RUGBY SEVENS: Darling Downs players will be in action when the inaugural women's National Uni Sevens kicks off today.

Olympic gold medal winner and former IRB women's sevens world player of the year Emilee Cherry will run out for University of Queensland in the new series, alongside Georgina Rackemann.

Demi Hayes and Eliza Flynn have been included in the Griffith University squad for the competition, which is hoped will build on the growth of women's rugby sevens across Australia.

Emily Bass will also represent Bond University in the tournament, while Dominque du Toit is part of the squad for Macquarie University in Sydney.

Hayes and Bass both played their first rugby at Scots PGC College and Hayes has gone on to play for Australia in open sevens.

Each team will play three pool games today before finals tomorrow for the round being hosted by University of Tasmania.

Weekend off

THE Warwick Water Rats women have this weekend off but will play on grand final day in Downs rugby on September 2.

Warwick will play a qualifying final on September 2 where a win against Dalby will secure a grand final spot in the inaugural premiership battle against Bears.

This season, Warwick won the minor premiership in women's rugby but lost narrowly to Bears last weekend so have to make the grand final the hard way.

All men's grand finals on the Downs will be played on September 2.

Preliminary finals for the men will be this Saturday.