We take a closer look at the 12 teams vying for glory at the second round of the HSBC World Rugby Women's Sevens Series 2018 in Sydney this weekend.
Australia
Coach: Tim Walsh
2018 series position: First
2018 Top point / try scorer: Emma Tonegato, 35 points / seven tries
2017 placing in Sydney: Fourth
Team news: Australian players and fans are excited by the return of Ellia Green after nine months out recovering from the ACL she ruptured in Kitakyushu last April. The speedster’s return is one of two changes from the victorious Dubai squad with fellow Rio 2016 gold medallist Alicia Quirk coming in with Mahalia Murphy and Page McGregor dropping out.
Squad: Shannon Parry (co-captain), Sharni Williams (co-captain), Georgina Friedrichs, Dom du Toit, Emma Tonegato, Evania Pelite, Charlotte Caslick, Cassie Staples, Emma Sykes, Alicia Quirk, Emilee Cherry, Ellia Green
READ DOM DU TOIT'S EXCLUSIVE COLUMN >>
Did you know... ? Hosts Australia boast the most experienced squad for the HSBC Sydney Sevens with 189 tournaments between their 12 players, 25 more than next best New Zealand
Canada
Coach: John Tait
2018 series position: Fourth
2018 Top point / try scorer: Julia Greenshields, 35 points / seven tries
2017 placing in Sydney: Champions
Team news: Canada return to the scene of their success in 2017 with a squad showing only one change from that which finished fourth in Dubai, Olivia Apps set to make her series debut in place of Dubai debutant Emma Chown with coach John Tait having described her as “a tenacious young player”.
Squad: Brittany Benn, Kayla Moleschi, Caroline Crossley, Breanne Nicholas, Julia Greenshields, Olivia Apps, Jen Kish, Tausani Levale, Ghislaine Landry (captain), Hannah Darling, Natasha Watcham-Roy, Megan Lukan
Did you know...? Canada captain Ghislaine Landry is the all-time leading point scorer in series history with 875 across her 23 tournaments
England
Coach: James Bailey
2018 series position: Eighth
2018 Top point / try scorer: Lydia Thompson, 20 points / four tries
2017 placing in Sydney: 10th
Team news: Team GB captain Emily Scarratt takes over the England captaincy for Sydney in a squad showing three changes from the opening round, the most interesting being the inclusion of Jess Breach for her series debut. The winger scored six tries on her test debut against Canada last November and will be hoping to make a similar impact in her first taste of sevens.
Squad: Jess Breach, Abbie Brown, Lydia Thompson, Emily Scarratt (captain), Sarah McKenna, Deborah Fleming, Heather Fisher, Emily Scott, Alex Matthews, Megan Jones, Holly Aitchison, Amy Wilson-Hardy
Did you know...? Jess Breach scored six tries on her international test debut against Canada last November, the Red Roses' winger following that up with five in her next outing.
Fiji
Coach: Iliesa Tanivula
2018 series position: 11th
2018 Top point / try scorer: Tima Ravisa, 20 points / four tries
2017 placing in Sydney: Fifth
Team news: After a disappointing opening round which saw Fijiana finish 11th, coach Iliesa Tanivula has rung the changes with Mariama Naiobasali, Aloesi Nakoci, Vilisi Vakaloloma and Naina Baleca drafted in for Sydney, the latter for her series debut.
Squad: Litia Naiqato, Ana Maria Naimasi, Naina Baleca, Miriama Naiobasali, Asinate Savu, Vilisi Vakaloloma, Alowesi Nakoci, Ana Maria Roqica (captain), Lavenia Tinai, Rusila Nagasau, Viniana Riwai, Tima Ravisa
Did you know...? Fiji and Ireland are no strangers to each other as this is the eighth time in the last nine series tournaments the two sides have faced each other in the pool stages.
France
Coach: David Courteix
2018 series position: Sixth
2018 Top point / try scorer: Monserrat Amedee, 21 points / Camille Grassineau and Fanny Horta, four tries
2017 placing in Sydney: Sixth
Team news: Konde Nassira will make her series debut for Les Bleues as one of four changes to the squad which also see Caroline Drouin, Lina Guerin and Mathilde Coutouly drafted in with experienced players Shannon Izar and Marjorie Mayans among those not making the trip to Sydney.
Squad: Caroline Drouin, Seraphine Okemba, Chloe Pelle, Pauline Biscarat, Montserrat Amedee, Fanny Horta (captain), Lina Guerin, Camille Grassineau, Carla Niesen, Konde Nassira, Mathilde Coutouly, Coralie Bertrand
Did you know...? Camille Grassineau scored the first ever rugby sevens try in the Olympic Games at Rio 2016
Ireland
Coach: Anthony Eddy
2018 series position: Ninth
2018 Top point / try scorer: Lucy Mulhall, 24 points / Amee-Leigh Murphy-Crowe, four tries
2017 placing in Sydney: Eighth
Team news: Ireland coach Anthony Eddy travelled to Australia two weeks ago with a 14-strong squad to spend a week at the Sydney Academy of Sport and Recreation in Narrabeen before relocating to Coogee. All 12 players who won the Challenge Trophy in Dubai are retained with Katie Heffernan and potential debutant Jeamie Deacon also making the long trip down under.
Squad: Audrey O'Flynn, Katie Heffernan, Stacey Flood, Claire Boles, Amee-Leigh Murphy-Crowe, Ashleigh Baxter, Katie Fitzhenry, Aoife Doyle, Lucy Mulhall (captain), Eve Higgins, Louise Galvin, Deirbhile Nic a Bhaird
Did you know...? Claire Boles and Stacey Flood spent the off-season in Australia, playing in the inaugural Aon University Sevens Series with Bond University
Japan
Coach: Hitoshi Inada
2018 series position: 12th
2018 Top point / try scorer: Chiharu Nakamura, 12 points / Nakamura and Yume Okuroda, two tries
2017 placing in Sydney: Did not play
Team news: Fumiko Otake and Aya Nakajima will make their series debuts in Sydney as Japan seek their first victory since regaining their core team status. Captain Chiharu Nakamura and Ano Kuwai are the only two players with more than 10 tournaments to their name, making the Sakura Sevens the least experienced of the 11 core teams with only 48 tournaments.
Squad: Chiharu Nakamura (captain), Ano Kuwai, Raichierumiyo Bativakalolo, Chisato Yoko, Fumiko Otake, Sayaka Suzuki, Tomomi Kozasa, Aya Nakajima, Yukari Tateyama, Yume Hirano, Mifuyu Koide, Emii Tanaka
Did you know...? Japan will be making their debut in Sydney, having only returned to the series as a core team after beating South Africa 22-10 in the final of the qualifier in Hong Kong last April
New Zealand
Coach: Allan Bunting
2018 series position: Fifth
2018 Top point / try scorer: Portia Woodman, 45 points / nine tries
2017 placing in Sydney: Third
Team news: Tenika Willison and Stacey Waaka earn selection after impressing at the recent national tournament while Alena Saili continues her ever-present record since making her debut in Sydney 12 months ago.
Squad: Shakira Baker, Michaela Blyde, Kelly Brazier, Gayle Broughton, Theresa Fitzpatrick, Sarah Goss (captain), Tyla Nathan-Wong, Alena Saili, Terina Te Tamaki, Ruby Tui, Stacey Waaka, Niall Williams, Tenika Willison, Portia Woodman
Did you know...? Dubai was only the third time in series history that New Zealand have failed to reach the Cup semi-finals, the other times being in Amsterdam in 2015 and Dubai in 2016
Papua New Guinea
Coach: Larry John
2017 placing in Sydney: 12th
Team news: Only five of the Palais' squad named for Sydney have any series experience, having been part of the team that played in the inaugural women's competition in Sydney last year. Gemma Schnaubelt is regarded as a bright prospect for the future but Papua New Guinea will undoubtedly miss the presence of Joanne Lagona, who led them to their historic RWC Sevens 2018 qualification last November.
Squad: Gemma Schnaubelt, Chelsea Garesa, Mavis Mitaharo, Taiva Lavai, Marie Biyama, Melanie Kawa, Fatima Rama, Geua Larry, Lynette Kwarula, Debbie Kaore (captain), Freda Waula, Isi Govea
Did you know...? Joanne Lagona was joint top try-scorer with nine tries in the inaugural HSBC Sydney Sevens in 2017, the Papua New Guinea star also finishing on top of the point scoring charts with 49
Russia
Coach: Andrey Kuzin
2018 series position: Third
2018 Top point / try scorer: Elena Zdrokova, 35 points / seven tries
2017 placing in Sydney: Seventh
Team news: Russia have largely kept faith with the squad that reached the semi-finals for the third year in a row in Dubai last time out with Polina Buravleva the only newcomer in place of Snezhanna Kulkova. This will only be Buravleva's third series event, making her one of only three Russians with less than 10 tournaments to her name.
Squad: Daria Noritsina, Daria Lushina, Daria Bobkova, Alena Mikhaltsova (captain), Baizat Khamidova, Anna Gavrilyuk, Kristina Seredina, Marina Kukina, Polina Buravleva, Elena Zdrokova, Arina Bystrova, Maria Perestiak
Did you know...? Russia captain Alena Mikhaltsova was the DHL Impact Player at round one in Dubai after making 22 tackles, nine breaks, nine offloads and 21 carries
Spain
Coach: Pedro de Matías
2018 series position: Seventh
2018 Top point / try scorer: Patricia Garcia, 19 points / Iera Echebarria and Barbara Pla, two tries
2017 placing in Sydney: 11th
Team news: Two young players will make their series debuts in Ingrid Algar, who only turns 20 next month, and 23-year-old Eva Aguirre with coach Pedro de Matías looking to add their youth exuberance to an experienced squad, five of whom have played more than 15 tournaments on the series.
Squad: Ingrid Algar, Uri Barrutieta, Amaia Erbina, Patricia García, Marina Bravo, Elisabet Martínez, Bárbara Pla, Eva Aguirre, María Casado, Anne Fernández de Corres, Iera Echebarría, María Ribera
READ PATRICIA GARCIA'S EXCLUSIVE COLUMN >>
Did you know...? Spain failed to reach a Cup quarter-final last season, but ended that run with a seventh place finish in the opening round in Dubai
USA
Coach: Richie Walker
2018 series position: Second
2018 Top point / try scorer: Alev Kelter, 29 points / Naya Tapper, five tries
2017 placing in Sydney: Runners-up
Team news: The Dubai runners-up have made three changes with Cheta Emba, Natalie Kosko and Hope Rogers coming into the squad for Sydney at the expense of Megan Foster, Sara Parsons and Kelsi Stockert. The 12 players boast only 59 tournaments between them, half of which can be attributed to Ryan Carlyle and Alev Kelter, but that lack of experience didn't seem to be an issue in round one.
Squad: Tia Blythe, Sarah Buonopane, Ryan Carlyle, Cheta Emba, Jordan Gray, Abby Gustaitis, Nicole Heavirland (captain), Alev Kelter, Natalie Kosko, Saskia Morgan, Hope Rogers, Naya Tapper
Did you know...? Alev Kelter has not missed a series event since making her debut in Guangzhou in April 2014, that's a run of 20 consecutive tournaments coming into Sydney
The action gets underway on Friday at 10:00 local time (23:00 GMT Thursday) at the Allianz Stadium when Russia take on Ireland in Pool C. See the action unfold on worldrugby.org/sevens-series
