Griffith Uni have been crowned the 2018 Aon Uni 7s series champions after their third straight win in Adelaide.
Griffith battled it out with 2017 champions UQ in the gold medal match, to defeat their fellow Queenslanders by seven points.
Tournament hosts Uni of Adelaide played their best footy yet as they finished up fourth to Sydney Uni who took out the Bronze.
The finals were some of the closest matches all year with only a matter of points deciding the matches and the series ladder.
Click here for all todays scorers and match updates.
See how day one played out here.
3:30 PM – GRIFFITH TAKE OUT THE TITLE AND THE 2018 SERIES.
Griffith have not only won their first Aon Uni 7s series title but they have gone back to back again to take out their third straight win.
Griffith may have won the series, but they played like they had everything on the line in the Gold medal match against UQ.
Griffith held the lead at half time, but a yellow card to Griffith’s Alysia Lefau-Fakaosilea gave UQ an opportunity to snatch back a chance at the gold.
UQ fought hard to keep fellow Queenslanders at bay but Griffith were unstoppable in their final match of the 2018 series, the final score 26 – 19.
Result
Gold Medal match
Griffith 26 vs UQ 19
3:10 PM – MINOR PLACINGS
In a sensational Bronze medal match, the Uni of Adelaide and Sydney Uni battled it out in a replay of their round five matchup that decided who would take out the top spot in Pool B.
The Romas topped out Pool B but Sydney Uni narrowly nabbed the win from the enthusiastic home side.
The Romas incredible efforts at their home tournament earned them their highest place yet and pushed them ahead by two spots on the overall series ladder to fifth.
Macquarie Uni had difficult run through their Pool stages where they last met up with UTas in round two.
Despite a double from UTas’ Kiki Morgan, Macquarie were able to clinch the win and fifth place, the final score 19 – 24.
Bond Uni and UNE last met up in round two in Pool A, when UNE claimed their first win of day one over Bond.
In a complete reversal, UNE were left trailing behind by three points as Bond snagged the seventh-place win.
Despite Bond’s win, UNE will still out rank the Gold Coast side in the final series standings.
UC and Uni of Melbourne were both winless coming into the ninth-place playoff, with UC remaining try-less throughout the entire Pool stage.
UC scored their first points of the tournament against Uni of Melbourne who were able to score twice.
Ultimately, UC beat Uni of Melbourne to ninth place, their second of the 2018 series, while Melbourne took out the wooden spoon for the fifth time.
Results
Bronze Medal match
Sydney Uni 14 vs Uni of Adelaide 10
Fifth-place playoff
UTas 19 vs Macquarie Uni 24
Seventh-place playoff
UNE 7 vs Bond Uni 10
Ninth-place playoff
UC 31 vs Uni of Melbourne 10
1:00 pm - SEMI FINALS
Usual suspects Griffith and UQ are on their way to the Grand-final but the Bronze medal match could see home side Adelaide in their first podium finish.
UTas came into their semi-final match up against UNE having only won one match in Pool B.
Just two points and Eilidh Sinclair’s perfect conversion rate were the difference that won UTas a spot in the fifth-place final against Macquarie Uni.
Macquarie Uni showed a dominant display against Bond Uni in their semi-final, despite having a tough slog in their Pool B matchups.
The Rays put 21 points on Bond before they scored their first and only try of the match, the final score 33 – 5.
UNE and Bond Uni will now meet up in the seventh place final but whatever the outcome of the match, UNE will still remain in front of Bond on the overall series ladder.
In a gold medal match replay of the Gold Coast leg, Silver medallist Sydney Uni took on the defending champions Griffith.
Charlotte Kennington and Alana Elisaia scored doubles for Griffith in the first half, while Sydney Uni Captain Olivia White scored her teams only points, the final score 39 – 5.
UQ took on the home side in a neck-in-neck semi-final match up that would decide who would face Griffith in the grand-final.
A yellow card to the Uni of Adelaide with just three minutes to go was the turning point for UQ who held a two-point lead.
UQ claimed victory over the home side as they were able to sneak the match winner past the home side that were a person down.
Sydney Uni and Uni of Adelaide battle it out for the bronze, while Griffith and UQ will play for the gold.
Results
Minor Semi-finals
UNE 19 vs UTas 21
Macquarie 33 vs Bond Uni 5
Major Semi-finals
Griffith 39 vs Sydney Uni 5
Uni of Adelaide 10 vs UQ 17
11:00 am - Round FIVE
Round five opened up with Queensland heavy weights Griffith and UQ leaving their opponents try – less and ended with the Uni of Adelaide remaining undefeated for the first time ever.
Bond Uni took on UQ in the first match of round five and were unable to crack the fellow Queenslanders defence.
UQ Vice-Captain Mackenzie Sadler scored a double for her side, the final score 0 -26.
In the last match of Pool A UC were left try-less for the fourth time in Adelaide when they came up against Griffith Uni.
UC has now finished at the bottom of the Pool A ladder, there lowest finish to date this series and will face off with Melbourne for ninth place.
Uni of Melbourne and UTas fought it out for fourth in Pool A, with UTas ahead by just two points at half time.
Lauren Cooper scored a double for the Tasmanian side as they secured their first and only win of the tournament, the final score 5 – 19.
In the last match of Pool A, the Uni of Adelaide took on Sydney Uni in a thrilling top of ladder decider.
The home side had just a seven point lead a half time, an edged out Sydney Uni for the win, as they went undefeated and claimed the top position in Pool B.
No matter where they finish now, the Uni of Adelaide have already surpassed their best placing yet, but will take on UQ for a chance at the big dance.
Griffith is now firmly atop of Pool A, and will come up against Sydney Uni in a gold-medal match replay of the Gold Coast tournament.
Results
Pool A
Bond Uni 0 vs UQ 26
Griffith 26 vs University of Canberra 0
Pool B
Melbourne Uni 5 vs University of Tasmania 19
University of Adelaide 14 vs Sydney Uni 5
SQUADS
POOL A
Griffith University
University of Canberra
Bond Uni
UQ
UNE
POOL B
University of Tasmania
University of Adelaide
Macquarie University
University of Sydney
University of Melbourne
Sydney Uni
IN: Claudia McLaren, Jordan Parsonage, Kirrily Laws, Anneliese Hughes, Emma Wade
OUT: Matilda Vaughan Fowler, Iliseva Batibasaga, Kim Davey, Ash Quinlan, Olivia Patterson
Olivia White (c)
Barbara Waddell
Chantelle Miell
Claudia McLaren
Jordan Parsonage
Tiarne Cavanagh
Kirrily Laws
Freya Clayhills
Sydney Gregson
Jakiya Whitfeld
Anneliese Hughes
Emma Wade
Macquarie Uni
IN: Katie Harrison, Renae Jolly, Brydie Parker
OUT: Sariah Paki, Madison Ashby, Tatum Bird
Emily Chancellor (CC)
Maddison Anderson (CC)
Olivia Brooks
Kennedy Cherrington
Sarah Halvorsen
Katie Harrison
Arabella McKenzie
Layne Morgan
Mia Wood
Montana Walters
Renae Jolly
Brydie Parker
UQ
IN: Lori Cramer, Terri-Anne Egan
OUT: Gemma Hauck, Katie Muscat (13th)
Marioulla Belessis (vice-captain)
Shenae Ciesiolka
Lori Cramer
Terri-Anne Egan
Georgia Hannaway
Samantha Hopkin
Jannicke lJdens (captain)
Grace Kaihau
Pleuni Kievit
Hagiga (Haj) Mosby
Mackenzie Sadler (vice-captain)
Bodil Van Wijnbergen
Katie Muscat – 13th player
Bond Uni
IN: Kaitlin Shave, Stephanie Rutherford
OUT: Kathy Baker, Eve Higgins
Millie Boyle
Georgia Page
Gabrielle Senft
Sophie Holyman
Trinity Mamoe
Jessika Elliston ©
Kaitlin Shave
Tarni Peep
Madison Schuck
Stephanie Rutherford
Gemma Walker
Taylor Fenton
University of Melbourne
IN: Jordan Holloway-Clarke, Jessica Roberts, Danielle Crosswell, Emma Strom
OUT: Amelia Ansell, Lydia Quedley Tuna, Sophia Power
Casey Homewood
Tangata Tupou
Sophie McDonald
Tamara Whiteside
Annie Buntine
Reni Hicks
Amy Williams
Madeline Seeley
Jordan Holloway-Clarke
Jessica Roberts
Halley Derera
Danielle Crosswell
Emma Strom
Griffith University
IN: Rhiannon Blair-Revell
OUT: Eloise Schlect,
Kirby Sefo
Kiri Lingman
Laura Waldie
Kahli Henwood
Ivania Wong
Charlotte Kennington
Rhiannon Blair-Revell
Alysia Lefau-Fakaosilea
Georgia Devlin
Alana Elisaia
Sophie Quirk
Eliza Flynn
UNE
Lilly-ann Mason-Spice
Phoebe McLoughlin
Ella Goldsmith
Bobbi Law
Tahlia Goldsmith
Rhiannon Byers
Katrina “Cheech” Barker
Miah O’Sullivan
Maya Stewart
Britney Duff
Lauren Nott
Leah Wilson
University of Canberra
IN: Samantha Wood, Georgia O'Neill, Kiara Meredith-Brown, Darcy Read, Ema Masi, Skye Churchill
OUT: Jess Howard, Paremo Marsh, Ngawai Eyles, Regan Hart, Breanna Toze, Tayla Stanford
Samantha Wood
Michaela Leonard
Georgia ONiell
Jane Garraway
Kiara Meredith-Brown
Claudia Obst
Darcy Read
Ema Masi
Tania Afamasaga
Kirra Burke
Skye Churchill
Shelley Bradshaw
University of Adelaide
IN: Rebekah Jones
OUT: Alice Priestley
Lauren Meyer
Olivia Bernadel-Huey
Lauren Potter ©
Alice Gregory
Taj Heald
Brianna Nathan
Mahalia Murphy
Kelly Rowe
Lauren Kildare
Rebekah Jones
Zakiya Kereopa
Eva Karpani
Zara Lee
Meesa Albert
Michaelyne arumbi
Wynonah Conway
Samantha harris
Lauryn Cooper
Rebecca Hyland
Kiki Morgan
Sydnee Watanabe
Caitlin Ryan
Eilidh Sinclair
Georgia Stewart
Georgia Sayers
