Sevens: Bay women's team hurt by injuries

The Bay of Plenty women's team have lost Kelly Brazier and Alexis Tapsell through injury. But Morgan Morrow (pictured) is one of the players still available for the Bay side this weekend. Photo / File

The Bay women's sevens team have lost two of their star players ahead of the Bayleys National Sevens in Rotorua.

A week out from the nationals, the Bay women's team looked like they would boast three current New Zealand sevens representatives for the nationals.

Unfortunately, two of their star players - Kelly Brazier and Alexis Tapsell - have been ruled out with injury this week, meaning they will only have one New Zealand rep Morgan Marrow for the nationals starting tomorrow.

That combined with a long list of other injuries within the squad has resulted in the Bay team calling on two loan players from Waikato to fill their 12-person squad for this weekend.

Bay women's coach Brad Fleming said it was disappointing, but they still had a good group of players available.

"These are things you do have to deal with in rugby, but to have so many injuries in the week before the nationals is disappointing," he said.

"But it will not change our approach. We have lost a lot of firepower with Kelly and Alexis out, but we still have a lot to look forward to in our squad."

He said they had been working with a core group of players from across the Bay for months now and they had plenty of talent. Former New Zealand Sevens player Lavinia Gould will also be playing for the Bay this weekend after coming off a two-year drug suspension.

Fleming says their goal as a team would still be to perform well during the first day tomorrow and qualify for the playoffs. "I think we are still going in to try and win it but it is going to be harder now, but the core group of players are still there."

The women's division is split into two pools of five teams for the nationals. The top three from each pool will advance to the cup playoffs to be played on Sunday.

The Bay women's team will go up against defending champions Manawatu, Wellington, Taranaki and Canterbury in pool play.

Fleming said it was a great result to be hosting the nationals in the Bay of Plenty.

"Home games are always in favour of the home team and I think with our girls they are quite family-orientated so having all that family around is quite an important thing for them and will make them relaxed."