Great Britain Teammates Prepare to Face-Off at Ultimate Sevens London Final

Now, Abbie Brown and Ellie Boatman could find themselves standing on opposite sides of the pitch with a title on the line.

The two Team GB stars are both set to feature in the final round of the inaugural Ultimate Sevens Championship at the Gtech Community Stadium in Brentford this afternoon, with Brown representing 'hosts' Albion Athletic and Boatman returning with Cardiff champions Atlantic Novas.

It is the perfect illustration of what makes Ultimate Sevens so different.

Players who know each other from the international circuit have been separated into six brand-new franchises, asked to build new relationships and combinations before potentially facing their usual teammates as opponents.

And with the Championship reaching its London finale, Brown and Boatman could provide one of the most intriguing reunions so far — this time with the stakes, colours and objectives entirely different.

Boatman arrives as part of the team which made history in Cardiff, when Atlantic Novas defeated Sol Feroz 19-7 to become the first-ever women's Ultimate Sevens champions.

Brown's Albion Athletic, meanwhile, began their campaign with victory over Pacific Current in Cardiff before their run was ended by the Novas in the semi-finals.

The two GB teammates have therefore already experienced very different sides of the competition. Now they could meet again in London.

For Boatman, the opportunity to play at the old stomping grounds of London Irish and in front of a home crowd, makes the prospect even more special.

"I'm definitely excited. I'm a British player, I live in London, so to play in front of like a home crowd and have loads of family and friends coming, it's really special," she told RUCK.

"Brentford is a really cool venue. I think it'll be really suitable for sevens, so I'm excited to play there as well. Somewhere different."

Brown, one of the most experienced players in the entire Championship, has embraced the unusual challenge of Ultimate Sevens from the outset.

The former Great Britain captain has represented Team GB at two Olympic Games and captained England. But instead of preparing alongside familiar international teammates, she has spent the tournament building a new team with players from across the global game.

"I think for me it's more of an exciting challenge," Brown told RUCK.

"We're under so much pressure when it comes to Olympics and all of those World Series. There's always been so much pressure on performing in every game, it really matters and every point really matters.

"Although we want to go and win the championship in London as Albion Athletic, we also want to enjoy ourselves and we want to improve as athletes."

That mixture of familiar faces and unfamiliar surroundings has been one of the defining features of the competition.

For Boatman, sharing a dressing room with international stars who would ordinarily be opponents has meant getting to know teammates she had previously only encountered in passing on the World Series circuit.

"We all know each other, and you do kind of say hello, but you don't know them on a very deep level," she said.

"So actually, a big part of the last few weeks is, right, let's get to know each other on and off the field, and speak to each other on a deeper level, because that helps on the field when you actually know the people next to you."

That has created the slightly surreal possibility of playing against people who, in another context, would be on the same side and wearing the same jersey.

Brown has already experienced that dynamic, while Boatman now faces the prospect of seeing a familiar GB teammate in entirely different colours.

"It's just figuring out how to play best with each other and make things work," Boatman added. "So it's been very special."

But once the whistle goes in Brentford, sentiment will count for little.

Atlantic Novas have already demonstrated their ability to handle the unique demands of the competition, while Pacific Current claimed the women's title in Biarritz, after Australian superstar Maddison Levi's hat-trick helped them defeat Clan Taran 25-19.

Albion Athletic will be looking to respond, after their Biarritz campaign ended with an 18-6 defeat to Foudre Bleue.

For Boatman and the Novas, the target is clear.

"Speed for sure," she said. "We're a fast team, and we want to showcase that we're full of big players who can go and back themselves and be themselves.

"So, we'll look to play fast, and we'll look to catch people cold, and that's how we want to play.

"We are there to win. We want to be the team that lifts the trophy, but we'll be playing fast. For sure."

For Brown, meanwhile, the London finale represents another opportunity to embrace a competition she believes is about far more than simply winning.

"Every opportunity you have to learn and to grow and to be better is never a bad thing in life and as a rugby player," she said.

But should Albion Athletic and Atlantic Novas cross paths in Brentford, two players accustomed to standing shoulder-to-shoulder for Great Britain will have to put that partnership aside.

This time, Brown and Boatman will be trying to defeat each other, as the inaugural Ultimate Sevens women's Grand Title hangs in the balance.