Emilee Cherry

Emilee Cherry
Date of birth (1992-11-02) 2 November 1992 (age 32)
Height1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)
Weight70 kg (154 lb)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Back
Amateur team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
Toowoomba Bears (0)
National sevens team
Years Team Comps
2012–2021 Australia 159
Medal record
Women's rugby sevens
Representing  Australia
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2016 Rio de Janeiro Team competition
Commonwealth Games
Silver medal – second place 2018 Gold Coast Team competition

Emilee Jane Cherry OAM[1] (born 2 November 1992) is a former Australian Rugby Union player. She represented Australia in Sevens Rugby and won a gold medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio.

Rugby career

Born in Roma, Queensland and playing for Toowoomba Bears at a club level, Cherry debuted for Australia in November 2012. As of December 2015, she had 14 caps. Cherry is a dual international, having represented Australia in Touch football (rugby league).

Cherry was the 2013/14 Women’s Sevens World Player of the Year, her game lifting after Tim Walsh took over as Head Coach in September 2013. She scored the most tries in the series (33), scored the most points (195) and was the stand-out player during the 2013–14 IRB World Series season as she was named the 2014 Women's Sevens Player of the Year. Representative honours include Touch Football Australia, Aussie Pearls and Queensland.[2][3][4]

Cherry was a member of Australia's team at the 2016 Olympics, defeating New Zealand in the final to win the inaugural Olympic gold medal in the sport.[5][6][7][8][9][10][11]

On 28 May 2021, she retired from rugby, citing injury and motherhood her reasons to retire.[12]

World Rugby Hall of Fame

Cherry was announced as one of five players that will be inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame at the World Rugby Awards in Monaco on 24 November 2024.[13][14]

References

  1. ^ "Search Australian Honours: CHERRY, Emilee Jane: Medal of the Order of Australia". It's an Honour. Commonwealth of Australia. 26 January 2017. Archived from the original on 1 August 2020. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
  2. ^ "Touch Football Australia: News Single". Touchfootball.com.au. Archived from the original on 19 August 2016. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
  3. ^ "Emilee Cherry wins two Australian Sevens awards – Dick Marks claims Joe French Award at the John Eales Medal". Redsrugby.com.au. 23 October 2014. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
  4. ^ "News Details". Allblacks.com. 19 May 2014. Archived from the original on 20 September 2016. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
  5. ^ "Australia wins gold in women's rugby sevens". Sky News. 9 August 2016. Archived from the original on 9 August 2016. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
  6. ^ Newman, Beth (14 July 2016). "Rio Olympics: Australian Sevens teams announced". www.rugby.com.au. Archived from the original on 12 September 2016. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
  7. ^ "Rio Olympics: Australia's men's and women's sevens squads unveiled". foxsports.com.au. 14 July 2016. Archived from the original on 29 October 2017. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
  8. ^ "Rio 2016: Olympic squads named by Australia for rugby sevens debut at Games". ABC.net.au. 14 July 2016. Archived from the original on 18 September 2016. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
  9. ^ "Australia's Olympic Sevens squads announced". Rugby News.net.au. 2016. Archived from the original on 21 December 2016. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
  10. ^ "Australia name a mix of veterans, young guns for men's, women's Olympic sevens squads". ESPN.com.au. 15 July 2016. Archived from the original on 23 July 2016. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
  11. ^ "Key players return as Australia name Olympic sevens squads". worldrugby.org. 2016. Archived from the original on 30 October 2017. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
  12. ^ "Olympic rugby sevens star Emilee Cherry announces her retirement and rules herself out of Tokyo Games". abc.net.au. 28 May 2021.
  13. ^ Thomas, Martyn (20 November 2024). "Five legends to be inducted into World Rugby Hall of Fame". www.rugbypass.com. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
  14. ^ "World Rugby Hall of Fame to recognise five legends of the game". www.world.rugby. 20 November 2024. Retrieved 23 November 2024.