The Australian Rugby Union is hoping rugby sevens, the "new hit" of the Olympics in Rio, "can become an even bigger hit for Australian women and men at home with new pathways -- and a women’s series -- unveiled on Wednesday," according to Amanda Lulham of the Sydney DAILY TELEGRAPH. One pathway will be "a high-performance women’s university sevens series" which will begin in '17 and comprise university students "playing alongside marquee players," including the women who won Gold for Australia in Rio. Australian University Sport President Deidre Anderson said, "This competition could genuinely change the face of women’s sport, along with the role of university sport in the Australian sporting landscape." ARU High Performance Manager Ben Whitaker said that the series "will fill a gap in the existing women's sevens pathway." Whitaker: "It will be an elite domestic competition with a national footprint, which will act as a stepping stone towards national selection." ARU CEO Bill Pulver revealed that in the wake of the women's sevens success, pathways will be established in schools, clubs and universities around the country "so that more young girls and boys than ever before will have the chance to work towards their dream of representing their country at the Olympic Games" (DAILY TELEGRAPH, 8/10).
