Queensland’s Rhani Hagan has been honoured with the captaincy of the Australian Girls' Under-18s team for the Global Youth Sevens in Auckland.
There have been so few Indigenous captains at any level of Australian rugby that this recognition as a leader for Hagan has special significance.
Her pace, footwork and elusive skills make her a key weapon in the side and she brings experience as a member of 2023’s winning outfit.
Hagan, 18, can concentrate on her blossoming sevens career after recently completing her Year 12 studies at St Aidan’s Anglican Girls’ School.
They are skills born through her successful years in touch. Her footwork to shed defenders and speed to complete tries from 60m out are both coveted traits that have transferred to sevens.
The three-day tournament opens in Auckland on Friday.
Queensland’s proven sevens pathway has provided five players to the girls’ squad and seven to the Under-18s boys’ squad.
The tournament is a next step for powerhouse winger Fa’agase Tupuola-Palale, who had eyes popping with her seven tries during the recent Next Gen 7s.
Madison Pomerenke, Kaelyn Passi and Tekainga Enkera-Raveora are also in the girls’ squad.
Buildcorp Reds Academy fullback-winger Tom Howard is showing his versatility to switch from 15s to sevens with inclusion in the boys’ squad. His neat stepping and ball skills make him an ideal fit.
Myles Rosemond, Wallace Charlie, Jacob Johnson, the try-hungry Nudgee College premiership-winner, Angus Tagicakibau, Charlie Bird and Jackson Hill are the other Queenslanders in the boys’ squad.
“We are very excited to be sending two high quality teams to the Global Youth Sevens in 2024,” said National Talent Pathway Manager Lachlan Parkinson.
“The selections for these teams were challenging with so much talent across the country to choose from but we believe both teams are capable of competing for the title in New Zealand.
“The girls team includes a number of players who have played in the Australia A team recently in Dubai including captain Rhani Hagan, Damita Betham and Amelia Whitaker.
“The boys also boast some players from the victorious Australian U18 team that beat New Zealand earlier this year in Angus Grover and Tom Howard.”
Live streaming of games will be available at NZR+ which is NZ rugby's streaming platform.
AUSTRALIA U18 GIRLS Damita Betham - NSW Tahlia O'Brien - NSW Rhani Hagan - Queensland Waiaria Ellis - NSW Talea Tonga - NSW Fa'agase Tupuola-Palale - Queensland Amelia Whitaker - NSW Coco Masters - NSW Elise Simpson - ACT Madison Pomerenke - Queensland Pyper Marchant - NSW Kaeyln Passi - Queensland Tekainga Enkera-Raveora - Queensland
AUSTRALIA U18 BOYS Dylan Bretton - ACT Tom Howard - Queensland Declan Minto - NSW Angus Grover - NSW Myles Rosemond - Queensland Wallace Charlie - Queensland Jacob Johnson - Queensland Jarvis Orr - NSW Cooper Watters - NSW Angus Tagicakibau - Queensland Charlie Bird - Queensland Tom Hartman - NSW Bailey Roberts-Lintmeijer - NSW Jackson Hill - Queensland
GLOBAL YOUTH 7s SCHEDULE
U18 Girls
- Australia v BC Bears (Friday, 7:20am AEDT)
- Australia v Rugby Vault (Friday, 10:40am AEDT)
- Australia v New Zealand Barbarians (Saturday, 6:50am AEDT)
U18 Boys
- Australia v BC Bears (Friday 9:20am AEDT)
- Australia v NZ Fijians (Friday, 2:00pm AEDT)
- Australia v Eden (Saturday, 8:50am AEDT)
- Quarter-Final matches to be played on Saturday with Semi-Finals and Grand Final on Sunday. For more information visit www.globalyouthsevens.rugby
