Australian Youth Girls Sevens coach Dale Roberson has named the 12 girls tasked with defending gold at the Commonwealth Youth Games next week.
Australian Women's Sevens squad member Hannah Southwell headlines the squad, which is seeking a repeat effort in the Bahamas, having won gold at the same event in Samoa two years ago.
Page McGregor and Lily Dick, who have been part of the Women's Sevens development squad, have also been named.
The squad is dominated by QLD and NSW players but there is a touch of WA and ACT flavour in the side as well.
“This was an incredibly tough squad to name following some outstanding performances at the National Championships and at the training camps," Roberson said.
“It’s a great sign of the things to come in the women’s game, and I know how desperate the girls are to replicate the Gold medal from Samoa two years ago.
“We have seen some fantastic rugby players come out of this pathway in the past few years and this group promises to be no different.
“It’s a bigger stage now though so it’s a chance for this squad to take the next step down the path of hopefully becoming Olympians in the years to come,” Roberson said.
The Aussies will face Canada, Fiji, Wales and Trinidad and Tobago in the three day tournament, which kicks off on July 19.
The squad leaves on Sunday, having come together for a training camp at Runaway Bay this week.
Australian Girls squad for the 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games in the Bahamas
1. Page McGregor (State: NSW, DOB: 11/3/99)
2. Lily Dick (State: QLD, DOB: 26/12/99)
3. Kennedy Cherrington (State: WA, DOB: 05/01/99)
4. Georgia Hannaway (State: QLD, DOB: 28/12/00)
5. Abby Holmes (State: NSW, DOB: 14/10/00)
6. Layne Morgan (State: NSW, DOB: 20/04/99)
7. Rebecca Goulding (State: QLD, DOB: 30/03/99)
8. Langley Sesega (State: WA, DOB: 09/04/00)
9. Arabella McKenzie (State: NSW, DOB: 1/03/99)
10. Lily Rose-Bennett (State: ACT, DOB: 10/08/00)
11. Brydie Parker (State: NSW, DOB: 25/10/99)
12. Hannah Southwell (State: NSW, DOB: 4/3/99)
Head Coach: Dale Roberson (Australian Sevens)
Assistant Coach: Lachlan Parkinson (Queensland Rugby Union)
Physiotherapist: Francesca Faulkner (Australian Sevens)
