Brazier has a date in sevens heaven

BRAZIL BOUND: Bay of Plenty's Kelly Brazier is off to Brazil with the New Zealand Women's Sevens team. PHOTO/ANDREW WARNER

The New Zealand women's sevens team will take on the world's best in Brazil next month after a successful training camp held at Mount Maunganui this week.

Tauranga-based coach Sean Horan selected his 12-strong squad for the second leg of the World Series including Bay of Plenty's Kelly Brazier. Two other Bay players " Alexis Tapsell and Morgan Morrow " trained but were not selected due to injury.

Horan said last weekend's Bayleys National Sevens tournament in Rotorua gave him great confidence for the rest of the World Series and to form the crucial backbone of his Olympic hopefuls.

"The game is definitely progressing, it really excites me how far things have gone," Horan said. "There seems to be a real competitive edge out there and girls are working hard to compete for these precious contracts.

"It's also clear that some provinces are really starting to see the potential of sevens, and we're seeing athletes coming through, particularly from rural areas, with good skill sets, and professional standards keep improving."

He said Bay of Plenty's performance at nationals was a good portent for the future.

"A lot of it has got to go back to the management team with Brad [Fleming] and Victoria [Grant] who really put the time and effort into jelling a bunch of new players together. They have moved towards the fundamentals of the game of getting fit, passing and looking after the ball which you can't get past.

"It is good to see the young talent coming through like Mystery [Ada McLean-Kora] from Te Puke."

Along with the team news on Thursday, it was announced that Bay of Plenty's Lavinia Gould would be added to the 2015 contracted squad having completed a two-year ban issued by World Rugby (then IRB) for taking a banned stimulant.

She has been cleared to be considered for selection in the New Zealand team in the future.

"Lavinia accepted her sanction and has learned a valuable lesson," Horan said. "To her credit she has maintained a passion for the game and she's worked very hard to put herself back into contention. Given that the programme has continued to grow and develop in the time she's been away, it shows resolve and discipline for her to come back in such good form.

"She had an outstanding tournament at the National Sevens and was one of the stand-out performers for me."

New Zealand Women's sevens team to play in round two of the World Rugby Women's Sevens in Sao Paulo, Brazil, February 7-8:
Charlotte Scanlan (Auckland), Kelly Brazier (Bay of Plenty), Gayle Broughton (Taranaki), Sarah Goss (Manawatu), Kayla McAlister (Auckland), Tyla Nathan-Wong (Auckland), Kat Whata-Simpkins (Wellington), Hazel Tubic (Counties Manukau), Ruby Tui (Canterbury), Jordon Webber (Waikato), Selica Winiata (Manawatu), Portia Woodman (Auckland).