The Bull Sharks will head down to the Byron Bay Rugby 7s tournament this weekend full of confidence, coming off the back of a win in the seasoner opener at the Fiji Day 7s.
They've once again proven they are Australia’s premier women’s rugby program, taking out the tournament at Sunnybank earlier this month in a rematch of the QPR grand final against Easts, where they destroyed the Tigers 43–5.
It was the start of their campaign to win a fourth consecutive Queensland 7s title to add to an undefeated reign across both rugby formats that includes four straight Queensland Premier Rugby titles and two Australian Club Championships.
Bond’s women’s 7s coach, Setu Naseri, said the result was an ideal way to launch their summer campaign.
“We had quite a young and inexperienced team, but we also had a couple of old heads in there that provided experience,” Naseri said.
“For some of the young players, it was their first campaign with Bond in the 7s. Girls like TJ Murray played really well, and we had a 16-year-old debutant, Grace Buchanan from the Gold Coast Eagles.
“Buchanan is another youngster who has made our coaching selection a headache because of the way she performed.”
Bull Shark and 2025 Rugby 15s premiership player Tiki Calliste was named Player of the Finals.
“Tiki was consistent all day long,” Naseri said.
“She played in the fast forward position and the back – a bit of a utility for us, filling a number of positions.”
Bond’s women’s program continues to draw players from across the region keen to be part of the blue and gold success story.
“We had 30-plus girls at training on Tuesday night,” Naseri said.
“There’s just so much talent floating around who are keen to pull on the Bull Sharks jumper, so we’re in a good spot at the moment.
“We will have two teams for the Byron Bay 7s, one squad in the premier division and one in the open.”
Naseri said the increasing focus on women’s rugby had lifted standards across Queensland.
“Wests will be strong and so will GPS,” he said.
“GPS have just appointed a new coach for next year for their 15s team, so I’m sure they will put in quite a bit of effort for their 7s.”
Meanwhile, the Bond men also impressed, finishing equal third after a 7-all draw with Sunnybank.