New Zealand suffered one of the biggest upsets in sevens rugby history when they were beaten 14-12 by Japan on the opening morning of the inaugural men’s Olympic tournament on Tuesday.
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Team GB Sevens cruised to a 31-7 victory over Kenya as New Zealand were stunned by Japan in the opening pool fixtures of the 2016 Olympics in Rio.
As rugby returns to the Olympics for the first time in 92 years, the two-time Rugby World Cup victor at 15s and the biggest name in the game, was one of the stars the tournament’s organisers were hoping would delight newcomers to the sport.
And to add to the All Blacks’ misery, star player Sonny Bill Williams is out of the tournament, carted off the field with a partially ruptured Achilles tendon.
In echoes of their victory over South Africa at the Rugby World Cup past year, the Japanese showed no deference to the superpower of the worldwide game, both on and off the pitch.
“They come from a real touch rugby background and they’re really good at reading the play whereas we like the contact”.
“This Olympics is not only a world series, it is the highest level of any (sevens) competition”.
Critics claim the changes were motivated by pleasing AIG and another major NZR sponsor in adidas and allowing both sponsors to leverage in important areas to them such as North America, Asia and Europe.
Williams will be replaced in the New Zealand squad by Sione Molia, while the Kiwis also face a nervous wait over Joe Webber’s fitness after he was carried off on a stretcher at the Deodoro Stadium.
“For most of us this is our last sevens series, so this is our only chance to prove to the world that Japan can beat any team”, Japan back Lote Tuqiri said.
The Langford-based Canadian women’s sevens rugby team gained a measure of revenge for an earlier Olympic tournament loss to Great Britain and came away with a bronze medal after beating the Brits 33-10 on Monday in Rio de Janeiro.
Australia’s men’s team, the Wallabies, have struggled against New Zealand’s famous All Blacks for more than a decade in the traditional 15-a-side game.
“When I started the game, women’s rugby in Australia wasn’t very big”, Parry said. I don’t think we’re going to be sleeping until we get home’.
“He’s a great professional”.
A heavily bearded US player stretches, with help from a friend, during the Mens Rugby Sevens Pool A match between the USA and Argentina.
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Tietjens says it is a shame as he has understood the game of sevens so well.
