HSBC World Rugby Women’s Sevens Series awaits Fisher

Valkyries’ Heather Fisher has been named in the England squad ahead of the HSBC World Rugby Women’s Sevens Series.

Fisher is one of five Olympians set to feature in the England Women’s squad for the tournament in Dubai (1-2 December).

Abbie Brown, who made her debut on the World Series circuit in Sao Paulo earlier this year, will captain the side and is also joined by fellow Team GB names Alice Richardson, Jo Watmore and Amy Wilson Hardy. 

There are five new names for England, with Lauren Cattell, Deborah Fleming, Katie Mason, Kelly Smith and Millie Wood all having their first taste of the global sevens competition in Dubai.

England are drawn in Pool C and will kick-off the opening day against Spain, before facing Canada and Brazil.

The squad travel on Saturday, with Simon Middleton overseeing the coaching programme, supported by James Bailey for the first of a new six-leg series with further rounds in Sydney, Las Vegas, Kitakyushu, Langford and Clermont-Ferrand.

Middleton said: “Our focus this season is very much to qualify for the 2018 World Cup through the HSBC World Rugby Women’s Sevens Series.

“We have a mix of new players and returning Olympians within the squad. It is important that we invest game-time with the new players as tournament experience is critical if we are going to be competitive on the world’s biggest stages down the line.

“The squad has been working hard to become physically conditioned to play Sevens and we look forward to getting the World Series underway.”

Last season England finished fourth in the HSBC World Rugby Women’s Sevens Series, winning the Langford leg and narrowly losing out to Canada for third after the final round in Clermont-Ferrand.

England Women’s Squad
1 Natasha Brennan
2 Abbie Brown (C)
3 Lauren Cattell
4 Heather Fisher
5 Deborah Fleming
6 Katie Mason
7 Fran Matthews
8 Alice Richardson
9 Kelly Smith
10 Jo Watmore
11 Amy Wilson Hardy (VC)
12 Millie Wood

Pool C Schedule (all times in GMT and games available via WorldRugby.org)

Thursday 1 December
vs Spain Kick-off 8am
vs Brazil Kick-off 10.56am
vs Canada Kick-off 2.15pm
 


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