Swiss Women Sevens won the 2023 Rugby Europe Conference I
Swiss Women’s 7s national team won the Rugby Europe Conference 1 tournament with an undefeated tournament and gained promotion to the Rugby Europe Trophy, the second-highest division of European Rugby.
“All together now: breathe in, breathe out, and in, and out.”
Focus, composure, discipline, teamwork. That’s what a season’s worth of learning, training, conditioning, sweat, and preparation boils down to. That’s how the Swiss Women’s 7s national team worked its way to winning the Rugby Europe Conference I tournament and gaining promotion to the Rugby Europe Trophy, the second-highest division of European Rugby.
The team claimed the title undefeated, in a hard-fought final against Andorra, won by Switzerland 14-5. The Swiss started the weekend in Belgrade by shaking off some early-tournament nervousness and recording a solid 22-5 opening win against Montenegro. In the second game, Switzerland tightened its defensive effort and stepped up its line speed to defeat Lithuania 17 to 5, thanks to a try-double by Emily Marclay, and Oumou Barry’s 2nd try of the tournament.
In the second pool round, Switzerland dug deep in its 3rd game of the day, beating fatigue, the heat, and Estonia 48 to 7, with five different players scoring one or more tries for Switzerland to close out the first day undefeated.
On Day 2, the Swiss team had to beat Malta to reach the semi-finals as the only undefeated team and thus the first seed of the playoff round. A strong team effort, capped by five tries scored by five different players, accomplished the goal with a score of 22-5.
This put Switzerland into the Semi-finals against Lithuania. For the playoff round, Switzerland stepped up its line speed and intensified the defensive pressure and awarded itself with a 34-5 win, promotion to the Rugby Europe Trophy (the top two teams advance to the higher level next year) and a place in the tournament final.
17 year old Morgane Wuillemine, the youngest player of the team and its future, gets to carry the trophy home, and keep it on behalf of the team. Emily Marclay was awarded by Ruby Europe as MVP of the tournament. With a young, dynamic, motivated, tightly bonded team, the future for Swiss women’s 7s rugby looks bright, as the team celebrates its well-deserved success before gearing up to face the next challenge.
Line-up (alphabetical):
- BADEL Lea
- BARRY Oumou
- BOUVRESSE Deborah
- GAUDIN Julie
- GEISSBUHLER Kim
- KUSS Louise
- LUZI Julie
- MARCLAY Emily (Albaladejo)
- OESTREICHER Claire
- TEYSSIER Catherine
- THIEBAUD Anne
- WUILLEMIN Morgane
- SALPERWYCK Jaya
Supporters
- Rahel Bosshard (Coach)
- Mike Conway (Coach)
- Vivien Erb (Physio)
- Veronika Mühlhofer (Manager)