Which Sevens Rugby Players Left Post-2024 Olympics, Where Are The Asian Connections and What New Coaches Are Involved This Season

rugbyasia247 Posted On November 30, 2024

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Which Sevens Rugby Players Left Post-2024 Olympics?

The new SVNS 2024-2025 season is exciting for a number of reasons. It is the start of a new four-year Olympic cycle which means some real legendary Sevens rugby players have moved away from the sport. What new coaches have stepped in and which players will we be missing this SVNS season as things get underway at the Emirates Dubai 7s 2024? We also look at those involved with Asian connections.

Sevens Rugby Players Who Won’t Be There In the 2024-2025 SVNS Season

Just some of the big Sevens Rugby player names who have stepped away from the sport and won’t be playing this season include:

Portia Woodman-Woodcliffe (NZ Women) – Retired from Sevens (currently in Japan on a club contract)
Tyla King (NZ Women) – Retired from 7s but playing NRWL
Sam Dickson (NZ Men) – Retired
Scott Curry (NZ Men) – Retired
Tim Mikkelson (NZ Men) – Retired
Harry McNulty (Ireland Men) – Retired but will be working in a media capacity with the SVNS team this season.
Naya Tapper (USA Women) – Retired
Lauren Doyle (USA Women) – Retired
Chloe Pelle (France Women) – Retired
Sharni Smale (Australia Women) – Retired from 7s but playing NRWL
Dom du Toit (Australia Women) – Retired
Rosko Specman (SA Men) – ‘Stepped away from the Sevens”
Justin Geduld (SA Men) – Joined tge DHL Stormers
Lucy Mulhall (Ireland Women) – Retired.
Nick Malouf (Australia Men) – Retired
Perry Baker (USA Men) – Retired
Kevon Williams (USA Men) – Retired
Robbie Fergusson (GB Men) – Retired but now working at HKCR
Jamie Farndale (GB Men) – Retired but now working at HKCR
Gastón Revol (Argentina Men) – Retired
Jerry Tuwai (Fiji Men) – Retired

New Coaches in Women’s Game – SVNS Series 2024-2025

World Rugby says there are five new head coaches on the SVNS Series, and four of whom are women – bringing the grand total to six of 24 teams at the top level. The USA and Spain women’s sides had female coaches last season.

We actually made the number of new head coaches to be six, as both the Australian and USA men have new Head Coaches this season too.

New Coaches – SVNS 2024-2025

Yuka Kanematsu Appointed Sakura Sevens Head Coach

Yuka Kanematsu – Sakura 7s Head Coach

Japan Women – Yuka Kanematsu has already overseen the women in the Asia Rugby Sevens Series and will take charge of her first SVNS event in Dubai as Japan Women’s Head Coach.
Brazil Women – New Zealander Crystal Kaua has moved into the Head Coach role of the Brazilian women.
GB Women – Giselle Mather is the new Head Coach for Great Britain women.
Canada Women – Jocelyn Barrieau steps up from Assistant coach to Head Coach for the women this season.
Fiji Women – Assistant Timoci Volavola will look after Fijiana on an interim basis.
French Men – David Courteix was the French Women’s coach for the best part of 15 years and has moved on and is replaced by Romain Huet.
USA Men – The Long-standing USA Men’s Head Coach Mike Friday has stepped away and former Japan Coach and English player Simon Amor has taken over the reins.
Australia Men – Liam Barry was announced as the new Head Coach, taking over from John Manenti.

Asian Connections – SVNS Rugby Sevens 2024-2025

Some more on the Asian connections in the SVNS competition to Asia:

Photo Credit: NZ Sevens – Tone Ng Shiu – Emirates Dubai 2024

USA Womens player Jess Lu is making only her second SVNS Series appearance – the Asian-American made her debut at the Singapore SVNS last season.
Alena Olsen (Co-captain) of the USA women is of Filipino heritage and previously presented the Philippines Women’s 7s team their jerseys at the SEA 7s in Singapore in 2024.
Tone Ng Shiu has Asian heritage and is a regular with the NZ 7s Men, having played at two Olympic Games in Tokyo (2021) and Paris (2024) – this weekend is significant as he and his partner Dhys Faleafaga (NZ Women 7s) have both been selected and will play their first tournament together since births of twin boys in May 2022.
Osea Kolinisau (Fiji’s men’s Head coach) has won a medal as a player and a coach, and he formerly was the China women’s 7s coach.
Gareth Baber is a former Hong Kong China national 7s coach who won gold with Fiji at Tokyo 2020 and is now the Consultant National Program Manager for 7s Rugby.
The New USA Men’s 7s Head Coach Simon Amor was previously with HKCR and Japan.
USA player Lucas Lacamp used to play in Hong Kong and represented the national U20 team in 2019 before playing for USA 7s. He made his USA debut in Dubai a couple of seasons ago.
Canada’s Women’s Sevens Assistant Coach Iain Monaghan was the Hong Kong China Women’s 7s Head Coach before joining Canada in 2023.

Players We Have Seen At HKFC 10s

Eloise Hayward is playing for team GB Women at the Dubai Emirates 7s and she was part of the Haywards Tropics who won the Plate at the HKFC 10s 2023.
Both Oli Mathis and Joey Taumateine are in the NZ Men’s 7s squad in Dubai. Oli was with the HKFC Natixix side at the HKFC 10s this year, while Joey was part of the Tradition YCAC side in 2024.
Piper Simon is set to make her debut with the Australian women – called up as a late injury replacement. She was part of the Shogun squad at the HKFC 10s in 2024.