Great Britain Sevens Squad Set for Olympic Glory in Paris

Great Britain has selected England’s Ellie Kildunne and Megan Jones for their 12-player women’s sevens squad at the upcoming Paris Olympic Games this summer. Both players were instrumental in the Red Roses’ achievement of their third consecutive Women’s Six Nations Grand Slam in April. They then shifted focus to sevens in preparation for the Olympics. Aged 24, Kildunne topped the Six Nations try-scoring charts and attended a GB Sevens camp before Tokyo 2021. However, she chose to withdraw to pursue eligibility for a professional XV-a-side contract.

Welsh winger Jasmine Joyce also joins, marking her third appearance at the Olympics, a first for any British rugby player. Joyce, 28, played a pivotal role for Team GB in Rio and Tokyo, narrowly missing out on bronze in both tournaments. Injury prevented regular captain Abbie Brown from aiming for a third Olympics. Emma Uren will lead the squad with both her and Jones set for their second Olympic appearance after competing in Tokyo. Scotland’s Lisa Thomson will also make her second Olympic Games appearance, having served as a reserve in Tokyo.

They are joined by Amy Wilson Hardy, Ellie Boatman, Grace Crompton, Heather Cowell, Isla Norman-Bell, Jade Shekells and Lauren Torley, all experienced representatives in English rugby. Selecting the final 14 players posed a challenge, according to GB head coach Ciaran Beattie, due to the high caliber of talent from the World Rugby Sevens Series who secured Olympic qualification. GB aims to compete fiercely in Paris, striving for victory and medals, while respecting other teams’ formidable strength. Team GB secured their spot in Paris 2024 last June by winning gold at the European Games.

The women’s sevens competition at the Olympics starts on July 28. Meanwhile, the Great Britain men’s team must win the Olympic repechage tournament in Monaco this weekend to qualify.