Standout New Zealand player Kayla McAlister believes the brand of sevens played by both New Zealand and Australia will attract young women to the game, along with plenty of new followers.
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The tournament was eventually won by Australia after a thrilling 24-17 final against New Zealand.
Rugby sevens is among the fastest growing sports in the world and the number of women participating in the sport is enjoying a boom.
The Australian Rugby Union put them on contracts, set up an academy for sevens and allowed them to train as professional athletes.
“I think what we have seen in the last few years is how sevens standards are constantly increasing”.
“Fingers crossed come 2020 (Olympics) it will be there for Tokyo as well”.
The ARU, whose decision-making has left a lot to be desired for well over a decade, made the right call in this instance to initiate talent identification camps for women’s rugby sevens in the years that followed the 2009 announcement of the sport’s admission to the Olympics.
“First time Japan has ever beaten our side, but that’s sevens rugby now”, New Zealand coach Gordon Tiejens said. Not a swimming relay team, not the women’s soccer team or a beach volleyball pair.
Only Las Vegas somewhat replicated the Olympic format in the 2015/16 World Series. “It’s incredible, we’ve worked so hard for this”, said Australian skipper Shannon Parry. I think Steve [her dad] was at every game when she was at Helensburgh.
“It didn’t worry me at all, but I did want to fire them up”, Walsh said.
“I’m still shocked to be honest”. “Everyone was flying just like a kamikaze plane trying to chop their legs off – as long as we didn’t let them score a try, if we got knocked out that’s fine”.
Ryan, who took over as Fiji’s sevens coach in 2013, knows his team is expected to win and is trying just to ensure they’re peaking at the flawless time.
“We started off really well and showed the physical side and it was one of those things”. We just had so much belief there.
Canada beat Britain 33-10 for bronze, avenging a 22-0 loss the previous day at the end of the pool stage.
Australia’s women’s 7s rugby have claimed the gold medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Captain Scott Curry said they were guilty of making too may mistakes. “What a freaking historic moment for us”.
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The celebration of the team’s medal result extended back to Langford, where a collection of fans and officials that included hall of fame rugby player Gareth Rees of Victoria gathered to watch the day’s games at the Fan Zone at the Westin Bear Mountain Resort.
