Unbeaten UQ aim for Uni 7s improvement
UQ won all five of its games at the opening event in Launceston, and head into Round 2 at Macquarie University with a two-point series lead over Bond University.
Tayler said his team will need to improve on its first-up performance.
“It was an extraordinary feeling to take out the first of four Uni 7s tournaments, but we knew as soon as we won in Tasmania that we were going to be targeted,” Tayler said.
“Teams will definitely lift their game when playing us in the hope of knocking us off our top position. Our UQ girls will have to step up to the next level.”
Tayler has named an extended 13-player squad with Sarafina Vosuqa and Erica Fowler added to the team.
Queensland Youth Girls Sevens representative Vetaronnica (Veta) Tafito Fomai has also been selected to make her Uni 7s debut.
Teammate Brianne Rossato said Team UQ will benefit from the 17-year-old’s skill and power.
“Veta is a strong ball runner with sharp skills and will put her body on the line, so I am excited to be given the opportunity to play alongside her,” Rossato said.
“We all know that the other teams do not want to see us take out the Macquarie leg of the series, which puts us in the perfect position to step up to that next level.”
Team UQ will play University of New England (10am), University of Tasmania (12:20pm) and Griffith University (2pm) on Saturday 9 September, with Semi-Finals to follow on Sunday from 10:40am.
All matches will be streamed live and free on rugby.com.au’s website and Facebook pages.
Uni 7s sides face a one-week turnaround from Sydney with the UQ Rugby Club to host Round 3 at the UQ Sport Athletics Centre on 16-17 September.
The event will also see Brisbane City host Canberra Vikings in an NRC match on Sunday 17 September.
A two-day UQ Rugby 7s competition – featuring teams from UQ Colleges and Brisbane rugby clubs – will kick-off on Friday 15 September.
- Grace Kaihau
- Lily Dick
- Jannicke IJdens
- Emma Sykes / Erica Fowler
- Sarafina Vosuqa
- Marikki Watego
- Mackenzie Sadler
- Brianne Rossato
- Bodil Van Wijnbergen
- Vetaronnica Tafito Fomai
- Emilee Cherry
- Georgia Hannaway
1st – The University of Queensland (20 points)
2nd – Bond University (18 points)
3rd – Macquarie University (16 points)
4th – Griffith University (14 points)
5th – University of New England (12 points)
6th – University of Canberra (10 points)
7th – University of Adelaide (8 points)
8th – University of Tasmania (6 points)
Round 2 – Macquarie University, Sydney, 9-10 September
Round 3 – The University of Queensland, UQ Sport Athletics Centre, 16-17 September
Round 4 – Bond University, Gold Coast, 29-30 September
Media: Jamie Mitchell, UQ Sport, JamieM@uqsport.com.au, 0423 785 752.
