Sevens: Bay women's side fail to make nationals

The Bay women's team won't be at the nationals in Rotorua. Pictured is Bay player Hana Tapiata (with ball). Photo / Stephen Parker

The Bay of Plenty women's sevens team have failed to qualify for the Bayleys National Sevens tournament held in Rotorua next month.

The Bay team lost all four of their matches yesterday during the Northern Region Sevens Qualifier in Cambridge.

Five provincial women's teams entered the qualifier and the top four sides earned the right to compete at the up-coming nationals.

Unfortunately, the Bay women's side were unable to get a win and finished fifth.

"It is pretty gutting really," Bay women's coach Brad Fleming said. "But the girls put everything out on the field and that is the way it goes sometimes."

He said they were light on numbers going into the tournament, taking 10 girls to Cambridge when the other teams had 12.

"We were already short a few players then we lost one of the girls in the first game to injury, then another in the next game.

"It was pretty tough with only eight girls in the last two games but they did well considering. We were the only ones that struggled for numbers like that."

The Bay men's team also struggled during the tournament, losing all their matches to finish last. However, the men's team get direct qualification to the nationals as hosts.

Fleming said they only had two girls in the squad this season who featured in the team which qualified for the semifinals at nationals earlier this year.

He said the management and coaching group would look at ways to better identify girls in the future, who want to play sevens in the Bay. He said a lot of girls want a break after a long 15s season which made things difficult.

The Bayleys National Sevens tournament is being held at the Rotorua International Stadium on January 16-17 featuring the best provincial teams in the country.