Women’s Uni 7s series right fit for AFL, netball, league and basketball stars

THEY are all shapes and sizes but gold medallist Chloe Dalton believes netballers, basketballers, AFL players and league stars could all be the right fit for Australia’s newest women’s sporting league.

Shanice Parker, Hannah Southwell, Brydie Parker, Sharni Williams, Demi Hayes, Chloe Dalton, Emilee Cherry, Evania Pelite are all competing in the newest national league for women.

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THEY are all shapes and sizes but gold medallist Chloe Dalton believes netballers, basketballers, AFL players and rugby league stars could all be the right fit in the future for Australia’s newest women’s sporting league.

Sparked by the success of Dalton and her teammates at the Rio Olympics, the Aon Uni 7s four tournament series kicks off in August with close to 200 players spread across eight squads and expansion plans already mooted for next season.

Former Sydney Uni Flames basketballer Dalton believes the talent pool can be further enlarged by the transformation of netballers, basketballers and footballers into sevens speedsters in the future.

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Shanice Parker, Hannah Southwell, Brydie Parker, Sharni Williams, Demi Hayes, Chloe Dalton, Emilee Cherry, Evania Pelite at the launch of the new series.

Australia's Chloe Dalton tackles Canada's Jennifer Kish during the Sydney Sevens event earlier this year. Pic: Brett Costello

And she believes the sports Olympic status is a major selling point for athletes whose skill level, fitness, strength and ball skills in other sports could be transferable to rugby sevens.

“I’m a former basketballer so I know you can transform from that sport,’’ said Dalton, representing Macquarie Uni in the new competition.

“The door is open. There’s definitely a lot of opportunities for girls from other sports to move across.

“I think the ball skill and agility of netball would transition. Cassandra Staples was a netballer and look at her.

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“The AFL players could also transition. I think it would be pretty natural for them. They are fit and strong.’’

The timing of the new rugby series could also make it attractive to AFL and basketball players whose competitions are currently run before and after the sevens competition.

Olympic star Chloe Dalton and Page McGregor are both competing in the new rugby series.

Super Netball will run from April to August in 2018 after delaying its competition start due to the Commonwealth Games but there are numerous netballers not involved in this competition.

The Olympic gold medal winning team was made up of athletes from numerous others sports including athletics, sprinting, hockey, rugby league, touch football and basketball

The establishment of the series finally brings rugby sevens in line with football, netball, basketball, cricket and AFL in having a national series for top women players. Rugby league has yet to establish one.

Launceston will host the first tournament of the four-leg series with Australian sevens squad members and youth stars spread across the eight teams which are all affiliated with universities and must also have student players.

Chloe Dalton was a former basketball guard.

The series will also give many sports fans their first chance to see the Olympic champions and top level seven women’s rugby played live.

Womens rugby sevens was a smash hit at the Rio Olympics with the series hoping to capitalise on its success with player and fan base growth.

“The bigger the pool of talent the better for the Tokyo Olympics,’’ Dalton said.

The teams in this years competition are from Macquarie University, University of Queensland, Bond University, University of Canberra, University of New England, Griffith University, University of Tasmania and the University of Adelaide.

2017 Aon Women’s University Sevens Series Draw

Rd 1, August 25-26, University of Tasmania Stadium, Launceston

Rd 2, September 9-10, Macquarie University Sporting Fields, Sydney

Rd 3, September 16-17, University of Queensland Fields, Brisbane

Rd 4, September 29-30, Bond University Rugby Field, Gold Coast