Women’s rugby sevens debuts in the Summer Olympics program this weekend, with Australia heading into the three-day tournament at Deodoro Stadium as top seeds having won the country’s first-ever World Series title in May.
But what does it take to be a female world-class rugby sevens talent?
The team’s strength and conditioning coach Craig Twentyman tells us seven things that we probably didn’t know about building an Australian women’s rugby sevens player.
1. A key facet about rugby sevens is speed but how fast can our players run?
CT: “The fastest athletes in the women's program can hit speeds of 9.2 metres per second, or just over 33km/h; and can cover 10 metres from a standing start in 1.6 seconds and 20 metres in 2.85 seconds.”
2. But it’s not all about just speed – they have to be strong too – what kind of weights can the players lift?
CT: “The strongest athletes in the program can squat over two times their body weight; deadlift over 2.5 their body weight; bench press 1.3 times their body weight and chin-up with over 40kg added.”
3. They need to be athletic too?
CT: “Yes, of course. The best vertical jump in the group is 70cm from a standing start.”
4. The game is unforgiving, so what levels of fitness are required to play sevens?
CT: “The fittest runners can complete 1600 metres in 6 minutes.”
5. And what kind of distances do they cover in a game?
CT: “In an average game of 14 minutes athletes can cover 1600 metres and in a 20 minute final they may cover 2400 metres.”
6. And over a six-match tournament?
CT: “In a tournament the most involved athletes will cover 10km.”
7. As a professional program, you train at least four times a week, what kind of distances do they cover in a big training week?
CT: “They cover big distances given the demands of a game of rugby sevens. In a big training week the girls will cover 20km.”
Australian women’s rugby sevens, Rio 2016 Pool Stage fixtures, 10-11 August 2016:
Australia v Colombia, Pool A, 2.30am (AEST), 7 August
Australia v Fiji, Pool A, 7.30am (AEST), 7 August
Australia v USA, Pool A, 2.30am (AEST), 8 August
Steve Stammers
olympics.com.au
