Rugby-Australia select Caslick for women's World Cup despite ankle injury
SYDNEY (Reuters) -Olympic sevens champion Charlotte Caslick was named in Australia's squad for the 10th women's Rugby World Cup on Monday despite being under an injury cloud after having surgery on her ankle last month.
The fullback is one of three players who will travel to England for the August 22 - September 27 tournament under an injury cloud along with Brianna Hoy and Siokapesi Palu.
Prop Hoy is working her way back from knee surgery and has not played for Australia so far this year, while skipper Palu, who plays in the back row or centres, has been struggling with a foot injury.
The eighth-ranked Wallaroos, whose best finish at the World Cup was a run to the semi-finals in 2010, completed their preparations for the tournament with a record 36-5 win over Wales last Friday.
Nearly half of coach Jo Yapp's 32-woman squad will be competing at their first World Cup but 17 players are returning after taking part in the 2022 tournament in New Zealand, where they were knocked out in the quarter-finals by England.
Among the World Cup debutants are 18-year-old fullback Caitlyn Halse and 17-year-old outside back Waiaria Ellis, who will be vying to become the youngest Wallaroo to play at a World Cup.
"We have a very special group of people within this squad, diverse in culture and a range of ages and levels of experience in the game," Yapp said in a news release.
"A World Cup is the pinnacle event in sport and women's rugby will showcase that in England later this month. We are ready to perform on the global stage and thank everyone who is supporting us on and off the field."
Australia first offered part-time contracts to their women's players two years ago and have been working towards fulltime deals for regular internationals.
The Wallaroos kick off their campaign against Samoa in Manchester on August 23 and also play the United States and top-ranked hosts England in a tough Pool A.
Squad:
Forwards - Katalina Amosa, Bree-Anna Browne, Adiana Talakai, Faliki Pohiva, Emily Chancellor, Annabelle Codey, Piper Duck, Ashley Fernandez, Brianna Hoy, Asoiva Karpani, Lydia Kavoa, Kaitlan Leaney, Michaela Leonard, Ashley Marsters, Tania Naden, Bridie O'Gorman, Siokapesi Palu, Tabua Tuinakauvadra.
Backs - Charlotte Caslick, Desiree Miller, Faitala Moleka, Waiaria Ellis, Caitlin Urwin, Samantha Wood, Georgina Friedrichs, Caitlyn Halse, Tia Hinds, Layne Morgan, Trilleen Pomare, Cecilia Smith, Maya Stewart.
(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney, editing by Christian Schmollinger)
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