The veteran star of the women’s team is Beatriz Futuro Muhlbauer, but she has questioned whether the promotion of rugby post-Olympics would remain a priority in a country bedevilled by political problems.
Advertisement
Speaking at the team’s press conference, Williams said: “It would have to surpass it because, as an athlete, there’s no higher level than the Olympics”. They see that the sport’s future is now. The dream was kind of put on the back-burner because I ended up in a sport that wasn’t part of the Olympics, so I shifted my goal to the World Cups, which is the next biggest thing in sport.
“I’ll always remember trying on my prom dress and being upset at how broad and muscular I was”, she told the publication.
Years of meticulous planning and traversing the globe winning back-to-back rugby sevens world series titles had coach Ben Ryan prepared for just about anything when he revealed his Fiji squad for the Olympics.
“Fifteens isn’t well known and rugby sevens even less so”.
Williams said he wanted to watch his sister play in the women’s sevens tournament and support other New Zealand athletes, in particular Valerie Adams who is aiming for a third consecutive gold medal.
“It’s the first Canadian women’s rugby team to compete, the first time it’s a South American Olympics, it’s the first gold medal for the sport, it’s the first everything and it will leave such a legacy for others to say this is possible”. I am fortunate to learn off these boys in the team and train my butt off.
But he quit the National Football League in May this year, and played his first sevens game for Fiji – the birthplace of his father Manoa Thompson – a week later at Twickenham.
Rugby sevens is a ideal fit for Kish and her skill set. The Fijiana as they are known finished eighth in the overall series standings this year and are led by influential skipper Ana Maria Roqica.
“Unfortunately the game of sevens is ruthless”.
The women’s squads in Rio will feature players lured from sports such as basketball, volleyball and track and field. They’re more confident now and have some strong players making them the toughest team Canada will face in its pool. In sevens, your mistakes are exposed.
They open their campaign up against Brazil on Saturday and they will also play Japan later in the day before finishing their group stage with a game against Canada on Sunday.
Expectations are high on the Canadians going into the inaugural Olympic tournament, and as team captain, Kish is up for the challenge.
“We haven’t got the loss against our name but it was definitely the kick up the trousers that we needed going into the quarter-final”, said Australia coach Tim Walsh.
Advertisement
“Because everything is done in such a simple framework, nothing’s complicated and we don’t throw anything at them that requires too much complication”, he says.
