Blog: Scotland snub stirs Australia's Sevens into action

No matter how you look at it, the Australian Women's Sevens team is a tour de force. But despite their star-studded team, oozing enormous talent, the Commonwealth Games won't be offering any female rugby team a competition slot in Glasgow this July.

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Think of Australian Rugby Union and the first names that spring to mind are probably Quade Cooper, Will Genia, James Horwill or Israel Folau.
 
But if the statistics are anything to go by, the Wallabies are far from Australia's most impressive rugby team at the moment. That mantle belongs to Australia's Women's Sevens outfit.
 
Ewen McKenzie's 15 men are ranked third in the world, behind the All Blacks and Springboks. The women are ranked higher at number two in the world - behind New Zealand.
 
These world-class female athletes travel the world and ply their trade but still find it hard to gain traction among a small group of critics.
 
"They say 'stick to a girly sport, you don't want to mess up a pretty face'," Tiana Penitani said. "There is contact in Sevens but there is a lot more to it than just trying to tackle each other and smash each other. " 
 
As the youngest player to represent Australian rugby at a senior level, Penitani has achieved a huge amount in a small time. At only 18 years old, this Matraville local has just booked her spot at the Youth Olympics in Nanjing.
 
Emilee Cherry is another Sevens high achiever. Hailing from a touch-football background, this speedster has achieved a moniker none of her higher paid male counterparts can claim. She was anointed IRB Sevens Player of the Year.
 
In the 13 years the top award for men has been given out, there have been 10 Australians nominated but never a winner from the Wallabies.
 
No matter how you look at it, the Australian women's Sevens team is a tour de force. But despite their star-studded team, oozing enormous talent, the Commonwealth Games won't be offering any female rugby team a competition slot in Glasgow this July.
 
The men will be there, Australia's team fighting to defend the silver medal they won in Delhi and perhaps even searching for a gold medal. The women would like the same opportunity.
 
"It's something us women really look towards and we hope in the next few years we will be able to get into the Commonwealth games on the Gold Coast," said Cherry.
 
Penitani is confident they could medal in Glasgow, if given the chance.
 
"The girls are really strong, we have developed a lot in the last six months," she said.
 
The International Olympic Committee believes in equality. The Sevens (both male and female) is set to be included in the Rio Olympics in 2016.
 
But that is of little consolation for the Australian women who have the talent to medal at the Commonwealth Games in a few months time.
 
The gold will have to wait, but not for too long. Rio is only two years away.

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3 min read

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By Nick Vindin

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