Australia women's sevens captain Sharni Williams believes the pressure of performing on home soil will trump the heat on the Olympic gold medal-winning side felt during the Rio 2016 Games.

The Sydney 7s tournament marks the first time the Australian women's side will play an international World Rugby Sevens Series tournament in front of their home crowd, and the Pearls are hoping to draw 10,000 fans on Friday -- the first of three days of action, and the only day featuring only the women's competition.

"I think it is the most important tournament we've ever played," Williams said at the Sydney 7s joint men's and women's captains call.

"We'll speak in the team that this is probably bigger than the gold medal match.

"We didn't feel pressure over there [Rio Olympics], but when you're representing your country in your country ... "

Asked why the Sydney tournament would be bigger than playing in first Olympic sevens final, Williams said the fact the team had finally attained a dream of playing for the gold medal, having had a great preparation, had released the pressure in the title decider against New Zealand.

"We had dreamed of the gold medal for so long; we had talked about it for ages, our preparations were on key.

"We have amazing masterminds in Tim Walsh, Craig Twentyman, Scott Bowen, Claire McGann; all those guys put in as one. The definitely made our preparations so much easier, and it just ran smoothly.

"If you don't have to think about something, if you can just think about your sole job -- which is what we do as professional athletes now -- not have to think about working and you can just go being a footy player, I think that's where gold medals come from; because that preparation was definitely key for us."

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The pressure of performing well at home, having impressed in an exhibition series against Ireland in the inaugural Sydney 7s in 2016, is as much internal as they players each want to be a role model for the next generation.

"We want to be role models for those young girls and we want to be able to show them that we can keep on being successful," Williams said.

"To do that on our home soil is a lifetime dream, and I'm super excited for that.

"We've always been about inspiring other people, because we always have so much fun doing it. We want other people to feel the fun that we have. We need pathways for the younger girls to come through. We never had pathways. We never had role models; we're being role models now for the next generation, and we want to go out there and set that standards for that. So that's definitely one thing we want to get out there."

Williams says the home crowd, especially the expected sell-out on Saturday, when the women will play their finals matches, will push the team into a higher gear even though their quarterfinals matches are being played outside the main arena.

"Being on home soil is going to give us a bit of edge. In Rio we had about 60 people, all family and friends, plonked behind the goal posts and you could see them and hear them.

"That's what we're about, we're about family, and feeling that vibe, so I think that's going to influence us a lot, just having a massive crowd." Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Playing outside Allianz Stadium won't be an issue.

"We do it for the other tournaments; at the three other tournaments we're out the back. It's no change for us, we just adapt. We're here to do a job, we're here to play with pride and to play for our country and do it justice, and so we just go out there and have that fun."

The Sydney 7s, one of three World Rugby Sevens Series tournaments that feature women alongside men, is huge for the women's game, Williams said.

"It's very important. We can't go off on our own and just create our own tournament.

"But the crowds that the boys bring; they come and stay and watch the women as well. I think it's really important that we have that unity of men's and women's; it creates something for the younger kids to see that men and women play that same sport. I think that's really good for equality."