Australia’s Women’s Sevens coach to finish tenure after Commonwealth Games

Australia’s Women’s Sevens coach Tim Walsh will finish his tenure after April’s Commonwealth Games, in a surprise decision announced on Wednesday.

Walsh, who led the Australian Women’s 7s team to the first women’s sevens Olympic gold medal in 2016 and also steered them to a maiden World Series win in the 2015‑16 season, leaves after five seasons in that role.

His winning percentage in that time is an astronomical 84% the highest of any Australian professional coach.

Walsh was contracted until the end of the 2018 season, which would have taken him to the end of the year, but has opted to step away on April 30, two weeks after the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.

The former Reds and Aussie Sevens player first became involved with the program off‑field as the teams’ coaching coordinator in 2012, before taking the women’s reins.

Meanwhile, the Fiji Airways Men’s National 7s coach Gareth Baber is currently watching the FRU Skipper Provincial 10's tournament as he continues to scout for talents around the country.

Baber will be announcing his final team next week.

Fiji is pooled with New Zealand, Samoa and Russia in Pool A of the Sydney 7s which will be held from the 26th to the 28th of this month.