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FRN Announces Elite Team & Partners for Barbados 7s

Next week our Elite Women’s International Team will be travelling to sunny Barbados to compete in the Rugby Barbados World 7s Tournament 13 – 14 December (“RBW7s“).

For the past two years in December our team has competed at Dubai 7s, but this year we decided to keep the sunny weather but try something new and check out the beautiful island of Barbados!

The tournament boasts the highest prize money of any Women’s Club Rugby 7s Tournament in the world with the winning team walking away with a share of the US$20,000 prize money, so we knew that we needed to bring the best talent.

Squad Announcement

With that in mind, we are pleased to announce our elite squad for the 2019 RBW7s which boasts international players* from 9 different countries:

1. Rebecca Kearney (Swedish 7s)
2. Simone de Bruin (Dutch 7s Development)
3. Emily-Jane Stearn (England)(Captain)
4. Tonje Lyssand (Norway 7s)
5. Joanna Sainlo (French 7s)
6. Helen van Hattem (Dutch 7s)
7. Garnet Mackinder (England 7s)(Vice-Captain)
8. Cathinka Walberg (Norway 7s)
9. Katrine Nikolajsen (Danish 7s)
10. Willemijn ter Avest (Dutch 7s)
11. Bryony Nelson (Scotland 7s)
12. Charlotte T Mudoola (Uganda 7s)

Coach: Andre Cabera
Team Manager: Ellaine Gelman
Int’l Liaison Officer: Sylvia Chan
* information in brackets may include int’l team experience before 2019

More information about our players will be released in the next few days on our Facebook and Instagram accounts (both @findrugbynow) and if you would like to follow our progress, RBW7s will be streaming all of the matches throughout the tournament on their social media!

Stash & Kit

No rugby tour would be complete without some amazing stash.

We are really lucky that Zoti Sports has graciously sponsored our team this year and has helped us design some really original island themed kit! Each player on tour will be receiving the following stash:

  • Playing kit including shirt, shorts and socks in FRN colours
  • Vest in island theme
  • Polo Shirt in island theme
  • FRN Sunglasses
  • FRN Green Bag

We have also been incredibly lucky to secure a partnership with D3 Tape to help our players perform to the best of their abilities.

They will be providing each of our players with some essentials for a rugby 7s weekend, which will include:

  • Kinesiology tape including Green K6.0 kinesio, White Light rip, White & Green zinc oxide tape and lime green cohesive – all in FRN colours;
  • White mouthguard;
  • Lime green water bottle; and
  • D3 bag

We can’t wait to receive these awesome sponsored kit bags, which will definitely help our players both look and feel the part.

Kinesiology tape can make that little bit of difference for recovery during a long sevens tournament so we are really looking forward to seeing what it can do for our players.

Culture, Cuisine and Entertainment

In addition to the opportunity to play rugby, we always like giving our players the opportunity to check out a new culture and cuisine whenever possible. This year we are working with some fantastic partners to make that happen!

We are thrilled to announce that our itinerary will include the following cultural activities:

  • Culture Dinner and Show from Harbour Lights Barbados
  • Snorkelling with turtles with Barbados Blue on a private boat
  • Music bus tour of the island by Sun Tours including their home-made rum punch
  • Sun beds, music and drinks at the famous Nikki Beach Barbados

Our players will also be benefiting from some pampering which will include:

  • Manicures (in FRN colours) from Escape Spa
  • Post-tournament massages from Leaf Spa
  • Beach lounging and snorkelling at Harbour Lights Barbados
  • Sundown drinks at the beautiful The Cliff Barbados restaurant

We will also be dining courtesy of the following partners:

  • Kool-It Pops throughout the tournament to keep us cool in the sunshine!
  • A-la-carte breakfasts at South Gap Hotel (courtesy of FRN)
  • Lunch at Pier One Restaurant in Port St. Charles
  • Lunch at Bean n Bagel Barsitro in Sun Crest, Holetown
  • BBQ courtesy of the RBW7s tournament
  • Pizza dinner from SpotonBarbados, which will be delivered to our hotel for our massage & pizza night

Partner Photos

Thank You

We are really grateful to all of our partners without whom this trio would not be possible. Please make sure you follow them on FB and Instagram and if you are also coming to the RBW7s, do visit our local partners!

Zoti – @zotisportsltd
Harbour Lights Barbados – @harbourlightsbarbados
D3 Tape UK – @d3tapeuk
Sun Tours – @suntours_barbados
Pier One Restaurant – @pieronebarbados
Bean n Bagel – @beannbagelbim
Kool-It Gourmet Ice Pop’s – @koolitgourmetpops
Nikki Beach Barbados – @nikkibeachbarbados
Barbados Blue – @barbados_blue
SpotonBarbados – @spoton246
Escape Spa – @escapespabarbados
Leaf Spa – @leafspa
The Cliff Barbados – @thecliffbarbados

More Information

If you are interested in taking part in the Elite FRN 7s Team in the future or you would be interested in sponsoring our team, please email us at sevens@findrugbynow.com or reach out to us on our social media @findrugbynow.

For more information about RW7s, please visit their website here or check out their Facebook page @BarbadosSevens for more information.


About Ellaine

Ellaine is the founder of FRN and author of "Mini and Youth Rugby: Complete Guide for Coaches and Parents" (published October 2015). She has been playing rugby union for over 10 years in the UK and the US for teams including Oxford University Blues, London Wasps, Henley, NOVA, and GWU. She has recently developed a love for rugby 7s and has played on several international rugby 7s teams. She also enjoys playing touch rugby and regularly plays for the FRN Mixed Touch Rugby team. She is passionate about helping others develop a love for rugby. View all posts by Ellaine

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