The 2024 Rugby Europe 7s season has come to an end, and what an end it was, as France raised the Series Cup. The now three-time champions have impressed fans, but they weren’t the only ones making the highlight reel. So, without losing more time, here’s the Team of the Series.
GRACE CROMPTON (GREAT BRITAIN)
Great Britain’s Grace Crompton is a rising star in the 7s world, and her seventeen tries were one of the reasons why her team fought for the Cup in Hamburg. Like a cool summer breeze, her electrifying pace, top acceleration, and unreadable footwork sliced defensive blocks on repeat. The insane acceleration was truly mesmerizing and added an extra layer to how threatening team GB was in the Series. She left her mark in the 2024 Rugby Europe 7s season, and will definitely make the Olympic rugby highlights.
INGRID ALGAR (SPAIN)
Ingrid Algar capped off the 7s season as the Women’s Series top point scorer, and was, by far, Spain’s best player, adding a special kind of spice to every run, carry, tackle, and conversion. She rolls up her sleeves when needed, but can also draw some incredible attacking plays, thundering across the pitch to give Spain an extra edge. Algar duly deserves to be in our 2024 dream team and be regarded as a superstar in the European 7s scene.
YOLAINE YENGO (FRANCE)
Game master, and game-changer, two roles perfectly played by Yolaine Yengo, one of France’s leaders and most talented players, and someone who gave them the final push to conquer the 7s series. But what’s her most impressive skill? The offloading. Well, the offloading technique combined with her ability to stay on her feet, feeding her teammates with good opportunities to strike. France are the victors, and Yengo rocked all the way to the final play.
JULIE DOLEZILOVÁ (Czech Repubic)
The Czech Republic will have another shot to fight for a promotion to the World Series, as they are qualified for the 2025 Challenger Series, and Julie Doležilová is one of the main reasons why. Her vast experience has set the tone for another successful Czech campaign, and in 2024 it was one of the cornerstones for unbelievable wins against Ireland and Poland. Doležilová has to be regarded as a modern great of the European 7s landscape.
CÉCILE BLONDIAU (BELGIUM)
Blondiau had already earned a spot in the Team of the 1st leg, which only makes it easy to select her for the Team of the Season, but this time let us highlight a piece of skill that was central to Belgium’s 3rd place in the series: breakdown. We rarely talk about the jackling arts, a craft that Blondiau has mastered to the highest level. Five turnovers in Hamburg, with two of them saving Belgium from conceding a try, tells you tells everything you need to know about her talents as a defensive unit. Blonddiau was also Belgium’s top try-scorer of the Series.
NATALIA PAMIETA (POLAND)
The captain was back to her best in Hamburg, and even if Poland failed to make it to the Cup finals, Pamieta's work rate, fiery passion, and relentless mindset avoided a worse outcome. For the past five seasons, the powerful skipper has muscled her way through the opposition defensive line, crashing and bumping defenders, paving a golden path for Poland. She is the captain of captains, and a bright light for Poland.
EVE HIGGINS (IRELAND)
Higgins only played one leg of the Rugby Europe Championship Series, but she made an incredible impact for Ireland in Hamburg, not only as a game-player (five try-assists) but as an anchor for her teammates, injecting much-needed confidence in vital moments. Her resilience as a carrier pushed Ireland closer to the try-line, always applying a brutal physicality that created problems for the incoming tacklers. Ireland needs her to be in the mix, week in week-out.
TOP TRY SCORERS OF THE SEASON
Grace Crompton (Great Britain) – 17 tries
Ingrid Algar (Spain) – 13 tries
Anežka Sládková (Czech Republic) – 10 tries
Cécile Blondiau (Belgium) – 8 tries
TOP POINT SCORERS OF THE SEASON
Ingrid Algar (Spain) – 95 points
Julie Dolezilová (Czechia) – 66 points
Anežka Sládková (Czechia) – 50 points
Cécile Blondiau (Belgium) – 40 points
By Francisco Isaac
