Launceston's opening of the National University Sevens Series praised by Australian rugby officials

The venue staged both established and emerging women’s sevens players that also attracted multiple Rio Olympians and several other internationals on Friday and Saturday during the National University Sevens Series.

Australian Rugby Union high performance manager Ben Whitaker said the first of four season tournaments has exhibited a level of the sport rarely seen in Tasmania.

“This is one of the most significant projects we’ve run in the women’s sevens; the other being centralising a full-time program for our national team,” Whittaker said.

The last big rugby event at the same venue was holding the 2003 World Cup fixture of Romania and Namibia.

Australian Pearls women’s sevens coach Tim Walsh had visited Launceston for the first time during the series opening round and could not have been more impressed.

“Without getting too excited, it’s all been phenomenal,” Walsh said. “The facilities, the way it’s been run, the standard of the rugby, the quality of the games.

“To bring it down to Tasmania in a place that is not known for rugby of any form, it is just unbelievable.

“We’d love to really continue this relationship of Tasmania with rugby sevens and build on it.”

Walsh said the reasoning for targeting Tasmania – ahead of representation from Melbourne or Perth – was an absence of an AFL women’s side in the state.

The University of Tasmania was one of eight chosen university-based sides to enter the new competition.

“Think of all the central locations and where rugby has got a stronghold, and then Tasmania pops up like this and it’s exciting,” Walsh said.

“They’ve certainly embraced it and from a rugby standpoint having (former Wallaby) Luke Burgess to provide the energy and drive is a really good combination for the sport in Tasmania.”

Since a global audience watched its Olympics debut, Walsh said rugby sevens is now the fastest growing women’s sport in the world.

The Tasmanians, who took up the sport just weeks after the 2016 Rio Games, have been fast-tracked since the inclusion of internationals Kiki Morgan, Lauren Murty and the injured Elia Green in the UTAS Lions squad. 

“We want the best players and we have a really good product,” Walsh said.

“We want to go to all corners of the country so to attract players for sevens.

“I think if they can get a little more experience and take away some of those simple errors, I think they have the balance of a team to take it to the next level.”