Injured former Olympic Sevens champion Charlotte Caslick is confident she will play some of the Women’s Rugby World Cup in England, even if she has already ruled out taking the field in Australia’s tournament opener against Samoa.
Caslick, who was named Sevens World Player of the Year in 2016, damaged her ankle against New Zealand last month and was still in a moon boot when she spoke to reporters in Sydney yesterday.
Coach Jo Yapp on Monday included the 30-year-old in her World Cup squad and Caslick said she was hoping to be ready to go against the US in Australia’s second Pool A game in York on Aug. 30.
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“When it happened, I knew it would be touch and go, and the time frame’s probably a little bit tighter than I would have hoped,” Caslick said.
“It’s a bit of a bummer, but I guess it’s all part of it. It’s disappointing knowing that I probably won’t be in the best shape of my career at this point, but I’m going to try and do everything I can to be as good as I can be,” she said.
Yapp also selected Siokapesi Palu in her squad, despite the Wallaroos captain struggling with a foot problem. Caslick said the two injured players had been supporting each other.
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“We’re definitely in very similar positions at the moment,” she said. “I feel for her, too, she’s had an amazing season and being captain of the team, but we’re kind of bouncing off each other every day in training and just praying for each other.”
The eighth-ranked Wallaroos concluded their preparations for the World Cup with a record 36-5 win over Wales last week and Caslick thought there was enough quality in the squad to fulfill Yapp’s ambition of a spot in the quarter-finals.
“I think, obviously, the game against Wales last Friday just proved how much improvement we’ve had in the last 12 months,” Caslick said. “There’s so many world-class players in that side.”
Australia, whose best finish at the World Cup was a run to the semi-finals in 2010, complete their pool-stage campaign against hot title favorites England in Brighton on Sept. 6.
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