Multi-Talented Touchies

No less than five (5) Australian Touch players are donning national colours in another sport this week, as they represent in the IRB Rugby 7's World Cup in Russia.

Emilee Cherry, Charlotte Caslick, Nikki Etheridge and Rebecca Tavo were all selected to wear the green & gold as the Australian Women's team looks to defend its title as world champions of the newest Olympic sport; whilst Nth Qld player, Sean Lynch, will be lining up with the up & coming Phillipine Volcanoes side.

Rebecca Tavo has achieved World Cup success before, both in Rugby Sevens and Touch Football. While she was a part of the Sevens squad that won the last Rugby World Cup Sevens tournament in 2009, Tavo also contributed to the success of the Australian Touch Football Women's Open team in the 2010 Trans Tasman Series and the 2011 World Cup, while she was also a member of the Mixed Open side at the 2007 World Cup.

Emilee Cherry is another member of the squad that has achieved a World Cup victory in Touch Football, having also played in the Australian Women's Open team at the 2011 World Cup in Scotland. To add to this international experience, Cherry has competed in four Trans Tasman clashes; two at an Open's level and two Youth tours, including debuting for the Women's Open team at just 17 years of age.

Cherry has proven her skills on the Touch Football field are interchangeable across the two codes, being awarded the Australian Rugby Union Women's Player of the Year in 2012.

Charlotte Caslick is another proven international, having represented Australia in Touch Football in the 2012 and 2013 Trans Tasman Series events in the Women's Open division after debuting as a 15-year-old in the Australian 18's Girls team at the 2011 Youth Trans Tasman Series.

Nikki Etheridge is another Touch Footballer who will draw on her international experience to help during the Women's Sevens campaign. Etheridge made her Australian Touch Football debut in the 2009 Trans Tasman Series in the Mixed Open division, an achievement she repeated at the 2012 Trans Tasman Series.

Sean Lynch, a former NQ Cyclones representative, only took up the traditional 15-a-side form of the game this year, and has quickly found his Touch skills transfer nicely to the 7's format. In a sport where many of the players are professionals (with several of the Volcanoes side playing fulltime in Japan) Lynch's selection was a surprise to many, but also a fitting reward for all his hard work & dedication chasing his goal.

FIT wishes all players all the best in their endeavours in Moscow; and you can keep track of the results HERE.