Former Black Ferns coach Darryl Suasua has been appointed head coach of the New Zealand Women’s Sevens team, which will aim to compete at the Rugby World Cup Sevens tournament in Dubai next year.
Suasua is a highly respected coach with a wealth of experience. He coached the Black Ferns for seven years and under his guidance they won back to back Women’s Rugby World Cups in 1998 and 2002 as well as Canada Cup titles in 1996 and 2000.
He was also Counties Manukau assistant coach in 2005 and the province’s technical advisor in the Air New Zealand Cup in 2006 and 2007, but now takes charge of the first official New Zealand Women’s Sevens team assembled since 2001.
“Sevens rugby has grown tremendously around the world and it is exciting to be part of a new chapter for women’s rugby in particular,” admitted Suasua. “The challenge for us is to ensure that we are as good as we can be and push ourselves to get to a level that will put us in a good position to qualify for the World Cup.”
Skills and fitness key
He said one of the key elements of Sevens success was fitness: “This is vital and the fitness required in Sevens is different to what the players are used to in the fifteens game. At the same time we will also have to get our basic skills right.”
The 16 teams who will compete in the first Rugby World Cup Sevens to feature a women’s event must all take part in regional qualifying tournaments to confirm their place in Dubai next March.
Seven nations – England, the Netherlands, Russia, Spain, France and Italy from Europe and Brazil from South America – have already confirmed their places with the remaining qualifiers to come from Oceania (two), Africa (two), North America (two) and Asia (three).
New Zealand’s preparations start on 12 July when a group of 29 players will assemble in Auckland for a three-day trial camp. A squad of 12 will be named at the conclusion of this camp and will re-assemble in Auckland seven days later to prepare for the Oceania regional qualifying tournament in Samoa from 25–26 July.
New Zealand Women’s Sevens trial squad:
*Fa’anati Aniseko, *Victoria Blackledge, *Linda Itunu, *Justine Lavea, *Vaniya Lavea, *Huriana Manuel, Angela McGregor, Hannah Porter, *Teresa Te Tamaki (all Auckland), Exia Edwards (Bay of Plenty), *Kendra Cocksedge, Stacey Lene, Amiria Rule, *Melissa Ruscoe (all Canterbury), Billy Jean Ale, Aroha Savage, Karley Te Kawa, Hazel Tubic, Renee Wickliffe (all Counties Manukau), Julie Ferguson, Ngahuri Thompson, Shaan Waru (all Hawke’s Bay), Jennifer James, Mallory Townsend, Selica Winiata (all Manawatu), Kelly Brazier, *Carla Hohepa (both Otago), Honey Hireme (Waikato), *Aimee Sutorius (Wellington).
*Denotes 2007 Black Ferns player
