The Australian women’s sevens squad take on Darwin heat ahead of Tokyo Olympics

The Australian women’s Rugby Sevens squad is battling the Darwin heat in preparation for the Tokyo Olympic Games.

THE Australian women’s Rugby Sevens squad is battling the Darwin heat in preparation for the Tokyo Olympic Games.

The side has plenty to play for in Tokyo, defending its 2016 Rio gold knowing that it will come in as one of the top sides in the competition.

And for that reason the side is putting everything into its preparations, with heavy competition expected from New Zealand, USA, Canada, Great Britain and France.

Coach John Manenti called Darwin the best place in the country to prepare for what he believed would be the hottest-ever Olympics.

“Tokyo is probably going to be the hottest Olympics, so we came up here to put ourselves under a bit of stress in the heat and see how the girls react,” Manenti said.

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“The players were exhausted following the training which shows the heat is taking its toll, so we know this is going to be beneficial to what we want to achieve.

“We’re going over there to win the gold, but we know there are two or three teams that will challenge us, so we want to keep pushing ourselves knowing the gold is within our reach.”

The international coach credited the Darwin facilities, particularly the Michael Long Centre.

He was also looking forward to seeing his side inspire young Darwin players in a girls’ coaching clinic at Rugby Park from 2.30pm to 4.30pm on Sunday.

“The girls love feeding the next generation of players, and they know how important it is to leave a legacy for those that look up to them,” Manenti said.

The Australian Women's 7s squad are now in town for their pre-Olympic camp. Ellia Green, Jakiya Whitfeld and Lori Cramer are happy to be back up in the top end for heat training. Picture: Che Chorley

“The Darwin facilities are fantastic. We came up here before Rio and we found it beneficial. The Michael Long Centre has everything we need and the fields are all nice and close.”

Australia captain Shannon Parry said the side was ready and eager to take to the field in Japan after last year’s postponed Olympics.

But while in Darwin she was also eager to engage with the community in the upcoming open training session.

“We’re up here for some heat adaptation ahead of the Tokyo Olympics. It’s perfect preparation for us,” Parry said.

The Australian Women's 7s squad are now in Darwin for their pre-Olympic camp. Picture: Che Chorley

“We’re all excited. It’s been a long time coming with the games postponed but the squad is firing and really looking forward to going to Tokyo and putting in a performance we can be proud of.

“We love getting the chance to interact with the community. To be able to give back is something that we’re grateful for and hopefully a lot of youngsters come down on Sunday.