- Charlotte Caslick admits she’s jealous of the Matildas
- Australian Sevens Rugby star wants her team in the spotlight
- Caslick wondered if the Matildas will excel in Paris
Australian Rugby Sevens star Charlotte Caslick has launched a sporting feud after questioning why the Matildas get so much attention despite having won just one major trophy, while her team has consistently been among the best in the world.
In 2010, the Matildas won the Asian Cup in China after beating North Korea 5–4 on penalties in the final.
Only eight countries participated in the tournament.
Since then they have grown into a true sporting giant and brought the country to ecstasy after reaching the semi-finals of the World Cup on home soil last year.
Coached by Tony Gustavsson, the team ultimately finished fourth, unlike Caslick and the Aussie Sevens girls, who won gold in Rio in 2016.
Caslick admitted she was jealous of the Matildas’ meteoric rise, but she also predicted they would not do well in Paris.
I don’t know if they [Matildas] will come out of the group stage,’ she said News Corp.
‘We [Sevens Rugby] have been at the top of our game for years and years, always up there… with podiums in all of our series. And we probably don’t get the recognition [we deserve].
Australian Sevens Rugby star Charlotte Caslick (pictured) questions why the Matildas get so much attention when they’ve only won a major award once
The Matildas have become a sporting giant and have taken the country by storm after reaching the semi-finals of the World Cup on home soil last year (pictured is young talent Mary Fowler)
Caslick was part of the Australian Women’s Sevens Rugby team that won gold in Rio in 2016, and she pointed out that the team is consistently among the best in the world
‘So I think if we can perform at the Olympics in Paris we can really show Australia how great a team we are. There are superstars who deserve the praise that others [Matildas]to get.’
Caslick admires the way the Matildas have made women’s sport more attractive to the market and is also keen on the opportunities now being offered to emerging female athletes.
Australia take on South Africa in their opening women’s sevens rugby pool match from 00:00 AEDT on July 29. They then play Great Britain (03:30, July 29) and Ireland at 22:30 AEDT.
Tim Walsh’s team is widely expected to join New Zealand and England in the running for the gold medal.
The Matildas play Germany in Marseille on July 26 from 03:00 AEDT, followed by games against Zambia (July 29, 03:00) and the USA (August 1, 03:00).
Steph Catley will captain the team in the absence of injured striker Sam Kerr.