Australian flyer Emma Tonegato / Photo: Mike Lee – KLC fotos for World Rugby
The USA and Australia 7s teams are heading to Las Vegas for a five-game series from Friday, Sunday, March 2-4, aligning with the USA 7s tournament and LVI. Two of those games will occur inside Sam Boyd Stadium, while three games will occur at the adjacent Silver Bowl Complex.
USA v AUSTRALIA SCHEDULE
all times Pacific
Friday, March 2
10:00 a.m. Silver Bowl Field 14
2:30 p.m. Sam Boyd Stadium
Saturday, March 3
9:00 a.m. Silver Bowl Field 14
12:00 p.m. Silver Bowl Field 14
Sunday, March 4
2:18 p.m. Sam Boyd Stadium
The games inside the stadium require USA 7s tournament tickets while those at Silver Bowl are open to the public.
USA Rugby has not released its team roster, but Australia detailed its 14-player squad (below). Australia needed a fixture to break up the long gap between the last HSBC Women’s Sevens Series stop (Sydney, Jan. 26-28) and the Commonwealth Games (Gold Coast, April 13-15). As for the Americans, it doesn’t get any better than filling this calendar vacancy with the best women’s 7s team in the world.
Shannon Parry and Sharni Williams captained Australia in its 2016 Olympic gold medal run and still maintain those posts. They’re joined by fellow gold medalists Emma Tonegato, Charlotte Caslick, Evania Pelite and Alicia Quirk, while Emilee Cherry and Ellia Green remain at home and rest up for the Commonwealth Games. Coach Tim Walsh is also bringing two uncapped players.
AUSTRALIA @ LAS VEGAS
1. Shannon Parry (c), 25 caps
2. Sharni Williams (c), 24 caps
3. Georgina Friedrichs, 8 caps
4. Dominique du Toit, 7 caps
5. Emma Tonegato, 19 caps
6. Evania Pelite, 15 caps
7. Charlotte Caslick, 24 caps
8. Cassie Staples, 4 caps
9. Emma Sykes, 7 caps
10. Alicia Quirk, 23 caps
11. Demi Hayes, 4 caps
12. Page McGregor, 1 cap
13. Lily Dick
14. Lauren Brown
