After three days, the inaugural Women’s Olympic Rugby Sevens competition has concluded. The 12 pioneering women’s sides all demonstrated the skill-set that makes this sport action packed. Over Day Three, there were ‘Cheers, Tears and Gold Medals’ to complete the tournament.
RIO OLYMPICS – DAY THREE RESULTS
All eyes began on the two semi final matches. The gold medal made all four competing sides very desperate. The rewards were greater too in the medal round, so each of the semis would be played at ‘break neck’ pace.
AUSTRALIA 17 CANADA 5 | GREAT BRITAIN 7 NEW ZEALAND 25
With those matches complete, fans knew they would be in for a fabulous finale. But before that conclusion, the minor placings needed to be finalized.
The battle of the Minnows
In other match results, Kenya managed ‘not’ to win the wooden spoon. Winning 22-10 over Colombia, the African women will know they have much to improve on. They truly would have wanted to be in the shoes of the more important ‘ninth place’ match result.
The winner here would become a core status side on illustrious the 2016/2017 HSBC Women’s Sevens Series. With that on the line, hosts Brazil would have been ecstatic in beating Japan 33-5. Felictations!
5th-8th Playoff matches
To begin with, the sides who had missed the semi final matches really had little more than World Rugby rankings to play for. Sides like the United States, France, Spain and Fiji needed to stay motivated to complete their competition proper. Not many sides can retain that application, and in fact the French and American sides maintained their momentum best.
FRANCE 24 SPAIN 12 | USA 12 FIJI 7
After dispatching an eratic Spanish challenge, the French team may have assumed they could ‘outlast’ Team USA. The American women had not reached the heights hoped by many, disappointing some fans of the sport in the fiercest global market. With that hanging over them, gladly the US side sprang into life. The close loss to the Kiwis would not be their zenith.
FRANCE 5 USA 19
The US women will be much better off for this result. By finishing fifth, not only have they improved on ranking positions, it will help them believe more in their 2016/2017 season. Not in the same group as Canada, Australia or New Zealand, they have advanced more than the Tricolor. That side have been underwhelming in almost all the Sevens Series results. Managing wins over the lesser teams, only once have they beaten any side of substance [Canada]
So proud of the @TeamUSA women who rallied to defeat #FIJ & #FRA to claim 5th in the @Rio2016_en @Olympics! pic.twitter.com/q8b9g8xl2r
— USA Sevens Rugby (@USASevensRugby) August 8, 2016
France will be a side who must go away and deconstruct their game. If the European powers want to make it in the growing game, they must recover some self-confidence. Something the Americans have a wealth of, if not only when they are on the big stage. Do this [win] regularly and they very well might first win a tournament of note, and then aim for Tokyo.
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Before the Gold medal match, fans could enjoy the battle for third place. While not every sides favourite event (after failing to reach a final) their were still rewards on offer in the Bronze medal playoff.
GREAT BRITAIN 10 CANADA 33
Leading up to the semi final, the composite side of England, Wales and Scotland became one of the highest performing sides. They looked to be headed for a final until the New Zealand ‘machine’ rolled past them. After that, it might have exposed a weakness and to the Canadian women’s credit, they exploited it.
#Rio2016 #Rugby7s #bronze medalists! #CAN pic.twitter.com/SHxdlDc0vp
— RugbyCanada (@RugbyCanada) August 8, 2016
The North Americans have been near the top of the Sevens Series this year and with Ghislaine Landry, they always had the determination needed to achieve a result. Bronze might not be where they wanted to be, but their attitude meant they converted a Bronze into a victory. And an important ranking place too.
AUSTRALIA 24 NEW ZEALAND 17
In the end, the most complete side achieved their goal. No doubt, Sarah Goss and her team would have loved to collect the main prize but a more comprehensive overall performance was seen from Australia side (pictured on the dyase).
The full match report here illustrates the close first half. The underdogs making an early break, only to be caught by the confident Aussie women. Emma Tonegato and Evania Pelite crossing to build a 10-5 halftime score that might still provide the Kiwi girls hope–even while Portia Woodman sat in the sin bin.
Beginning the second half a women down, it might have seemed only a matter of time. The New Zealand team had a tremendous defensive game, but all too soon two quick tries extended the lead out to 24-5. Chloe Dalton’s two conversions made it a difficult task. Almost insurmountable, the NZ team needed to act quickly and with Woodman back they closed the gap with a much needed try to Kayla McAlister. What they needed to do was ‘hustle’.
Quick tries needed to draw the scores
The game of Sevens is synonymous with quick scoring. Teams have been known to score three tries in as many minutes. After scoring their second try, a quick conversion was needed. It went wide unfortunately and sadly for them, the gap was too much to return from. The Aussie women may have been exhausted, so a Woodman consolation try gave the score a gloss that did not reflect the early pressure applied.
Australia had used their advantages and it had earned them each Gold medals. Post-match the ‘Cheers and tears’ were provided by an enthusiastic crowd full of yellow shirts. The vocal response was met with bows of appreciation, players waving and crying from the emotional occasion.
Sharni Williams led from the front, with talent showing all across the side. Athletic and well trained, they performed over the entire season–key to International success–and all the sides cannot argue the Australians were numero uno in Rio.
HISTORY MADE!
Our women’s sevens team are the @Rio2016_en Olympic Champions!#OneTeam
— AUS Olympic Team (@AUSOlympicTeam) August 8, 2016
History
Commentator Keith Quinn put it best. “Tears flowing on both sides of the result” as the Jubilation from the victors in retaining their number one status was opposed by the inconsolable tears from Goss, Woodman and even the tough Huriana Manuel had a tear.
The crowd certainly knew that the two best sides had fought out the final and it was an auspicious debut for the game of Rugby Sevens. New Zealand will hold their heads high but the ‘golden glow’ lingers over the Australian women.
LWOS Dream Team
Lead Sevens reporter Jovilisi Waqa has seen all of the matches over the three day tournament. Among the tough competitors, he has selected a ‘Top Seven’. Those players who demonstrate the skills and desire that champions are made of–including the find of the tournament who has to be Bianca Farella.
The ‘Lowdown’ Women’s Sevens Dreamteam: Sarah Goss, Amy Wilson-Hardy, Charlotte Caslick, Chloe Dalton, Portia Woodman, Kayla McAlister, Emma Tonegato.
A successful debut tournament
The Olympic movement embraced Rugby Sevens on a trial basis. Like Golf, they will return to Tokyo in four years, but unlike many other sports, the team-dynamic has worked to Sevens advantage.
No public relations issues here–Golf has had multiple names pull out for personal reasons. A team sport requires a commitment months, even years out from the event, so the smile on World Rugby Chairman Bill Beaumont’so face mirrored the satisfaction the IOC will have, in Rugbys’ performance.
It is this element of the sport that will bring the best out in the participants. Many nations not present in 2016, will invest more now, to create a Sevens-pathway for Women and Men to aspire to.
Rugby Sevens will leave Rio feeling that the women placed their best foot forward. If ever World Rugby needed a demonstration of the best attributes of this sport, they received it. From Japan to Colombia, Canada to winners Australia, all the teams can be proud of their performance.
New Zealand might not have come away with gold, but NZ rugby fans should still congratulate the ‘Sevens Sisters’ for doing their best in reaching an Olympic final.
“Main photo credit”
