Ellie Kildunne, Helena Rowland, Meg Jones, Jade Shekells, Alex Matthews, Holly Aitchison and Natasha Hunt form a punchy England backline that won the 2023 World Cup final over Canada. Six of the seven played in that match and all had been part of the sevens squad at some point. Abbie Brown, a GB sevens player, has said the Red Roses backline were once the sevens team, but the programme has been stripped back and sent under.

In July, Great Britain's full‑time sevens programme was scrapped to save money. The men’s and women’s squads now meet only for tournaments, with 25 new caps introduced over the year and 60 people rotating through camps. The result was a distant last finish in the top‑tier Svns global series and a drop to the second tier for next season. Brown said, 'We only had a handful of sessions before we competed against teams that have been together for the whole of my career.'

Brown and aerodynamic teammates have turned to new avenues. She coaches and mentors, holds a 15‑a‑side contract with Premiership Women’s Rugby side Loughborough Lightning, and captained the Mumbai Dreamers in India’s Rugby Premier League. She is also a marquee player for the new Ultimate Sevens circuit launching in September, featuring knockout matches in Madrid, Cardiff, Biarritz and London.

Other GB stars, including Finley Lloyd‑Gilmour, Will Jones and Meg Jones, will join the event, as will international players Maddison Levi and Luciano Gonzalez. The series ends at Gtech Community Stadium in Brentford on 24 September, offering extra playing time and financial opportunity while easing pressure on the national programmes.