Australia Women’s Sevens coach Tim Walsh believes their wretched injury run can help the program build an ‘army’ of world-class talent that can set up Australian Rugby for the next decade.
Walsh has been forced to call on a host of new talent as a result of retirements and injuries in 2024-25, leaving a new face team to tackle Perth next week from January 24-26
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There are four players (Madison Ashby, Alysia Lefau-Fakaosilea, Kaitlin Shave and Sidney Taylor) still recovering from ACL injuries, with Walsh uncertain whether they will be game-ready by the Los Angles Grand Final in May.
On top of that, Bienne Terita remains on the sidelines with a hamstring injury, narrowly missing selection, whilst Sariah Paki will miss Perth with a calf complaint. Both are likely to return for February's event in Vancouver.
It left Australia will one of its least experienced sides in recent memories for the start of the World Series.
For reference, there will be over 50 fewer appearances in next week’s than the team that was runner’s up in 2024 (249 v 196).
“It's great, throw them in the deep end and see how they go. It's a new cycle and it's great to expose them,” Walsh told Rugby.com.au
“Our effort in Cape Town had nothing to do with those girls on debut, we were complacent after a really stunning Dubai performance but that's what the program's all about is building an army that they can come in and throw in the deep end.
“They have the security of world-class players around them so they’re allowed to make errors and learn and still perform, do well and still get an outcome that we know we're capable of and probably expected of us.
“ I think it's a carefully managed, sustainable program where you can have a continual talent pathway where they can come in.”
Walsh is looking ahead to the Los Angeles Olympics and beyond, with 22-year-old captain Bella Nasser an example of the forward planning.
“If we don't have those tournaments, we've got to create them (to help develop their skills),” he continued.
“It's not only about ’28 (Olympics), it's about 32. It's a sustainable program like it has been since it went professional or just before and I guess kicked off in 2009 when they won the World Cup.
“It's about providing opportunities, depth charting, right time in and out, adapting to whether it be Olympics or Comm Games or not having the Comm Games, how do we provide elite competition for them to develop and flourish and always stay at the top?”
This year’s World Cup could provide the perfect opportunity to continue this progress, with up to nine players set to put their hand up through Super Rugby Women’s.
“These girls are the best of the best in terms of skill and speed so getting them up to scratch with some 15's knowledge so they can show their wares would be really good for them,” Walsh believes.
“It's positioned well in terms of on the calendar which is obviously a united approach from World Rugby so they do get that shot and then it certainly puts us in a very strong position for a home World Cup (in 2029).
“These 7's girls are elite and young for the majority of them so if they can add value to a team that's developing their expertise and then puts them in good stead.
