Today’s rugby news has women’s Sevens, Wallaby injuries, player movements to the Tahs (for a change) and a Welsh big unit.
Superlatives run out for Aussie women’s Sevens
You’ll know the results by Wednesday morning. I’m not maniac enough to stay up until midnight and 3:45am for the Aust v Snow Mexicans semi-final and the gold medal match respectively, so here’s an extract from Brittany Mitchell’s ESPN piece on Charlotte Caslick:
Eight years ago, Charlotte Caslick created a moment that changed Australian rugby forever.
Flying across the pitch in cover defence and smashing United States flyer Victoria Folayan into touch, saving a try in the process, Caslick then flicked her iconic braids and ribbons back over her shoulders before preparing to go again. It was the ultimate symbol of femininity and power coming together.
Then just 21, she would become the face of women’s rugby in Australia, having inspired thousands of young girls — boys, too — who watched one of the iconic green-and-gold images from the Rio Olympics live back in Australia.
According to Rugby Australia [RA], female sevens participation grew by 33% after that iconic Olympic moment, with it expanding a further 50% since 2016; women’s fifteens participation has more than tripled since 2016.
The growth spawned the creation of the AON Uni 7s series, while several players in the current national sevens team were inspired by Rio to pick up the rugby ball for the first time.
Incredibly, Caslick’s braids and ribbons began as a protest against a World Rugby referee and all the people who had doubted her physicality along her journey.
“We had been told for such a long period of time in our career, both Charlotte and I, that we were too soft, we were too girly,” former teammate Alicia Lucas told ESPN.
“Charlotte got asked by the referee so many times to cut her hair off. That’s where the braids came from. We were playing a tournament in Atlanta and a referee from World Rugby told us that we needed to chop our ponytails off because they were covering our numbers, and they can’t see them. And like never in their right mind would they ever tell a male to cut their hair to play and so that sort of where it came from. ”
“But I think creating that change in mindset that we can be feminine and fit and fast, and also be fierce, strong and powerful — something that we were told that we weren’t — we were able to show people that we were in our own unique way. That’s why the moment sticks with so many people. “
Wallabies back row injury dramas
Rugby365 reports that flanker Fraser “K’gari” McReight will be on the sidelines for up to six weeks with a thumb injury. The 25-year-old picked up the injury in the first Test against Wales in July and he has now decided to undergo surgery.
It’s an embuggerance for Joe Schmidt’s team as they are already without Liam “Rightas” Wrong, who had surgery last week to fix a bicep issue. Brumbies duo Luke “rotary cutting tool” Reimer and Rory “Scott-no-mates” Scott, Western Force fetcher Carlo “the Jackal” Tizzano and Waratahs No.7 Charlie “Kenny Rogers” Gamble are all in the frame to be called up.
The Wallabies will open their Rugby Championship campaign against the biltong chewers at the best test rugby stadium in the world (Brisbane) on 10 August.
Lancaster mission to Tah HQ
Not with bomb bays full of shite, unfortunately. RugbyPass reports that Wallabies winger Darby “617 Squadron” Lancaster is looking forward to potentially playing alongside the likes of Max “Viking” Jorgensen, Andrew “Ginger Ninja” Kellaway and Joseph “Mungo” Sua’ali’i next season after signing a deal with the NSW Waratahs.
Lancaster made his debut in Wallaby gold in the recent 40-29 win over Georgia at Allianz Stadium. The former Australian sevens ace will play a lot more rugby at that ground in 2025 after putting pen to paper with the Sydney-based club. The 21-year-old grew up in Kempsey on the Mid North Coast region of New South Wales, where he played junior rugby for the Kempsey Cannonballs. Lancaster later moved to the fibro and demountable buildings at The Scots College in Sydney.
Lancaster announced himself to the rugby world on the HSBC SVNS Series after starring in a talented Australian in Vancouver during the 2022/23 season. That was a breakout event for the youngster who seemed to grow from there. The Australian was impressive at the Hong Kong Sevens soon after but went on to leave the sevens program after signing with the Melbourne Rebels.
Lancaster scored a try on debut in the round six win over the NSW Waratahs in Sydney and went on to score a hat-trick two weeks later in a big win over the Highlanders. The winger started nine matches this year and was rewarded with a Test call-up.
Coach Joe Schmidt picked 13 uncapped players in the Wallabies’ squad for the July series and the No. 11 was one of them. Lancaster showed signs of promise in the win over Georgia earlier this month.
Welsh rugby player now the strongest man in Wales
Wales Online reports that 26-year-old Jacob Brooke has been crowned Wales’ Strongest Man after emerging top of the pile in a series of brutal and gruelling events designed to test strength, athleticism and stamina. Emotional strength is tested by reading the competitors news stories about loyal dogs putting themselves in harm’s way to save their owners’ kids’ – then counting the tears.
“I won the car-hold deadlift, which is literally just lifting the back end of a car up and holding it for as long as you can. That was the third event, and that really helped push up to the top. It’s not just about lifting. It’s not like power lifting where you have just have a weight to literally just lift. The first event was a 125 kilo Husafell bag carry for 90 metres. We’re not the fittest of blokes so it really takes it out of you.”
Brooke has only been involved in the world of strongman for the last two years, having started when he was forced to give up playing rugby for Barry RFC.
“It was my mate that got me into it,” he adds. “Nathan Williamson Szuchnik. He was Wales’ Strongest Man, and he took me to a training session at a local gym and that’s what got me into it. I just loved it. Loved the equipment. It was just so much fun. I played rugby for a bit, but I tore my ACL in my knee. I had surgery on my knee and I never really went back after that. It wasn’t long after that I found the love for strongman and knocked the rugby on the head.”
Regarding diet: “I try to aim for just above 5,500 calories a day (half a Hoss breakfast). That’s sort of where I am in terms of body weight. If I increase that I tend to put on a bit of body weight. Then I have too much weight. I feel fatigued and it doesn’t do me any favours in the gym.”
