Forrest names extended GB Women’s Rugby 7s squad

25 Feb 2020

GB 7s Women’s Head Coach Scott Forrest has announced the extended squad who will compete for a place in the final squad for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. The announcement comes ahead of the squad’s first training weekend this week.

The first of three planned training camps will take place in Edinburgh this week with the second due to be hosted in Wales and the last in England, both in April.

Six Scotland Women 7s players have been selected to be part of the extended squad. Megan Gaffney, Rhona Lloyd, Helen Nelson, Chloe Rollie, Hannah Smith and Lisa Thomson, who are also all Scotland Women players, have been selected by Forrest.

The extended squad is comprised of the top players from across the UK, with Forrest explaining that “It’s very exciting to name this initial training squad. It has a lot of potential with some world class athletes selected”.

The 24 strong squad will be narrowed down to a final 13 just prior to the Olympic Games in July.

Forrest said: “I have been able to spend a decent amount of time with the English players and staff in their environment. With them being the one full-time squad competing on the World Series, this has been invaluable for me to get to know them better. I obviously know the Scotland 7s team very well and I have had some good conversations with Ollie Philips as well, since his appointment as Wales Women’s 7s coach.

“Selection has been competitive, and I believe that we have a strong core group here. We will go into the first training weekend with a focus on creating the culture, developing a team identity and building relationships.”
Scott Forrest

“It is great to be able to have the initial training weekends in Scotland, England and Wales. I think that is really important to create the right culture and the understanding of what it means to be part of Team GB.”

GB 7s Women’s Training Squad

Holly Aitchison (England)
Keira Bevan (Wales)
Abbie Brown (England)
Abi Burton (England)
Heather Fisher (England)
Deborah Fleming (England)
Megan Gaffney (Scotland)
Sydney Gregson (England)
Hannah Jones (Wales)
Meg Jones (England)
Jaz Joyce (Wales)
Ellie Kildunne (England)
Rhona Lloyd (Scotland)
Alex Matthews (England)
Helen Nelson (Scotland)
Jodie Ounsley (England)
Celia Quansah (England)
Chloe Rollie (Scotland)
Helena Rowland (England)
Hannah Smith (Scotland)
Lisa Thomson (Scotland)
Emma Uren (England)
Beth Wilcock (England)
Amy Wilson Hardy (England)