Great Britain’s women’s sevens team is set to enhance their lineup with the return of Olympic experience as Heather Cowell, Abbie Brown, and Grace Crompton rejoin the HSBC SVNS Series. Brown, who is 29, will take on a co-captaincy role alongside Katie Shillaker, who has participated in all four tournaments of the series this season.
Despite being teammates with Shillaker at Harlequins, Cowell and Crompton have had limited playing time in the Premiership Women’s Rugby competition this year. Currently, the Great Britain Women find themselves at the bottom of the standings, and for this weekend’s tournament in Vancouver, they have been placed in Pool A alongside formidable teams like New Zealand, France, and Japan.
The men’s squad has also seen significant changes, welcoming back Ryan Apps, along with Finlay Callaghan, Roan Frostwick, Matt Davidson, and Josh Radcliffe. After recovering from a long-term injury, Jake Henry is making his return, while Glasgow Pro Academy’s Ben Salmon is poised to make his debut for Great Britain in British Columbia.
The men’s team is looking to climb out of the bottom of the HSBC SVNS Series standings, facing a daunting challenge in Pool A against South Africa, New Zealand, and Spain. Ciaran Beattie, the Director of Rugby for Great Britain 7s, expressed optimism about the infusion of Olympic experience into both squads.
He noted the difficulties faced by the women’s team so far but indicated confidence in their progress: “We’re all confident that they’ll keep progressing, they’re consistently taking steps forward.” Beattie also expressed excitement about Jake Henry’s return and the debut of Ben Salmon, highlighting the team’s goal to build momentum toward the World Championships in Hong Kong.
With both teams striving for improvement and facing tough competition, fans can hope to see inspiring performances that could lay a foundation for future success.
Leave a comment