Freshia Oduor is set for a dream opportunity at the inaugural Ultimate Sevens Championship, where she will share the Pacific Current dressing room and pitch with her rugby idol, Madisson Levi.Download our Mozzart Sport app for more newsThe Kenyan is among the players selected for the new global sevens competition, which brings together men’s and women’s rugby under six franchise clubs in a new model for elite sevens.The six founding franchises- Albion Athletic Sevens Club, Atlantic Novas Sevens Club, Foudre Bleue Sevens Club, Pacific Current Sevens Club, Clan Taran Sevens Club and Sol Feroz Sevens Club each have a 12-player men’s team and a 12-player women’s team, with the two competitions running simultaneously at each venue.Details of Christie 7s' new trophy unveiled to mark 60th anniversary [PHOTOS]Each squad comprises two marquee players, nine elite players and one academy player, with the teams assembled through a five-round draft following the allocation of the marquee players. Coaches had just 45 seconds to make each selection.Oduor will be coached by former New Zealand international Crystal Kaua at Pacific Current, alongside a squad featuring some of the biggest names in the global game.For her, however, the chance to play alongside Levi stands out.##NAJAVA_MECA_9945978##Levi has established herself as one of the most dominant players in women’s sevens. In June, she was named in the official HSBC SVNS Women’s Dream Team for a third consecutive season after once again finishing as the circuit’s leading try-scorer; an award she has now won four years in a row.She became the first Australian and only the third player globally to surpass 200 tries on the world circuit.Levi also rewrote the record books during the 2023/24 SVNS season when she scored an unprecedented 69 tries before setting another Olympic record with 14 tries at the Paris 2024 Games. Her performances earned her the World Rugby Women’s Sevens Player of the Year award.Ntabeni Dukisa outlines areas that denied Kabras maiden Embu 7s titleOduor, who plays in the same position as Levi, is looking forward to learning from the player she has long admired.“I am thankful to God and to myself for this opportunity. Looking back, I can say that I am going somewhere in rugby. I am going to play alongside Madisson Levi, who plays in the same position as me, so I am really looking forward to learning from her,” the speedster told Mozzart Sport.Beyond sharing the pitch with her idol, Oduor sees the Ultimate 7s as an opportunity to broaden her understanding of the game and experience rugby in a different environment.##NAJAVA_MECA_9945933##“I want to learn new skills, tactics and different aspects of the game. I will also get to interact with more people and experience new cultures, which I believe will help me grow both as a player and as a person,” she said.The inaugural championship will get underway in Madrid on Saturday, 12 September, and will move to Cardiff before heading to Biarritz on Friday, 18 September. The campaign will conclude with the Grand Final at Brentford’s Gtech Community Stadium in London on Thursday, 24 September.Oduor's call-up is therefore coming at a significant moment in her development. She believes the call-up will give her exposure to a global pool of players and coaches while competing in a competition designed to offer a fresh approach to elite sevens rugby.Strathmore University lecturer explains decamping Leos for NondiesWhen she received the call-up, one of the first people she told was her close friend Jiveti, whom she credits for supporting her throughout her journey.“When I got the call-up, the first person I told was Jiveti. She is my friend and one of the people who have really supported me throughout this journey, so I wanted her to be among the first to know,” she said.As she prepares for what could be one of the biggest opportunities of her fledgling career, Oduor has a message for the version of herself who was still finding her feet in rugby.##NAJAVA_MECA_9945924##“To my younger self, I would say, don’t look down on yourself. People don't know what you are going through; they only see what you give them. So, you have to have your ingredients ready, because when it is time to make a meal, you need to cook something nice,” she averred.Her philosophy is simple: setbacks are part of the journey, not the end.“Always believe in yourself and remember that falling is not failing. You will fall many times, but you have to pick yourself up and keep moving. Falling is part of learning and growing,” she concluded.KCB’s Elvis Olukusi reveals how he earned Monaco Rugby Sevens opportunityOduor was part of the team that saw Kenya Harlequin Women claim their maiden National 7s Circuit title at the Embu 7s.
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