Olympic Women's Rugby Sevens - Five Players To Watch

The women's rugby sevens gets under way at the Tokyo Olympics on Thursday

Tokyo, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 27th Jul, 2021 ) :The women's rugby sevens gets under way at the Tokyo Olympics on Thursday.

AFP sports looks at five players to watch at the three-day competition, with Australia out to defend their title from Rio 2016: Charlotte Caslick (Australia) Caslick has been part of the Australian sevens set-up since 2013 and was an integral cog of the team that outgunned New Zealand 24-17 in the final of the inaugural competition at the Rio Olympics.

Star turn Ellia Green missed out on selection for Tokyo, but Caslick is ready to step up to the plate alongside the experienced Emma Tonegato, Kayla McAlister and skipper Shannon Parry.

"It's obviously a little different being the second time around and the sport isn't new but it's still just as exciting," Caslick said.

"We've got a pretty young group of girls so my role in the team has changed in the sense that I was one of the youngest in Rio and now I'm the third oldest player in the squad." Portia Woodman (New Zealand) The Kiwi flyer racked up 10 tries in Rio, including one in the final defeat by Australia, and comes to Tokyo having being named Women's Sevens Player of the Decade.

The New Zealand side boasts much experience, with seven players who featured in Brazil, notably Ruby Tui and Michaela Blyde, who, like Woodman, have all been recipients of the World Rugby Women's Sevens Players of the Year award.

Since claiming the silver medal in Rio, the Black Ferns Sevens have been incredibly dominant, winning 16 out of 22 World Series tournaments, the Rugby World Cup Sevens and Commonwealth Games gold.

In Woodman, New Zealand's flag bearer at the opening ceremony of the pandemic-delayed Games, they have one of the most recognisable and, crucially, most dangerous players in women's rugby.

Ghislane Landry (Canada) Landry has been omnipresent for Canada for many years, including as part of her country's team that took bronze in Rio.

No female player has scored more World Series points than the Canadian skipper who has amassed 1,356 points since making her debut against Russia in Dubai almost nine years ago.

"On the field, we were having pretty good results in the lead-up to last summer and probably would have competed for a medal," Landry said. "But off the field, we were struggling and weren't reaching our full potential." A re-set ensued and Landry insists Canada will now be firmly focused on another podium finish.

Caroline Drouin (France) Drouin is one of a six-strong contingent who helped Les Bleues to win the bronze medal at the 2017 Rugby World Cup to make it into France's Olympic squad.

Drouin started at fly-half for the French 15s against England in the final of the Women's Six Nations 2021 before playing a leading role at the Olympic Sevens repechage, where France claimed one of the two tickets for Tokyo, scoring a try and kicking seven conversions across the two-day rugby sevens event.

She will team up with Fanny Horta, France's influential captain at Rio 2016, one of four players to return for a second Olympics along with Camille Grassineau, Lina Guerin and Shannon Izar.

Jasmine Joyce (Britain) Joyce was the only non-English player in the British squad at Rio. It comes as no surprise that the Welsh speedster is recalled for a second Olympics given her natural turn of pace and eye for the tryline, though she is quick to insist that pace is not her only attribute.

"Five years ago, I was almost just a wild card, the new girl, I was very lucky to be there," Joyce told walesonline.co.uk.

"I told the coach 'I want to win gold and make the dream team' - that's my goal this time! Five years ago, it was just to get some minutes." Group stage Pool A: New Zealand, Britain, Russia, Kenya Pool B: Canada, France, Fiji, Brazil Pool C: Australia, USA, China, Japan Note: the two top teams from each pool plus the two best-placed third-placed teams advance to the Cup quarter-finals, with lower-placed teams battling it out in the Plate and Bowl competitionslp/gj