 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
33 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
17 Go to commentsNot good to hear Ulster described as “financially troubled”. Did not think it was getting to that level. I would hope the Irish system of spreading players of talent away from Leinster would kick in now. Better to have a Leinster fringe player with Ulster or Connacht, then getting only a few games a season in Dublin. 10, for example, would seem to be a case for spreading the talent. I would not be at all adverse to a SA man coming in as head coach/DR. Ludeke is worth trying. Certainly got a long and impressive coaching career at this level…..149 games in SR, then Japan, 30 years experience. And Ulster’s ledger of successful SA coaches and players is on the positive side. Is talk of Ruan Pienaar interested in coming back as a coach…..could be a good combination with Ludeke. And Pienaar and family would have no settling in to do, one would judge. He loved life in Ulster when there, by all reports.
1 Go to commentsSome thoughts to consider here, Sam. Thanks
2 Go to comments