France kicked off the tournament with a surprising 31-14 win over error-prone Australia – the morning after a celebratory night for Australians after their women’s team beat New Zealand to win the first rugby sevens gold medal at an Olympics.
Advertisement
The gold medal match, held at Deodoro in Rio’s Zona Norte (North Zone), started strong for New Zealand with Kayla McAlister scoring the team’s first try.
Co-captain Shannon Parry has hailed Australia’s Olympic gold medal in rugby sevens in Rio as not only a victory for the nation but also women’s sport.
Along with Australia, New Zealand, and Canada, winning gold, silver, and bronze respectively, the inaugural Olympic women’s rugby sevens competition also included the US placing fifth, and host country Brazil finishing in ninth place. “So we just wanted to end it by saying, ‘Hey, let’s go beat the Fijians.’ We hadn’t beaten them all year”.
Coming after their stunning loss to Japan on day one, during which they also lost Sonny Bill Williams and Joe Webber to injury, the defeat left the All Blacks teetering on the brink of an embarrassing exit.
“This is our chance to prove to the world that Japan can beat any team”, said Lote Tuqiri, a Fiji-born flyer who proudly plays for Japan.
The Australians had been pre-Olympic favourites, courtesy of winning the 2015-16 world series, but were forced to weather an early attacking storm from New Zealand before prevailing with a four tries to three win. “We knew we couldn’t let that happen”.
She played for the Jillaroos, Australia’s national women’s rugby league team, prior to making her rugby sevens debut in 2013.
Caslick, from Brisbane, and Holland, from tiny Braidwood not far from Canberra, have united in a home away from home with fellow Australian Rugby Union sevens squad members Brooke Walker and Dominique Du Toit on Sydney’s northern beaches.
Marcus Watson, brother of England star Anthony Watson, then touched down to put the Pool C leaders back in front, only for Lemeki’s second try to set up a nerve-shredding climax that narrowly saw Britain move towards the quarter-finals ahead of tackling New Zealand on Wednesday.
“I am a bit disappointed but mainly in my own game”, she said.
“We’ve got one aim and that’s to win gold medal, not silver or bronze”, Fiji coach Ben Ryan said.
They were defeated 33-10 to finish fourth and were visibly upset by the poor showing in their final match.
“It is unbelievable”, Lemeki said.
Advertisement
“I’m just really proud of the girls”.
