New Zealand Retains Olympic Rugby Sevens Title

New Zealand successfully defended their women’s rugby sevens Olympic title with a 19-12 victory over Canada. Despite trailing 12-7 at halftime, the Black Ferns staged a comeback with crucial tries from Michaela Blyde and Stacey Waaka. This win marks New Zealand’s third Olympic medal in rugby sevens, adding to their silver from the Rio 2016 Games and their gold from the inaugural tournament in 2016.

Canada’s impressive first-half performance which saw them lead by five points was not enough to hold off the reigning champions. New Zealand’s resilience and tactical prowess eventually secured their triumph. In the battle for bronze, the USA achieved a historic milestone by winning their first Olympic rugby sevens medal. They edged out Australia with a narrow 14-12 victory.

With Australia on the verge of clinching the bronze, USA’s Alex Sedrick made a decisive break to score a try, leveling the scores, and then sealed the win with a crucial conversion. Great Britain, having been eliminated by the USA in the quarter-finals, ended the tournament in seventh place.

They achieved this by delivering a strong performance in their final match, securing a decisive 28-12 victory over Ireland. As a result, Ireland finished in eighth place, rounding out the competition.