Sevens: Bay women get Aussie sevens call

Hazel Tubic is part of the Wasps team. FILE

A quickly assembled sevens team, featuring plenty of players from the Bay of Plenty, will compete at the prestigious Central Coast Sevens tournament in Australia this month.

The Rotorua-based New Zealand Wasps Rugby Club have supported a women's team to compete at the tournament, who will play under the banner of the Wasps.

The Wasps team is made up of eight Bay of Plenty-based players and five New Zealand representative players.

The 16-team, two-day competition at Kanwal, near Wyong, will be held on October 25 and 26, with the women's division featuring national teams from Australia, Canada, Fiji, USA and Japan.

New Zealand Wasps Sevens Academy director of rugby David Mays said the squad would be giving their all to win the tournament and the $12,000 winner's cheque.

"Tournament organiser Craig Morgan asked if we could put a side together at short notice," said Mays, who coached the Bay women's team at last year's tournament.

"I approached the New Zealand Wasps executive and they were fantastic. Within 24 hours they had approved the venture with financing allocated to the team."

Mays said the New Zealand Women's Sevens coach Sean Horan was also happy to put forward some of his players.

"We are incredibly excited to have those players in the mix. They will bring great experience to our squad and will fit in well with our can-do attitude, so we are in for a great tournament."

The Rotorua-based New Zealand Wasps Rugby Club said supporting the team was a great way to provide talented young athletes with an opportunity to compete at the highest level in the Southern Hemisphere.

The Central Coast Sevens includes a men's tournament and schoolboy tournament but it is not part of the HSBC Sevens World Series.

The Wasps women's team competing at the Central Coast Sevens:

Luka Connor (BOP Volcanix), Sienna Whare (Opotiki College), Kamryn Harrison (Opotiki College), Aryahn Clarke (Te Puke High School), Sapphire Tapsell (Te Puke High School), Morgan Morrow (BOP Volcanix), Calli Turner (BOP Volcanix), Rian Sanerive (Trident High School), Selica Winiata (Manawatu), Kat Simpkins (Wellington), Alexis Tapsell (Canterbury), Hazel Tubic (Auckland), Michaela Blyde (Taranaki).