'Really inspiring': Charlotte Caslick discusses Olympics 'goal'

Reigning World Series champions Australia secured their place at next year’s Olympic Games in Paris after qualifying for the women’s quarter-finals in Hong Kong.

Playing on the treasured turf at Hong Kong Stadium for the first time in the history of the women’s World Series, Australia booked their ticket to Paris with a hard-fought 19-12 win over Ireland.

Hosts France, World Series leaders New Zealand, and the United States have also qualified out of the women’s series.

As they walked off the field, the women in gold signed autographs and took selfies with fans, before gathering in a huddle down the north-west tunnel at the legendary venue.

The team shared a few laughs along with head coach Tim Walsh, and later a bottle of Moet at the team hotel.

“The goal for this season was Olympic qualification so to secure that with one tournament to go is incredible for the group,” captain Charlotte Caslick told RugbyPass.

“We had a little celebration last night, shared a bottle of Moet around the room and we made sure we really celebrate those moments because obviously they don’t come around that often.”

Caslick was named World Rugby’s Women’s Sevens Player of the Year late last year, as she added another prestigious accolade to her unrivalled career CV.

The skipper won a gold medal at the Rio Games in 2016, and was part of the Australian squad who bowed out in the quarter-finals in Tokyo three years ago.

Along with New Zealand, Australia were among the favourites to claim gold – and were certainly expected to medal at the world’s biggest sporting event.

But after losing a match in pool play, Australia were beaten 14-12 in the quarter-finals by proud rugby sevens nation Fiji.

“Losing to Fiji in that quarterfinal in Tokyo probably defined this group a lot,” she added.

“The resilience that they’ve shown to bounce back from it and the growth that a young group of girls had from that moment onwards, I think it’s been, for me, really inspiring to see.

“To now lead this group into another Olympic Games will be something that I’m gonna really cherish.”

While this season’s World Series hasn’t quite gone to plan for Australia – having won one of five stops – Australia have their eyes on history this weekend.

Having won all three of their pool matches, the Australians are charging into the Cup knockout rounds full of confidence and belief.

“When you think of sevens, you think of Hong Kong.

“It’s the most iconic stop in the series so to have the women now included, I’ve been playing for 10 years and it’s (my) first time.

“For me it’s something that I’ve always wanted to tick off and now I finally got to do it.”

Caslick has been one of Australia’s best players in Hong Kong so far as she continues to wreak havoc score tries for fun.

But teenager Teagan Levi might be one of the finds of this year’s circuit.

After playing a relatively minor role for the hosts at January’s Sydney Sevens – although she showed plenty of promise and potential – the 19-year-old has started all three matches in the gold jersey.

Teagan, who is the sister of sevens star Maddison Levi, has also been handed the goal kicking duties for Australia.

Following the teams win over Ireland, the teenager spoke with RugbyPass as she made her way down the tunnel.

“We are lucky enough to qualify for Paris so we were pretty excited, that was one of our goals this year,” Levi said.

“It’s a squad at the moment so you’ve still got to get picked but the hard work doesn’t stop now.

“It’s only a dream come true and to go to the Olympics would be a dream come true, alongside some of my best friends and my sister.”

Australia will play Ireland in the Cup quarter-finals on Saturday evening.