Australia’s Charlotte Caslick is universally thought to be one of many biggest feminine athletes in rugby sevens historical past. As a trailblazing Olympic medallist from Rio who has additionally received all of it on the HBSC SVNS Sequence, Caslick is greater than deserving of her place as the game’s “Empress.”
When the brand new SVNS Sequence season received underway in Dubai on the finish of final month, a brand new period received underway for defending champions Australia. Australia Sevens had introduced solely a few days prior that Caslick had stepped down as captain of the ladies’s group.
Isabella Nasser, who had grown up idolising Caslick and the opposite pioneers of girls’s sevens from the 2016 Rio Video games, was unveiled because the group’s new captain. Caslick and Nasser had each Brisbane State Excessive simply years aside, making this a dream-like appointment.
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Nasser spoke on RugbyPass TV’s HSBC Life on Tour in Cape City concerning the privilege and honour of taking up that position. The Queenslander had beforehand opened as much as this author in March 2023 about how Australia’s triumph on the Rio Video games was such a “big turning level.”
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Caslick specifically was a hero for a lot of, and that features Australia’s latest captain. “She’s a job mannequin to so many individuals,” Nasser instructed RugbyPass at Rugby Australia final 12 months, and that impression continues to be being felt throughout the group as coach Tim Walsh defined final weekend.
“Final 12 months we had a management system the place it was round royalty and Charlotte was the Empress,” Walsh mentioned on RugbyPass TV’s HSBC SVNS Sequence Embedded Episode 4.
“This 12 months, as you recognize, she stepped down as captain and he or she’s taken on a really totally different position; a mentoring position so she will focus on her position but in addition provide such beneficial items of knowledge to youthful gamers, however allow them to flourish and study as nicely, which is a part of our improvement and pathway for the longer term.
“We’re very lucky to have Charlotte right here.
“… I feel Charlotte modified the perceptions of rugby on the earth. There have been moments in Rio… there was a specific second there the place the entire world noticed a shift after which it was a kneejerk response from all all over the world round girls’s contact sport.”
Australia began life underneath new captain Nasser with title glory at Dubai’s The Sevens Stadium. The Aussies got here up towards arch-rivals New Zealand within the Ladies’s Cup Last, however they secured their fifth consecutive triumph on the occasion 28-24.
Strive-scoring phenomenon Maddison Levi intercepted a Jazmin Felix-Hotham cross with about two minutes left to play and that ended up being the deciding say on the scoreboard. Nasser lifted the Dubai Sevens trophy after the Last, with Caslick taking a backseat amongst the group.
The SVNS Sequence continued the next weekend at Cape City’s DHL Stadium, with a brand new competitors format sending the group high from every of the 4 swimming pools immediately by to the Semi-Finals of the competitors.
Australia booked their place within the closing 4 with two robust wins in pool play, however their pursuit of one other title got here to an abrupt finish once they went down 24-19 to the USA. Nia Toliver accomplished a double within the 14th minute to ship the Individuals to the massive dance.
As seen on HSBC SVNS Sequence Embedded, the gamers have been dissatisfied as they walked down the tunnel on the Western Cape venue. However Caslick nonetheless stopped to discuss life inside a younger Australian aspect, with others like Sharni Smale and Dominique du Toit now retired.
“There have been a number of women within the center that lately retired and now I really feel even older. They arrive out with issues they are saying that I’ve by no means heard of,” Caslick defined with a smile.
“It’s simply superior to see that after we received in 2016, it made these women which can be enjoying now decide up a rugby ball and get to have these experiences and alternatives.
“I’m very aggressive,” she added. “Generally perhaps too aggressive. I get actually annoyed at instances however I’ve received two older brothers and I feel that’s the place it comes from.
“I’d like to get to the LA Olympics. I’ll be 33 however I’d like to play that, however I feel a part of me handing over the captaincy to Bella was so this group of ladies actually had stability and has a pacesetter that may carry them by.
“As a lot as I hope I do get there, I’ve different issues I do need to do as nicely, and put my household, my mates and another issues in my life earlier than rugby somewhat.”