Vancouver, 18th February 2025: Great Britain Rugby Sevens have named the men’s and women’s squads for the next HSBC World SVNS Series event, which starts in Vancouver on Friday 21^st February 2025.

Ahead of the fourth tournament of the 2024/25 season, both teams are ranked in the top eight of the standings, with the women’s side seventh and the men eighth.

The Vancouver Series marks the midpoint of the campaign and GB7s will be keen to build on three positive tournaments to date.

Ethan Waddleton will captain an unchanged men’s team in Canada, whilst Shona Campbell returns to the women’s squad in their only change, with Isla Norman-Bell again leading the side.

Experienced players Emma Uren and Amy Wilson-Hardy continue to work hard on their return-to-play programmes.

The squads in full are as follows:

GB Sevens Men

5 Marcus Kershaw

6 Matt Davidson

7 Morgan Williams

8 Freddie Roddick

9 Will Homer

11 Ethan Waddleton (Captain)

12 Harry Glover

13 Callum Carson

14 Ryan Apps

18 Luke Mehson

24 Charlton Kerr

44 Sunni Jardine

77 Toby Baldwin

GB Sevens Women

1 Charlotte Woodman

2 Abbie Brown 

4 Grace Crompton

5 Shona Campbell

6 Lauren Torley

8 Katie Shillaker

9 Isla Norman-Bell (Captain)

13 Ellie Boatman

14 Catherine Richards

22 Jade Shekells

23 Heather Cowell

27 Georgie Lingham

35 Alicia Maude

GB7s men face France in their first match of the tournament at 8.46pm GMT, available to watch live on TNT Sports and RugbyPassTV.

The women’s team also start against France, at 10.22pm GMT. The full schedule of Vancouver fixtures can be seen here.

Perth, 23 January 2025: ActiveOps, a leader in AI-powered Decision Intelligence software and the Official Analytics Partner of the Great Britain Men’s & Women’s Rugby Sevens (GB7s), has today announced an initiative to support RugbyWA's All Abilities community.  The All Abilities rugby program is tailor-made for individuals with intellectual or physical disabilities, offering a welcoming embrace to all who wish to explore rugby and become members of the vibrant rugby community.

The initiative, entitled ‘ActiveOps TRY For Good’, will see ActiveOps donate 200 Australian Dollars to RugbyWA's All Abilities program for every try scored by the GB7s Men’s and Women’s teams throughout the tournament in Perth. As well as this, the GB7s teams meet, played and trained with some of the players involved in RugbyWA's All Abilities program ahead of the tournament.

Simon Taylor, CEO of RugbyWA said: “The RugbyWA All Abilities program was set up to be open to all and to create safe, enjoyable rugby experiences. The ActiveOps TRY for Good initiative by ActiveOps with GB7s enables us to create a unique interactive experience for our All Abilities community, additionally, their contribution will allow us to increase and enhance our rugby resources for this program.”

Bhavesh Vaghela, EMEIA CRO and Global CMO at ActiveOps, said: “We are thrilled to be in Perth to not only support GB7s but to also offer some local support to RugbyWA and their All Abilities program. The whole company is proud to be involved in rugby sevens, to show the importance of data and analytics in the sport. But more than this, through the ActiveOps TRY For Good initiative, we want to ensure that sport is for everyone, no matter your background, age, gender, ethnicity or level of ability.”

Sean Lamont, Great Britain Men’s & Women’s Rugby Sevens (GB7s) Team Manager added: “We are delighted to support this great ActiveOps initiative ahead of the Perth 7s. To meet and engage with the players involved in the RugbyWA and their All Abilities program was truly a wonderful and inspiring experience. The ActiveOps TRY For Good initiative further fuels our players drive to score as many tries as possible this weekend.”

The contribution made by ActiveOps and GB7s will be instrumental in helping the continued development of RugbyWA's All Abilities program. With an expanding club rugby network, the development of school programs targeting physical activity and inclusivity, and touring teams travelling internationally, RugbyWA’s All Abilities program is able to provide new opportunities for all members of the community, regardless of their abilities. 

The ActiveOps TRY For Good initiative started in Dubai and Cape Town and will support programs globally across all rounds of the HSBC SVNS Series in 2024/25; : Dubai, Cape Town, Perth, Vancouver, Hong Kong, Singapore and Los Angeles.

About ActiveOps:

At ActiveOps, we believe the ability to make every decision – the right decision, at the right time, will transform operations. Our blend of AI and human intelligence delivers the most complete and useful set of predictive and prescriptive insight to help service operations make better decisions – faster.  Service Operations has been in our DNA for 20 years. Our AI-powered SaaS solutions are underpinned by 15+ years of operational data and our AOM methodology that’s proven to drive cross department decision-making. We call this Decision Intelligence for Service Operations – and we are dedicated to the needs of banking, insurance, BPS and healthcare organizations, globally. With Decision Intelligence, our customers deliver MORE - release 20%+ capacity within the first 12 months and boost productivity by 30%+ leading to MORE business impact. In fact, customer turnaround times are improved substantially, costs are reduced, SLAs are met, and employees are happier and more engaged. Discover how ActiveOps can help you do more. Visit activeops.com

About: Rugby WA’s All Abilities:

Visit: RugbyWA's All Abilities

For interviews or more information:

Contact: sig@fitmg.co.uk or paul@fitmg.co.uk

Great Britain Sevens Men and Women have both been drawn in Pool B.

The Men kick off their tournament against Spain @4:28am on Friday 24th January. They also play against France on day one. The last pool fixture is on day 2 against Ireland.

The Women start their tournament against Canada @3:44am on Friday 24th January. Their second game is against USA on day two. The final pool fixture is on day 2 against Fiji.

You can watch all the live action on rugbypass.tv and TNT Sports and keep up with all the scores on our Perth 2025 page.

Great Britain Rugby Sevens have named the men’s and women’s squads for the next HSBC World SVNS Series event, which starts in Perth on Friday 24^th January 2025.

Following tournaments in Dubai and Cape Town late in 2024, the women’s team are ranked fifth in the standings, whilst the men are placed seventh of 12.

Both will look to start 2025 in positive fashion, and the Perth tournament will be one to remember for women’s player Charlotte Woodman who will make her World Series debut.

The teams will be captained by Ethan Waddleton and Isla Norman-Bell, respectively, at the eagerly anticipated fixtures in Australia.

The squads in full are as follows:

GB Sevens Men

5 Marcus Kershaw

6 Matt Davidson

7 Morgan Williams

8 Freddie Roddick

9 Will Homer

11 Ethan Waddleton (Captain)

12 Harry Glover

13 Callum Carson

14 Ryan Apps

18 Luke Mehson

24 Charlton Kerr

44 Sunni Jardine

77 Toby Baldwin

GB Sevens Women

1 Charlotte Woodman*

2 Abbie Brown 

4 Grace Crompton

6 Lauren Torley

8 Katie Shillaker

9 Isla Norman-Bell (Captain)

13 Ellie Boatman

14 Catherine Richards

17 Chantelle Miell

22 Jade Shekells

23 Heather Cowell

27 Georgie Lingham

35 Alicia Maude

*World Series debut

GB7s Women face Canada in their first match of 2025 at 3.44am GMT, available to watch live on TNT Sports and RugbyPassTV.

The men’s team face Spain at 4.28am GMT. The full schedule of Perth fixtures can be seen here.

The pools have been drawn for the first HSBC SVNS event of 2025, which takes place in Perth. The event will starts on the 24th and runs to the 26th January.

The men's team are placed in pool B along with France, Spain & Ireland.

The women's team are also in pool B and are joined by USA, Canada & Fiji.

Watch all the action live on TNT Sports & RugbyPass.tv.

Dubai, 28 November 2024: ActiveOps, a leader in AI-powered Decision Intelligence software and the Official Analytics Partner of the Great Britain Men’s & Women’s Rugby Sevens (GB7s), has today announced an initiative to support Heroes of Hope UAE, a non-profit organisation that empowers individuals of determination through sports, fostering inclusion and personal growth across the community. 

The initiative, entitled ‘TRY For Good’, will see ActiveOps make a donation of 500 United Arab Emirate Dirhams to Heroes of Hope UAE for every try scored by the GB7s men’s and women’s teams throughout the tournament in Dubai. As well as this, the men’s and women’s teams met with some of the heroes from Heroes of Hope ahead of the tournament, an engaging session where the heroes' and GB7s teams spoke about their journey, the sport of Rugby Sevens and now their connected ambitions.

Founded by Hollie Murphy, Heroes of Hope is dedicated to helping People of Determination (PODs) develop their sporting, social, and interpersonal skills. Based in Dubai, Hollie said: "Heroes of Hope has built an inclusive and diverse community for athletes with special needs. We work to create opportunities and pathways for all athletes to reach their potential and accomplish their own dreams. The TRY for Good initiative by ActiveOps with GB7s enables us to create a unique interactive experience for our heroes and further improve our delivery and mission of expanding opportunities.”

Bhavesh Vaghela, Chief Marketing Officer at ActiveOps, said: “We are thrilled to be in Dubai to not only support GB7s but to also support Heroes of Hope. The whole company is proud to be involved in rugby sevens, in order to show the importance of data and analytics in the sport. But more than this, through the TRY For Good initiative, we want to ensure that sport is for everyone, no matter your age, gender, ethnicity or level of ability.“

Joe Lydon, Performance Director at Great Britain Men’s & Women’s Rugby Sevens (GB7s) added: “We are delighted to support this great ActiveOps initiative ahead of the opening event of the HSBC SVNS Series 2024/2025, the Emirates Dubai 7s. To meet and engage with the heroes at the Heroes of Hope was truly a wonderful and inspiring experience for all. We too aim to be true believers and achievers, and feel that the TRY For Good further fuels our drive to score as many tries as possible this weekend.”

The ActiveOps TRY For Good initiative will be activated across all rounds of the HSBC SVNS Series in 2024/25, supporting programmes across the globe; Dubai, Cape Town, Perth, Vancouver, Hong Kong, Singapore and Los Angeles.

Great Britain Rugby Sevens have named the men’s and women’s squads for the first weekend of the new HSBC World SVNS Series, which starts in Dubai on Saturday 30^th November.

A total of nine players are set for their series debut, with Ryan Apps, Tom Burton, Luke Mehson and Sunni Jardine included in a men’s squad for the first time.

For the women, Katie Shillaker, Vicky Laflin, Emma Mundy, Reneeqa Bonner and Eloise Hayward are in line to make their world series debut under the guidance of new head coach Giselle Mather.

The teams will be captained by Ethan Waddleton and Emma Uren, respectively, at the eagerly-anticipated opening weekend of the new season.

The teams in full are as follows:

GB Sevens Men

2. Tom Williams
3. Jamie Barden
5. Marcus Kershaw
6. Matt Davidson
7. Morgan Williams
9. Will Homer
11. Ethan Waddleton (C)
12. Harry Glover
14. Ryan Apps*
15. Tom Burton*
18. Luke Mehson*
24. Charlton Kerr
44. Sunni Jardine*

GB Sevens Women

2. Abbie Brown
4. Grace Crompton
6. Lauren Torley
7. Emma Uren (C)
8. Katie Shillaker*
11. Vicky Laflin*
13. Ellie Boatman
22. Jade Shekells
23. Heather Cowell
24. Emma Mundy*
27. Georgie Lingham
48. Reneeqa Bonner*
77. Eloise Hayward*

*World Series debut

GB7s Women face USA in their first match of the new series at 5.22am GMT, available to watch live on TNT Sports and RugbyPassTV.

The men’s team’s opener is against Ireland at 6.28am GMT and will also be available to view on TNT Sports and RugbyPassTV.

The full schedule of Dubai fixtures can be seen here.

Great Britain Rugby Sevens have announced their squads for the upcoming HSBC World SVNS Series, which kicks off in Dubai on Saturday 30th November.

Following preparation at their training base at the Hazelwood Centre in Sunbury-on-Thames, the men’s and women’s squads are primed for action and raring to go.

Excitement is high in both camps, with the women’s team’s working well under new head coach Giselle Mather.

The former Wasps and Trailfinders director of rugby has appointed Olympian Emma Uren as her captain, with Isla Norman- Bell named vice-captain.

Meanwhile, Ethan Waddleton will lead Tony Roques’ men’s team, with Tom Emery as vice-captain and Kaleem Baretto named as club captain after suffering an injury that will see him miss the majority of the season.

The two Great Britain squads in full are as follows:

GB7s Women

Emma Uren (C), Isla Norman-Bell (VC), Ellie Boatman, Reneeqa Bonner, Abbie Brown, Shona Campbell, Heather Cowell, Grace Crompton, Meg Davies, Eloise Hayward, Vicky Laflin, Georgie Lingham, Alicia Maude, Chantelle Miell, Emma Mundy, Catherine Richards, Jade Shekells, Katie Shillaker, Lauren Torley, Charlie Woodman, Amy Wilson-Hardy.

GB7s Men

Kaleem Barreto (Club Captain), Ethan Waddleton (C), Tom Emery (VC), Ryan Apps, Jamie Barden, Api Bavadra, Tom Burton, Callum Carson, Matt Davidson, Ollie Dawkins, Harry Glover, Will Homer, Sunnie Jardine, Charlton Kerr, Marcus Kershaw, Luke Mehson, James Pavey, Freddie Roddick, Harri Williams, Morgan Williams, Tom Williams.

GB7s director of rugby, Ciaran Beattie, is understandably excited for the start of the new season, saying:

“Like all international squads competing in the HSBC World SVNS Series, we are looking forward to the start at the highly anticipated Emirates Dubai 7s.

Following the world-record crowds in the recent Paris Olympic Games, we are keen to add to the spectacle and highly competitive nature that is the World SVNS Series.

A new series and fine competition, with new faces as well as established stars, makes for intriguing and highly compelling watching.

We know from inside the GB7s camp that both the women’s and men’s squads are eager to get off to good starts in the Dubai and Cape Town tournaments.

These are exciting times for everyone involved in GB7s and my congratulations to go to everyone selected in the squads and those named as captains.”

The move to Hazelwood has come as part of a wider rebrand for GB7s, whose new kit and new logo will be unveiled ahead of the Dubai tournament at the end of the month.

The impact of a settled base could not be overstated by performance director Joe Lydon, who said: “Securing Hazelwood as our training ground for the season is a big step forward for the squads.

It will provide us with the security and stability of a home base, ensuring that we have the best possible preparation this season.

More widely it signals a new era for GB7s. With an experienced leadership team and a great line-up of talent, we are excited about what the future holds.”

The gains in preparation have only been possible thanks to the support of GB7s’ sponsors, Titan Wealth, ActiveOps, Coca Cola Zero and growth consultancy Champions UK plc.

Jo Plinston, head of partnerships and events at lead sponsor Titan Wealth, said:

“We see so much potential in the sport of sevens rugby and it is great that we can be on the journey alongside GB7s.

We’ll be out in Dubai showing our support in person, and we wish both teams the very best of luck this season.”

12 men’s and women’s teams from across the globe compete in the HSBC World SVNS Series commencing in Dubai on Saturday 30th November.

The GB7s squads will also head to Cape Town, Perth, Vancouver, Hong Kong, Singapore and Los Angeles throughout the season as the sport builds on a record-breaking Olympic Games in Paris, which saw 530,000 fans attend matches and tens of millions more watch on TV.

ENDS

For all media enquiries contact media@gbrugbysevens.com

Following the recent RFU disciplinary investigation, Great Britain Rugby Sevens conducted an all-inclusive internal review.

The player involved, who was present at the review, expressed great remorse. Whilst the incident is an isolated one, the Great Britain team, players and staff feel it's necessary to reassert their zero-tolerance approach to discrimination in all of its forms.

Great Britain Sevens are committed to working internally to develop our EDI policies and to make sure rugby is a safer, more enjoyable space for all.

Great Britain Rugby Sevens (GB7s) has announced the appointment of Giselle Mather as its new women’s team head coach for the upcoming season.

Mather is a distinguished figure in the world of rugby and brings her experience as a former player and a coach. She also received 34 caps for England, where she became a World Cup winner in 1994.
Mather has held numerous coaching roles in both the men’s and women’s games, including time with Wasps Women and London Irish men and was also the first woman to earn a Level 4 RFU coaching qualification.

Stepping into her new role, Mather said: "I am incredibly excited to take on this role with the Great Britain Rugby Sevens women’s team. Women’s rugby is on the rise globally, and to be a part of that trajectory and development at an international level is a fantastic opportunity.
“I look forward to working with the talented group of players that we have and pushing the boundaries of what we can achieve as a team."

Ciaran Beattie, GB7s director of rugby added: "We are thrilled to welcome Giselle as the head coach of the women's team. Her vast experience, vision, and passion for the sport make her the perfect fit for our programme.

“We have no doubt that she will bring fresh energy and perspective to the team, helping to elevate our performance on the world stage."

Mather joins GB7s from her previous role as director of rugby at Ealing Trailfinders, where she played a key part in the club securing a place in premiership women’s rugby last season, where the team finished sixth in their first season in the top tier.