NEWCASTLE University and the National Women's Sevens Series was the launchpad for Jesse Southwell, Kaitlan Leaney and Kayla Waldron to rocket onto the international stage.
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Southwell, only 17, was one of the stars of the series. The prodigious teenager stepped, tackled and chip kicked her way into the Australian team and collected a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham last month.
Leaney and Waldron, after gaining experience and improving their skills in the sevens program, had breakout years in the 15-a-side game.
Leaney, a powerhouse lock, is entrenched in the Wallaroos set up ahead of the next year's World Cup.
Back-rower Waldron could be at the cup as well after a strong debut for Ireland in Japan earlier this month.
Newcastle University general manager Tony Munro hopes to roll out the next wave of stars in the 2022 National Uni Women's 7s series.
"If you look at what Jesse, Kaitlan and Kayla went on to do out of that sevens program," Munro said. "I have been around this game for a long time. This is without a doubt the clearest pathway from grass roots through to national level."
Newcastle are among seven teams alongside Sydney, Bond, Canberra, Melbourne West Australia and South Australia in the revamped series which will compete at three tournaments.
The series begins in Adelaide on October 8-9 and moves to Newcastle (St John Oval) and Canberra over three consecutive weekends.
Newcastle will host open team trials next Wednesday (August 23) and the following Sunday (August 28) at the Callaghan campus.
"It will be a pretty intense selection process," Munro said. "Already we have great interest from players of significant quality. I think we will be very competitive."
Sydney teams have been reduced from two to one and Munro expects players to travel up the freeway to trial.
"There are a number of girls who have gone to Sydney for various reasons - study, work, rugby, rugby league," Munro said. "We hope to attract a few of them."
Stu Pinkerton replaces Ross Duncan as coach.
Pinkerton, who is the general manager for the Hunter Wildfires, played sevens for the NSW Waratahs and Randwick and more recently headed up the Hawthorne Academy Sevens program for three years and coached the NSW under-17s sevens side.
"It's a bit of a down time for the Wildfires and I'm looking forward to coaching," Pinkerton said. "It is a great opportunity for the girls. Now that the Comm Games is over - it is all about Paris 2024. This is the starting point for players wanting to get in front of the selectors."
James Gardiner
James Gardiner, chief football and rugby writer at the Newcastle Herald.
James Gardiner, chief football and rugby writer at the Newcastle Herald.
