AUSTRALIA'S premier development pathway for women's sevens will take a new, more competitive format in 2021, with teams playing in regional tournaments ahead of a finals series.
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Four regional rounds played out in both Queensland and New South Wales, across March and April, will see the nine teams vie for six qualification places in May's two final national tournaments.
The first rounds of the 2021 Aon University Sevens Series will occur in March at Brisbane's Easts Rugby Club and Sydney's Woollahra Oval.
The Sydney leg will be played alongside the Women's Rugby's Festival, seeing the tournament integrated with the Eastern Suburbs juniors.
The competition will then move to Surfers Paradise Rugby Club and Newcastle Rugby Club in April, where teams will look to secure their place in the national finals.
Pool A (Queensland) will comprise reigning champions, The University of Queensland alongside Bond University, Griffith University, the University of Adelaide and Melbourne University.
While Pool B (NSW) will include the University of Sydney (featuring Jamberoo's Lauren Murty), the University of Canberra (containing Cambewarra's Aroha Spillane and Ulladulla's Lily Murdoch), the University of Technology, Sydney, newcomers to the competition, the University of Newcastle, will also replace the University of New England.
The University of Western Australia has also withdrawn from the competition due to COVID-19 travel restrictions in the state of Western Australia.
"Our Aon tournament is one of our premier products and essential to ensuring the success of our programs long term," Australian Sevens performance manager Scott Bowen said.
"The 2021 format is crucial as ever, not only to give our national squad members game time but also to see the next generation of players as we keep an eye on the 2022 Commonwealth Games and the 2024 Paris Olympics.
"Our women's program is filled with players who have been selected from the Aon Series in the past - we hope this will again be the case in 2021 and beyond."