Canada Second

New Zealand won a thrilling arm-wrestle of a gold medal match 19-12 against brave and determined Canada to send rugby legends Portia Woodman-Wickliffe and Tyla King into retirement with Paris 2024 gold medals around their necks.

Earlier, Canada and USA had both sprung Olympic upsets on a dramatic afternoon at Stade de France, as they each beat one of the hot favourites for gold, Australia, in consecutive matches.

Canada were the first to upset the form book, beating the reigning Rugby World Cup Sevens champions and SVNS Grand final winners in the medal semi-finals, before Emilie Bydwell became the first female head coach to win a medal as USA wrote their names into history, stunning Rio 2016 gold medallists Australia 14-12, in the bronze medal match.

Australia’s Maddison Levi broke the record for most tries in a single Olympic Games with an incredible 14 tries, and drew level with Woodman-Wickliffe on the all-time Olympic scoring chart with 17, but ultimately finished without a medal.

France, Great Britain, Japan and South Africa South all wound up their respective Paris 2024 campaigns on a winning note.

Veteran Chloe Pelle scored on her final appearance for the host nation as they finished fifth with a 21-7 win over China, while Great Britain got the better of Olympic debutants Ireland 28-12 in the seventh-place play-off.

Japan made it three wins in a row to claim ninth place with a dominant 38-7 victory over Brazil, while South Africa beat Fiji 21-15 to win their first-ever Olympic match and claim 11th place.

More than 500,000 fans were entertained at Stade de France over six days of sensational rugby sevens as the dynamic, action-packed sport has truly ‘come of age’ at it’s third appearance at the Olympic Games following debut at Rio 2016 and the Covid-19 affected Games in Tokyo.

Over the last three days the best women’s rugby sevens players in the world have showcased their incredible skill, speed and power to record-breaking audiences for a women’s rugby event.

The referee for the gold medal final was the USA’s Kat Roche, while Criag Chan of Hong Kong China took charge of the bronze medal match.

New Zealand’s Portia Woodman-Wickliffe said on finishing her sevens career with Olympic gold: “I’m so grateful for the opportunities that I have taken. The people who I have around me have been so special – my wife, my daughter, my mum and dad. I’m just so grateful.”

On what she was thinking when the final whistle went: “We did it. And we got to do it in front of family and friends. In Tokyo we got the job done but no one was celebrating with us. So this time round we have a 70,000 crowd and family and friends.

“To finish like that was amazing. My dream was to represent New Zealand. Then I just had to take my opportunities. But this ranks No.1 in my highlights reel. In this stadium, alongside my mates – amazing.”

New Zealand’s Tyla KING on finishing her sevens career with Olympic gold said: “To go out here and put in a performance that we are proud of means such a lot.

“In Tokyo (Olympic Games in 2021) we didn’t reach our full potential, we scraped through some games. But here we absolutely put on a show from day one to the very end. We did it for the crowd that was here, for the families back home, for the whole country.

“I’m so proud to have been part of this team for the last 13 years. It took a whole village to get us to this moment.

“It was amazing knowing that we had put in all the work back home and now is the time to put our best foot forward. I’ve been doing it for a long time so I know how to contain my emotions. It wasn’t till the very end that I let it loose.”

Canada’s Caroline Crossley on her emotions after the game: “It’s a whole range of human emotions. There is disappointment, there is pride, there is sadness, there is love for my team. Everything I can possibly feel, I feel it right now. I’m definitively in shock. I’m very happy but it will take time to process this.”

On what the players said to each other after the game: “It was just acknowledging the fight we gave in that game. We gave all we had. It was a close one. New Zealand are a great side, but we were really proud of the performance we put on, especially after our pool game against them on the first day.”

On what this will do for rugby sevens in Canada: “I’m hoping that this gives more excitement to rugby sevens because it’s such a great sport and we have such talented players in Canada.”

On seeing her family after receiving her medal: “I cried. Hugged them and put my medal around their necks because it’s every bit as much their win as it is mine.”

USA’s Ilona Maher on beating Australia to win the bronze medal said: “It hasn’t sunk in yet. I’m so tired but I’m so excited. I don’t think it will sink in until we get up with those medals. We worked really hard. We wanted this medal, not for ourselves but for our families. It was such a hard few years, but we did it.”

On support from her family: “They know so well what I’ve been through. Having them here really helps us. I was so broken and down three years ago (after Tokyo 2020). I took me a long time to come around, so to be here now after this, really means a lot. It’s awesome, and more so because this is a team sport. We are never alone in this.”

On what this medal will mean for rugby sevens in the United States: “I hope it means we get more games in stadiums like this, that we get more money and funding for the women’s game. We deserve it. We need more girls in the US trying rugby and seeing what it can do for them.”

World Rugby Chairman Sir Bill Beaumont reflected on an unforgettable Olympic sevens tournament: “The Olympics Sevens has truly been a coming-of-age moment for the sport, getting these special Games off to a thrilling start. From France men winning the first gold of Paris 2024, to the incredible atmosphere in a packed Stade de France, it has been breathtaking. The stars have shone brightly. Rugby has reached more people in more nations that ever before on and off the field.

“We’ve also seen records broken across the board including the opening day of the women’s competition which saw over 66,000 fans descend on Stade de France. Visibility of the women’s game has never been higher and we’re confident we’ve laid a solid foundation for the game to continue to flourish. We have no doubt the women’s game is going to continue to soar.

“Congratulations to New Zealand, Canada and the USA on their medal success and to all the teams who have contributed to making this a very special and outstandingly successful Olympic rugby sevens. Merci Paris. Merci France! We can’t wait for LA 2028!”

International rugby sevens action will return later this year as the SVNS Series begins a new Olympic cycle on the road to the LA 2028 Games, where the sevens will look to further enhance it’s reputation on the greatest stage.