The AGRFU Women’s Sevens team has been named to compete in the upcoming Asia Rugby World Cup Qualifying Tournament in Hong Kong on the 4th/5th October. The top three placing teams will earn an invite to the IRB World Cup Sevens event to be hosted in Dubai in early March 2009.

An extended training squad has been in intense preparation for the competition for the past several months with three full weekend training camps having been held in Dubai over the last four weeks. Thanks largely to the support offered by sponsors Westin Mina Seyahi Hotel and Resort, Aggreko and Canterbury of New Zealand. 

Manager Richard Harris is aware of the task at hand but confident the team has prepared correctly for Hong Kong stating, “The players are putting the work in, this is the fittest team I have been involved with and they are a very hard working group of players, should a World Cup spot not go our way it will not be due to lack of application or fitness.”

After blooding a number of new players to Gulf representation in recent years, the team selected is very experienced with no new caps named. The team will be lead by Dubai Hurricanes pivot Jenny Thompson with her former club mate Natasha Robinson joining the team from the UK where she now plays her rugby for Bath. Doha’s Kari Beauchamp makes a return to international duty after three years and is joined by another Doha Oryx player Ann Firth who returns to rugby after the birth of her first child.

Manager Harris says motivation to do well in the event and qualify for the world cup was driven initially from disappointment at not being granted automatic inclusion as hosts for the once every four years event. “Initially when the world cup was awarded to Dubai we were confident our women’s team would be granted automatic inclusion as was the case with our men. Unfortunately this was not to be despite the fact our women are ranked higher than our Gulf men in Asia and our track record in victories over other national teams has been far superior over the last two years. Having said that we are extremely proud to have our men’s team on the world stage and would dearly love to be there with them” said Mr. Harris.

The women’s team has drawn top seed China in its pool and Sri Lanka who it beat convincing in their last match up against one another.

AGRFU Women’s Team for Hong Kong:

Jenny Thompson Captain  (Dubai Hurricanes)
Kari Beauchamp  (Doha Oryx)
Natasha Harradine (Dubai Hurricanes)
Lucy Jones  (Dubai Exiles)
Sandra Ahrendt  (Kuwait Nomads)
Yon Smith  (Dubai Hurricanes)
Sorrell Bootham  (Brisbane)
Candy Fanucci  (Dubai Exiles)
Natasha Robinson (Bath)
Ann Firth  (Doha Oryx)
Jane Shaw  (Sydney)
Bridie Johnson  (Dubai Hurricanes)

Coach:  Wayne Marsters
Manager:  Richard Harris
Physio:  Lacey Congram

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