Emus World Cup Preview: Women's 27s

It’s the biggest Federation of International Touch (FIT) World Cup ever, and the Women’s 27s division will also be the largest it's ever been. After a 12-year hiatus, the Women’s 27s division (formerly the Women’s 30s) returned to the World Cup stage in 2015. New Zealand will not be defending their Gold Medal from the 2019 Touch World Cup leaving the door open for the Emus to reclaim the crown.

Here’s everything you need to know about the Women’s 27s division.

 

Participating Teams

Pool Stage 

• Australia 

• England 

• France 

• Hong Kong 

• Scotland 

• Singapore 

• South Africa 

• Spain 

• Switzerland 

 

The Numbers That Matter

12 – Twelve Australians will be making their international debut this July in England. That’s a whopping 75% of the team. Kimberley Grant, Stephanie Halpin, Sarah Peattie, and Jenna Rowsell will be providing guidance as the only players in the team with previous experience in the green and gold at a World Cup.

22 – The divisional record for most tries scored in a single campaign is 22, achieved by Gai Taylor in 1999, and Nikki Stanley in 2019. With the potential of playing 11 games across the tournament, there’s a real possibility that this record will be broken in 2024. 

89 – Australia has an 89% World Cup win percentage in this division. This is comfortably ahead of the next highest win rate of 76% from New Zealand.  

 

Athelite Australian Emus to Watch

Sarah Peattie – An outstanding leader on and off the field, Sarah Peattie is one of the only players with prior Touch World Cup experience in the side and will undoubtedly be a key player to watch for the Australians. The Manly Touch Hall of Famer’s prior Touch World Cup experience includes scoring 27 tries in the Mixed Open division at the 2011 Touch World Cup. Now transitioning to the Women’s 27s division, Sarah will once again be a major threat with ball in hand and playing for Australia for the first time in 13 years, will be one of the stars of this team with ball in hand.  

Marlie Phillips – Marlie Phillips is expected to be one of the standout debutants to keep an eye on this tournament, as she finally gets her chance to shine on the global stage. The Palm Beach Touch representative plays the game with an abundance of energy and will undoubtedly be one of the hardest-working players on this team. Her efforts were rightfully rewarded late last year when she was named the 2023 Senior Female Player of the Year at the Queensland Touch Football Awards. In 2024, she continued this momentum by earning Player of the Final honours at The Championships in March. Instrumental throughout the tournament, the Queenslander worked tirelessly up and down the park, helping guide the Brisbane Metropolitan Touch Association Mustangs to their first-ever national title in the Women’s 27s division. Now making a long-awaited Australian debut, look to Marlie to once again put in the hard yards for her team. 

 

Toughest Match-Ups

England – In 2019, England fell short to Australia in the semi-finals but earned a Bronze Medal for their efforts. Outside of Australia and New Zealand, they were the only other nation to earn a positive point differential in the group stage phase. The 2023 European Champions took home the Gold in dominant fashion, going the entire tournament unbeaten. With several members of that side returning in 2024, and on home soil, the English will fancy their chances this tournament. 

Scotland – The Scottish will compete in the Women’s 27s division for only the second time in their history, coming fifth in 2015 on their only attempt. At the Euros in 2023, Scotland looked gallant in their performances, falling short in the final to England 6-2. Zoe Canty stepped up for her team that tournament, leading the way with nine tries across the tournament. While introducing new players and tactics into the team, the European outfit laid the groundwork for what is to come in Nottingham this year. With thorough preparation, look to the Scottish as a nation capable of pulling off a few upsets along the way. 

Singapore – The 2019 semi-finalists will be hoping to go one game further in 2024 after an admirable showing in their divisional debut. Five years removed from their efforts in Malaysia, the Singapore side looks very different but still boasts plenty of experience. Several members of the team competed in Malaysia in the Opens divisions. In a final warm-up match before Nottingham, Singapore competed in a friendly game against England, with valuable insights taken from the experience.

 

Athelite Australian Emus Fixtures*

Day 1 Fixtures: July 15 

• 4:30pm VS United States 

Day 2 Fixtures: July 16 

• 9:50am VS Switzerland 

• 2:00pm VS Spain 

Day 3 Fixtures: July 17 

• 1:10pm VS South Africa 

• 5:20pm VS Singapore 

Day 4 Fixtures: July 18 

• 12:20pm VS Scotland 

• 3:40pm VS Hong Kong 

Day 5 Fixtures: July 19 

• 5:35pm VS France 

Day 6 Fixtures: July 20 

• 9:40am VS England 

• 3:10pm Semi Finals 1, 2 

• 6:50pm Playoffs 

Day 7 Fixtures: July 21 

• 12:00pm Bronze Medal 

• 1:00pm Gold Medal 

*Draft draw, subject to change. All times are shown in local England time zones. Follow Touch Football Australia (TFA) on social media for all up-to-date schedule information. 

To see the Women’s 27s draw in its entirety, CLICK HERE 

 

Last Word: No matter how the tournament plays out, at least one nation will make history and participate in the Women’s 27s Gold Medal match for the first time ever, with the final up to this point only being played between Australia and New Zealand. Expect a strong showing from the Australians, but who will we be facing in the final? 

The 2024 FIT Touch World Cup begins July 15 in Nottingham, England. Follow TFA’s socials on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok for all updates before and throughout the World Cup. 

All Stats Courtesy of the Touch Almanac by Cary Thompson