New Zealand secured back-to-back Olympic gold medals in women’s rugby sevens at Paris 2024, triumphing over Canada in a thrilling final at the Stade de France. Significant upsets marked the day as Canada shocked tournament favourites Australia in the semi-finals to reach the gold medal match. The United States completed the series of surprises by clinching their first-ever Olympic rugby sevens medal, defeating Australia to claim bronze in dramatic fashion.

Gold Medal Match: New Zealand 19 v Canada 12

The final between New Zealand and Canada was an enthralling contest. New Zealand started strongly, with Risi Pouri-Lane scoring early, but the game took a dramatic turn when Portia Woodman-Wickliffe was yellow-carded. Canada capitalized, with Chloe Daniels and Alysha Corrigan scoring to take a 12-7 lead into halftime. New Zealand’s experience shone through in the second half, with Michaela Blyde equalizing before Sarah Hirini set up Stacey Waaka for the decisive try. The 19-12 victory extended New Zealand’s Olympic winning streak to 12 matches.

Bronze Medal Match: Australia 12 v USA 14

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The USA clinched their first Olympic rugby sevens medal against Australia, showcasing an incredible defensive performance. Despite Maddison Levi scoring twice for Australia, the USA’s resilient defence kept them in the game. Alev Kelter’s try kept the Americans within striking distance while their relentless defensive efforts frustrated the Australians. The USA’s tenacity paid off in the dying seconds when Alex Sedrick intercepted a pass near her own try line and raced the length of the field to score the match-winning try. This remarkable defensive stand and last-gasp counter-attack secured a 14-12 victory and historic bronze for the USA, with their defensive prowess proving crucial in overcoming the favoured Australians.

Semi-Finals:

The semi-finals produced two contrasting matches, with Canada pulling off a major upset against Australia and New Zealand asserting their dominance over the USA.

Australia 12 v Canada 21

Canada rings the bell after rather win over Fiji on day one of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at Stade de France on 28 July, 2024 in Paris. Photo credit: Mike Lee – KLC fotos for World Rugby

Canada stunned tournament favourites Australia with a 21-12 victory in a match that showcased their resilience and determination. Australia started strongly, racing to a 12-0 lead within the first four minutes through tries from Maddison Levi and Sariah Paki. However, Canada refused to buckle under pressure. Charity Williams ignited their comeback with a brilliant 75-meter individual try just before halftime, narrowing the gap to 12-7. The second half belonged entirely to Canada as they capitalized on Australian errors and penalties. Asia Hogan-Rochester crossed the line early in the second period to give Canada the lead before Piper Logan sealed the victory with a try in the final minute. This win was particularly impressive given Canada had lost six of their last seven meetings with Australia.

New Zealand 24 v USA 12

In the other semi-final, New Zealand demonstrated why they were the defending champions with a commanding 24-12 win over the USA. The match began with a shock as USA’s Alev Kelter scored the opening try, catching the New Zealanders off guard. However, the Black Ferns Sevens quickly regained control of the game. Stacey Waaka scored two tries, one in each half, to put New Zealand in the lead. Michaela Blyde then took centre stage, showcasing her speed and power to score two tries of her own, bringing her tournament tally to nine. The USA managed a late consolation try through Kristi Kirshe, but by then, New Zealand’s place in the final was secure. This victory extended New Zealand’s winning streak against the USA to 11 matches, a run dating back to October 2019.

Playoffs:

In the placement matches, France secured fifth place with a 21-7 win over China, with veteran Chloé Pelle scoring in her final game. Great Britain claimed seventh place by defeating Ireland 28-12, with Megan Jones scoring a brace. Japan took ninth with a dominant 38-7 victory over Brazil, while South Africa won their first-ever Olympic match to finish 11th, beating Fiji 21-15.

PARIS, FRANCE – JULY 28: Maddison Levi of Team Australia runs with the ball during the Women’s Pool B match between Australia and South Africa on day two of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Stade de France on July 28, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)

The tournament set new records for tries scored (209) and total points (1,305) across the 34 matches played. Australia’s Maddison Levi finished as the top try-scorer with a record 14 tries despite her team missing out on a medal. The event was a resounding success, with over 500,000 fans attending the matches at Stade de France over six days, marking a coming-of-age moment for rugby sevens on the Olympic stage.

As the Paris 2024 women’s rugby sevens competition concluded, it provided spectacular sporting action and set the stage for the sport’s continued growth and development as it looks ahead to the LA 2028 Olympic Games.

The Black Ferns Sevens secured New Zealand’s first medal of the Paris 2024 Olympics, defending their title with a hard-fought 19-12 victory over Canada in the women’s rugby sevens final at the Stade de France.

The match was a testament to the unpredictable nature of sevens rugby, with momentum swinging back and forth throughout. Risi Pouri-Lane opened the scoring for New Zealand, breaking through the Canadian defence to score under the posts within the first two minutes.

However, the game took a dramatic turn when Portia Woodman-Wickliffe, in her final match before retirement, was sent to the sin bin for a dangerous tackle. Canada capitalized on the numerical advantage, with Chloe Daniels levelling the scores. The Canadians then took a surprise 12-7 lead into halftime after Alysha Corrigan intercepted a pass from Sarah Hirini and ran it in.

The Black Ferns Sevens showed their champion spirit in the second half. Michaela Blyde, who had been outstanding throughout the tournament, scored her 10th try of the Olympics shortly after the restart, putting New Zealand back in front at 14-12.

As the clock wound down and with Canada pressing hard, it was captain Sarah Hirini who made the decisive play. Despite having barely overcome a serious knee injury to make the Olympics, Hirini broke through the Canadian defence before linking up with Stacey Waaka, who scored the gold medal-sealing try.

In the emotional aftermath of the victory, Hirini spoke to the media, saying, “I’m bloody sore. My face hurts, I’m so happy. I don’t know how to put that into words. What this crowd has done for us over the last few days, what Aotearoa has done for us, getting up in the middle of the night to watch us, we feel you, we hear you, we see you. This one is for you guys. We’re bringing that gold medal back to Aotearoa.”

This victory marks New Zealand’s second gold medal in women’s sevens, following their success in Tokyo 2021 and adding to their silver from Rio 2016 when the sport debuted at the Olympic level. It also cements their status as the most successful team in Olympic women’s sevens history.

For Canada, while the loss will sting, their silver medal represents a remarkable achievement. They surpassed all expectations, knocking out hosts France in the quarter-finals and stunning favourites Australia in the semis before pushing New Zealand to the limit in the gold medal match.

Canada’s women’s rugby sevens team pulled off a remarkable 21-12 victory over tournament favourites Australia in the semi-finals of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The win secures Canada’s place in the gold medal match against New Zealand, guaranteeing their best-ever Olympic result in the sport.

The match began with Australia asserting their dominance, as Maddison Levi opened the scoring with a powerful fend on Charity Williams to race away for the first try. Sariah Paki soon added a second, giving Australia a seemingly comfortable 12-0 lead.

However, the tide began to turn just before halftime when Canada’s most experienced player, Charity Williams, broke through with a bulldozing run, culminating in her trademark somersault over the goal line. This crucial try, converted by captain Olivia Apps, narrowed the gap to 12-7 at the break and shifted the momentum in Canada’s favour.

The second half saw Canada capitalize on their newfound energy. Asia Hogan-Rochester crossed the line two minutes after the restart, with Apps’ conversion giving Canada a 14-12 lead. The upset was completed when Piper Logan, taking advantage of an Australian error, broke through the defence for her fourth try of the Olympic Games. Apps’ conversion sealed the final score at 21-12.

This victory continues Canada’s giant-killing run in the tournament, having knocked out host nation France in the quarter-finals the previous night. For Australia, the loss was a devastating blow, with players visibly distraught and in tears as the reality of their elimination set in.

In the post-match interview, try-scorer Asia Hogan-Rochester emphasized the team effort behind the victory, stating, “It took a whole squad effort. And when I say whole squad, I don’t mean the 14 people that are on our paper, I mean the extended group of 23 to 25 athletes that we have, some of us are on the field and some of us are back home watching and cheering.”

The upset denies what many expected to be an inevitable showdown between Australia and New Zealand for the gold medal. Instead, Canada will face the defending champions, New Zealand, in the final at 19:45 local time, while Australia must regroup to face the USA in the bronze medal match at 19:00.