By Casey OÇonnor
The Australian Women’s Rugby Sevens team, the Pearls, added another significant achievement to their long list of success when they claimed the Rugby Seven’s World Cup this week.
For the golden girls their thrilling 24-22 victory against New Zealand was simply the icing on the cake.
It wrapped up an historic Triple Crown adding to their HFC Rugby Sevens World Series win and the Commonwealth Games gold medal – the first team male or female to achieve the honour.
It is the team’s first World Cup win since first winning the title in 2009.
Caslick’s father Don Caslick said from his home in Stanthorpe the family was excited by the win.
“Yesterday was a pretty good day,” he said.
“Obviously a very proud household here. The joy on these two faces, Sharni Williams and Charlotte, if possible, made it even more special.
“Champions”.
The Aussie Co-captains Charlotte Caslick and Demi Hayes both have strong links to the Southern Downs and said after the game, the team success can help further the legacy created by that group, explaining what it meant to the group in a raw interview after the win.
Charlotte Caslick was clearly emotional after the win.
“We were talking about the ’09 girls today so hopefully in three more cycles, the girls are talking about us and what we’ve achieved this year,” she said
Caslick, for those who know her, is prone to call a spade a spade and that was the case in this time around.
“To continue on the legacy of the Australia Women’s Sevens is pretty f****** awesome,” she concloded.
Hayes believes the group filled with plenty of youngsters can look forward to an Olympics in 2024.
The group has been transformed since the disappointment of Tokyo 2021 but it was there most experienced player Sharni Williams, was the difference in the deciding moment of their win.
“It’s always a tough battle with our rivals New Zealand but it’s just that skill execution. As soon as we had set piece, you could see that they unfolded,” Williams said.
“They scored, we scored, that’s what Rugby Sevens is.”
“They say you can’t teach old dogs new tricks, but you can keep them young and that is what this group is doing”.
Williams will now join the Australian Wallaroos Rugby team.
There is a seven-year gap between Williams and Caslick, who is next eldest in the team. The pair added World Cup success to Hall of Fame resumes.
