Sonny Bill Williams, is driven out of the stadium by medics.
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An hour after the match it was confirmed that SBW would be sidelined for nine months with a ruptured Achilles.
RIO DE JANEIRO Sonny Bill Williams, the highest profile player in the rugby sevens tournament, was ruled out of the rest of the Olympics after suffering an Achilles injury in New Zealand’s opening match on Tuesday.
Japan pulled off a huge upset to get New Zealand’s Olympic men’s rugby sevens campaign off to a losing start at Rio 2016 on Tuesday.
“We played pretty well, especially against France”, said coach Neil Powell.
In echoes of the victory of their 15-man team over South Africa at the Rugby World Cup past year, the Japanese showed no deference to the acknowledged superpower of the worldwide game.
“It’s unbelievable, you never see a minnow team come here and beat a team supposed to be a gold medal contender”, said Japan’s New Zealand-born playmaker Lomano Lemeki. “Both influential players as well, got some outstanding qualities that I needed”.
“We’re coming here, not just to make up the numbers”. “The guys bounced back with a lot of character against Kenya”.
“It’s replacing one of the preseason games we have before Super Rugby so they’d be involved anyway”.
New Zealand could need yet another replacement after Joe Webber was taken off the pitch on a stretcher with a left shoulder injury soon after Williams.
New Zealand skipper Sara Goss said all 12 teams had come to the Rio Games “to grow a women’s legacy. They pushed Britain very closely as well – perhaps that says it all”, he said.
Fans of “sevens” (as it is commonly called) argue it is a faster, more exciting version of the game.
New Zealand hit back in their second fixture, beating Kenya 28-5 thanks to scores from Ioane, Agustine Pulu and Lewis Ormond after Collins Injera had given the Africans an early lead.
“He’s a great professional”.
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Tuqiri, who shares the same name as a cousin who played a Rugby World Cup final for Australia, is hoping for an influx of talented young Japanese players for the sevens program to improve the country’s chances of winning a medal at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. “I know the sacrifices, the hard work, the sweat and tears that have been put in getting to this point in time”, she said in an interview with One News.
