The University of Queensland is set to host the first round of the 2019 Aon Uni 7s Series this weekend (14-15 September) at the UQ Sport Athletics Centre.
UQ has named Australian Women’s Sevens players Cassie Staples and Hagiga (Haj) Mosby in its 12-player squad, to be captained by Australian Wallaroo representative Lori Cramer.
The team also includes second year UQ Physiotherapy student Katie Muscat.
UQ has never finished worse than second at its home event, having won a gold medal in 2017 and silver last year.
Team UQ coach Reg Tayler said his squad was aiming to make the most of its home field advantage.
“Round one is always challenging, especially with the inclusion of Australian players.
“You see where the bar is set and learn what teams you have to be careful of going forward,” Tayler said.
“The main difference between UQ and the other tournaments is that it’s going to be hotter and drier in Brisbane.
“These conditions will suit us as a team as we want to keep the ball alive and play a fast-paced game.
“We obviously know the ground, and the support of the girls’ friends and family will help them on the field.”
Team UQ will play University of New England (9:40am), The University of Western Australia (11:40am), and University of Canberra (4pm) in pool matches on Saturday, before facing University of Technology Sydney (10am) on Sunday.
Finals will be played from 11am-3pm on Sunday.
Mackenzie Sadler and Georgia Hannaway will celebrate their 50th Uni 7s match when UQ faces University of New England in the opening game.
Hannaway said she was looking forward to playing the milestone game at home.
“It is so nice to have people there who are backing me all the way, especially for my 50th match,” Hannaway said.
“Playing at UQ means I finally get to have my whole family come to watch me play.
“I am from a family of 11 children so having them there to support me makes it even more exciting.
“We have all been training really hard and pushing each other, and we are keen to see what the competition has in store for us,” she said.
The tournament (Athletics Centre – Field 7) will run from 9am-4:30pm (Saturday) & 9am-3:30pm (Sunday) with entry free for spectators.
All Uni 7s matches will be live streamed via Rugby.com.au’s social media channels.
The annual UQ Rugby Sevens tournament – featuring men’s and women’s teams from UQ Colleges – will also be held on Field 8 from 8am-4pm.
2019 Aon Uni 7s Series – Team UQ (Round 1)
Lori Cramer (captain)
Jannicke Ijdens (vice-captain)
Mackenzie Sadler (vice-captain)
Amy Brice
Georgia Hannaway
Pleuni Kievit
Hagiga (Haj) Mosby
Katie Muscat (Bachelor of Physiotherapy – Honours)
Isabella Nasser
Kaitlin Shave
Cassie Staples
Sidney Taylor
Shenae Ciesiolka (13th player)
2019 Aon Uni 7s Series – Fixtures
Round 1 – The University of Queensland, Brisbane (14-15 September)
Round 2 – Bond University, Gold Coast (28-29 September)
Round 3 – The University of Adelaide, Adelaide (12-13 October)
Round 4 – University of Canberra, Canberra (26-27 October)
2019 Aon Uni 7s Series – Teams
The University of Queensland, QLD
Griffith University, QLD
Bond University, QLD
University of New England, NSW
University of Technology Sydney, NSW
The University of Sydney, NSW
The University of Melbourne, VIC
University of Canberra, ACT
The University of Adelaide, SA
The University of Western Australia, WA
Media: Jamie Mitchell, UQ Sport, JamieM@uqsport.com.au, 0423 785 752; Reg Tayler, UQ Rugby Football Club, regtayler@uqrugbyclub.com, 0407 302 911.