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Olympics-bound Aussies still have plenty to ‘prove’ at Oceania Sevens
When the Oceania Sevens gets underway at Brisbane’s Ballymore Stadium on Friday, both the Australian women’s and men’s teams will arrive with the confidence and peace of mind that comes with securing their place at the Paris Olympics.
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Brisbane’s iconic rugby stadium, Ballymore, which received a lucrative $31.5 million upgrade earlier this year, will host the best teams in Oceania over three days.
But there’s much more than just national pride on the line.
When the likes of Samoa, Tonga, Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu take the field on Friday through to Sunday, their Olympic dreams can be realised if they become champions of their pool.
The 2023 edition of the Oceania Sevens serves as an Olympic qualification event for the top-placed teams in both the men’s and women’s competitions.
But for teams like Australia, New Zealand and Fiji, they’ll still take the field in Brisbane but they won’t be competing for the same shot at destiny. They’ve already booked their ticket to Paris.
Instead, they’ll play other qualified teams alongside the main draw. For the Australian women’s side, they’ll take a New Zealand development side four times in three days – a team that includes a number of World Series champions and Olympic gold medallists.
The Aussies couldn’t be happier about it.
Sitting with Australian Sevens youngsters Teagan Levi and Bienne Terita at the team hotel ahead of the Oceania Sevens, both players spoke about the opportunity that they have to “prove” themselves a few weeks out from the SVNS season.
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“Yeah, we’ve just been overseas. We went to Italy for a little training camp for two weeks and then went over to Ireland to play some footy over there as well in a comp against them and France,” Levi told RugbyPass.
“We just want to keep playing as much footy as we can.
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“We went to Fiji as well. Pretty stoked to get the win over there, and as I said, just want to get the footy in the hands and get those combos right. We’ve been working really hard.
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“Our preseason started quite a while ago but the official preseason started a month ago so we’ve just been working extra hard at training, doing those extra sessions and hopefully getting the work done before we get to Oceania to prove where we are.
“We want to win the gold medal and we’re prepared to do whatever it takes to achieve that.”
After winning the World Series in 2021/22, Australia came crashing down to earth last season as the Black Ferns ran riot during a practically perfect season.
But that the Aussies didn’t let that hurt scar them. The women in gold “came back in mid-June” for a pre-preseason of sorts, with the team travelling the world as they continue to work tirelessly for improvement.
Waiting for the Aussies on the other side of long plane rides has been some of the best teams in the world. When the team flew to Fiji, they ended up playing the hosts, USA, France and New Zealand in a “really good” hit out.
Including Australia, they’re four of the top five teams in women’s sevens, while Fiji placed sixth last season.
The Black Ferns Sevens are definitely the team to catch less than a year out from the Olympics in Paris, and the Aussies will get another chance to test themselves against a New Zealand development side in Brisbane.
“It was just really good for us to get game time to play against those players, I think that’s what Timmy (coach Tim Walsh) really wanted for us during our preseason,” Terita added.
“New Zealand are always good and they were probably our biggest competition during preseason as well as France – France were really good also. It was just really good for us to get really good game time, good quality football, and get those combos right.
“(We’ve got) some new players coming through… it just goes to show we’ve always got new talent coming through which really pushes us to be the best that we can be and produce really good rugby on the field.”
As for the men’s team, the Oceania Sevens could’ve been a whole lot more nerve-wracking if this year’s season finale went a bit differently.
Australia were beaten by Samoa 10-5 at London’s Twickenham Stadium in May, which set up a must-win clash with rivals Great Britain the seventh-placed playoff. A win would secure their spot at the Games.
The Australians overcame the pressure and lived up to the hype as they swept Team GB off the park with a commanding 34-5 victory.
While a young Aussie side prepares to park, they can breathe that little bit easier knowing that the team is off to Paris. But with the SVNS circuit starting in just a few weeks in Dubai, this tournament still serves as a decisive event.
“On the bus on the way here we were talking about how we’d be pretty stressed if we’re coming up for qualification. We’re kind of using this tournament as a warmup for the World Series like we’re playing quality sides like Fiji, New Zealand, Nui and the Oceania boys,” Dally Bird told RugbyPass.
“We know if we want to go deep into any World Series comps you’re going to come up against those teams and hopefully Samoa at the end of the tournament. We’re not taking this tournament lightly.
“We’ve got a lot of young boys but we’re expecting them to step up and we know we’ve got to step up as well.”
Australian squads for Oceania Sevens in Brisbane
Women’s squad
Sariah Paki, Bella Nasser, Kaitlin Shave, Madison Ashby, Maddison Levi, Tagan Levi, Faith Nathan, Demi Hayes, Bienne Terita, Sharni Smale, Charlotte Caslick, Dominique Du Toit, Alysia Leafau-Fakosilea
Men’s squad
Nick Malouf, Dally Bird, Aden Ekanayake, Ben Dalton, Tim Clements, James McGregor, Hayden Sargeant, Ben Dowling, Dietrich Roache, James Turner, Henry Palmer, Nathan Lawson
Comments on RugbyPass
Can someone fill me in please, I've read a number of Ben Smith articles now and it seems he's got something again South Africa? Surely, this game was over and done with 7 months ago. Can't we have something a bit more interesting and relevant, or is this the calibre of journalist on this site?
227 Go to commentsNot sure what the Welsh are moaning about. They’ve had far more players off England, than England have had off Wales. Guys like Josh Hathaway and Kane James will play for Wales in the end. And they’ll be fsr better players for having played in the Gallagher Premiership, than they ever would have been had they stayed mired in the shambles that is Welsh rugby.
3 Go to commentsThis is all being blown totally out of proportion. First of all, since half the Irish team isn’t Irish - it’s very likely that none of the Irish players said that at all and, thus, we’re not being arrogant. Second, since half the Irish team is Kiwi - it’s very likely the Kiwi players were predicting a NZ SA World Cup final. Which they got spot on. Good on them!
163 Go to commentsAha. An Irishman with logic! Follow the flow: - Ireland peaks with a >80% win record between 2020 and 2023. And then… - crashes out of another QF at the WC; - Beat a poor French Team; - Beat 6N wooden spoonists Italy; - Play shite against eventual wooden spoonists Wales; - Lose against the most boring, “the worst English team ever” , a team widely regarded as unable to attack; - scrape through against Scotland. This article, No - Trimble, is on the money! Except for one glaring statement: _The Springboks have a few aces in the hole in this debate being the reigning world champions and official world number ones_ There is no debate, boys and girls. There it is. In black and white. “Reigning World Champions and OFFICIAL world number ones”. Come July, the overrated Andy Farrell and this overhyped team are going to enter into a world of hurt.
86 Go to commentsI’d like to know what homoerotic events Daniel enjoyed at 8th man. I clearly missed out!
19 Go to commentsThis article is missing some detail, like some actual context or info about what led to him abusing the ref.
2 Go to comments*They used to say that football is a gentleman sport watched by hooligans and rugby is a hooligan sport watched by gentlemen. How times have changed.*
3 Go to commentsexcept ot wasnt late wasnt late at all so dont know why you all saying its late he commits early and its your fault fir not paying attention
29 Go to commentsNot sure the Bulls need another average utility back in their ranks. Chamberlain has been ok for the Sharks but is by no means an X-Factor player. Bulls bought several utility backs which they barely use. A typical example would be Henry Immelman who plays mostly Fullback. The Bulls however have rarely played him this year and he has played wing or centre. Bulls want to build depth but seems like they have too many surplus players
1 Go to commentsABs lost against a side playing without a hooker - The guy playing, had one shoulder. Line outs were a gimme for the ABs, and the last 8 minutes 14 played 14 against a team that had been smashed 3 weeks in a row… Yet with all that possession, with all that territory, with all the advantages they actually had, especially in the last 8 minutes, they couldn’t buy a point. Those last 8 minutes determined if they outplayed the Boks or not. History will show that the Boks completely outplayed the ABs, especially in those last 8 minutes, the business end of any rugby match
227 Go to commentsWould’ve, could’ve, should’ve, didn’t.
227 Go to commentsKok will become a fan favourite
1 Go to commentsI am really looking forward to Leigh Halfpenny playing his first Super rugby game for the Crusaders Playing a long side his former Welsh and Scarlets team mate Johnny McNicoll.Johnny has been playing great, back in a Crusaders jersey.The attack has strengthened big time. Also looking forward to David Havili at 10. David is a class act, it also allows Dallas McLeod to remain at 12. A good thing.
1 Go to commentsIf he had stopped insisting on playing in the backrow, instead of wing, where everyone told him he should, he would have been a Bok years ago….
11 Go to comments‘Salads don’t win scrums’ 😂 I love that.
19 Go to commentsCan’t wait for the article that talks about misogyny in Ireland. Somehow.
19 Go to commentsI would like to see a rule change, when the attacking team is held up over the try line, by allowing the defensive team to restart a goal line drop out releases the pressure for the defensive team, but what if the attacking team had to restart a tap 5m out from the defensive team it gives the attacking team to apply more pressure, there are endless options for the attacking side and it will keep the fans in suspence.
2 Go to commentsLess modern South African males predictably triggered.
19 Go to commentsMy heart is with Quins, but the head is convinced Toulouse have too much. Ntamack is back, his timing and wisdom has been missed.
1 Go to commentsWow, what a starting line up for the Sharks) Tasty up front,kremer vs Tshituka or venter …fiery ,,Lavannini ,,will he knobble etzebeth? Biggest game for belleau?
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