Katie Shillaker dreams of competing at the Olympics in Los Angeles and knows the next couple of months could be decisive in making that a reality. Still only 22, the Harlequins flyer has captained the GB women’s sevens team this year on the HSBC SVNS World Series, most recently at the prestigious Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens.
New Format and Olympic Qualification
A new format has seen just the world’s top eight teams competing on the circuit, putting GB up against the world’s best over the first six events. That changed in Hong Kong, where four teams from HSBC SVNS 2 – the second division circuit – joined the competition, and they will also do so for the last two events, with a place at the highest level next season on the line. In Hong Kong, GB avenged a pool loss to South Africa in the play-offs on their way to 10th overall. With Olympic qualification set to be decided in 2027, Shillaker knows this is a vital period to show GB’s potential.
She said: “Ideally, I want to go to the Olympics. It's something I've always wanted in the back of my mind, but I always thought ‘I'll never get in the GB team.’ And then when I got a call-up last year, I knew my heart was set. To play in the LA Olympics would be a dream. For 15s, I can do that whenever, but sevens is such a good game, and I'm at a good age. For the Olympics, I'll be 23, turning 24, so it's a good time. That's what I'm going to push for. Hopefully, we work hard the next couple of weekends, stay in the top eight, build a programme, get more funding, and we should be all good to go to the Olympics and fight our way through. We're parking the first six tournaments as development, but these ones are so important.”
Co-Captaincy and 'Hard as Nails' Campaign
Shillaker was joined by co-captain Abbie Brown in Hong Kong as the vastly experienced two-time Olympian continued her return from a hamstring injury. Having a 30-year-old veteran to call upon for advice has been invaluable for Shillaker, while the pair have also welcomed World Rugby’s ‘Hard as Nails’ campaign, encouraging players and fans to paint their nails to promote self-expression, inclusion, and strength.
“I think it was a great idea,” she said. “As a girl, to express yourself and show what you're about through nails is nice. I always get my nails done. The way I get mine done is different to how Abbie Brown or Ellen Scantlebury get theirs. It's nice to see people's perspective. Abbie loves bright colours; I'm more reserved – a French tip is probably my max with maybe a little bit of colour.”
That reflects their respective leadership approaches, although Shillaker believes being catapulted into captaincy has been invaluable for her development. She added: “It's definitely hard. I've loved being captain for personal development. I'm normally quite quiet in teams, so it forces you out of your comfort zone. It has been mentally challenging because I was the most experienced, yet in a normal sevens world, I'm still very inexperienced. The personal growth I've had, especially now that Abbie Brown is back – she is one of the best captains I've ever worked with – to learn from her is amazing.”
Looking Ahead
After ten events across HSBC SVNS, SVNS 2, and SVNS 3, just two tournaments remain in Valladolid and Bordeaux as excitement builds to a season-ending crescendo, after which the HSBC SVNS World Champions 2026 will be crowned. For more information and tickets, visit www.svns.com. Fans in the UK and Ireland can catch every match live for free on RugbyPass TV.
