Jesse Southwell to debut as Aussie 7s chase World Series crown
29 April 2022
- Lily Dick, 9 Tournaments
- Sharni Williams, 38 Tournaments
- Faith Nathan, 8 Tournaments
- Dom Du Toit, 19 Tournaments
- Jesse Southwell*
- Alysia Lefau-Fakaosilea, 4 Tournaments
- Charlotte Caslick (vc), 37 Tournaments
- Madison Ashby, 9 Tournaments
- Bienne Terita, 1 Tournament
- Sariah Paki, 14 Tournaments
- Demi Hayes (vc), 16 Tournaments
- Maddison Levi, 4 Tournaments
- Jakiya Whitfeld, 4 Tournaments
*denotes Sevens World Series Tournament debut
Australian Women’s Sevens Head Coach Tim Walsh has confirmed Jesse Southwell will make her debut for the Australian Sevens program this weekend in Langford as the team looks to secure the World Series Crown.
A product of the University Sevens Series, Southwell caught the eye of Australian coaching staff playing for the University of Newcastle before coming into the Australian program part-time at the start of 2022.
Currently leading the Series by 18-points, a top-three finish would seethe Australians claim the crown for the first time since the 2017-18 World Series.
The team announcement comes following the renewal of Aon as the team's back of jersey sponsor, having been involved in the women’s program since the side won gold in 2016.
The partnership will see Aon continue to support the women’s Rugby pathway through naming rights of the Aon Next Gen 7s series, which supports a similar development pathway to that of the University Sevens Series.
The partnership will also see the introduction of the Aon Rising Stars pathway program, with a group of development players selected from the Aon Next Gen Series who will be provided with training and development opportunities within the Women’s Sevens program with the ultimate goal of unearthing the next generation of women’s Sevens stars to go on to represent Australia on the global stage.
The Australian Women return to the World Series in Pool A, taking on Mexico, Spain and Tournament hosts, Canada on Sunday 1 May, with all game available LIVE on BeIN and Kayo Sports.
Australian Women’s Sevens Head Coach Tim Walsh said: “We are so pleased to have our historical nemesis in New Zealand back on the circuit. We have had some tremendous battles in the past and expect them to be performing at their best in their first outing since gold in Tokyo.
“Our objective is always to perform and, in the process, win. TheLangford leg provides us with an opportunity to mathematically secure the World Series for the third time. This would be a tremendousachievement and objective one in our 2022 calendar year plan”
“Jesse Southwell has been a standout member of the University Sevens Series for the past few years and recently toured and performed with the team in the USA. For her to make her debut on the World Series this weekend is a testament to her talent and the work she and her teammates have put in.
“Our mission is not only to continue to achieve elite success, but also to ensure we continue to reinforce our programs with the next generation of talent. Jesse’s selection is a testament to these systems, which inspire, innovate and include all members of the Rugby community on our journey,” Walsh said.
“Aon is delighted to continue our partnership with Rugby Australia to assist in supporting women and young people in sport. The success of the Aon University Sevens Series, which has seen the development of emerging, elite talent has enabled our support of the Next Gen and Aon Rising Stars programs. We are also pleased that Aon is becoming the official partner to the Wallaroos,” said Aon’s Chief Executive Officer Jennifer Richards speaking on the partnership.
“Supporting women in sport provides opportunities for Aon to facilitate leadership development that goes beyond the playing field and pathways for our next generation of leaders. This goes back to Aon’s purpose: to help shape decisions for the better and to protect and enhance the lives of people around the world,” concluded Ms Richards.
Australian Women’s Sevens Pool A Fixtures:
Sunday 1 May
Australia v Mexico, 4:20am AEST Australia v Spain, 7:24am AEST Australia v Canada, 11:03am AEST