{ "version": "https://jsonfeed.org/version/1.1", "user_comment": "This feed allows you to read the posts from this site in any feed reader that supports the JSON Feed format. To add this feed to your reader, copy the following URL -- https://www.asiarugby.com/tag/new-zealand-rugby/feed/json/ -- and add it your reader.", "home_page_url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/tag/new-zealand-rugby/", "feed_url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/tag/new-zealand-rugby/feed/json/", "language": "en-US", "title": "New Zealand Rugby Archives - Asia Rugby", "description": "Regional Association of the Governing Body for the Global Game", "items": [ { "id": "https://www.asiarugby.com/?p=9300", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/2023/03/03/hsbc-canada-sevens-set-for-historic-weekend/", "title": "HSBC Canada Sevens set for historic weekend", "content_html": "

The 28 captains gathered on Wednesday on the traditional territory of Tsleil-Waututh Nation ahead of the highly anticipated HSBC Canada Sevens on 3-5 March, which sees the women\u2019s Series join the men for the first time ever at BC Place as the race for Series glory and Olympic qualification heats up.

\n\n

The world\u2019s best men\u2019s and women\u2019s rugby sevens players will return to action in Vancouver this weekend with a three-day event from 3-5 March as the race for HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series glory and the all-important Olympic qualification heats up.

\n

The 28 captains who will do battle for the highly coveted HSBC Canada Sevens crowns gathered on Wednesday on the traditional territory of Tsleil-Waututh Nation as they fine tune their preparations ahead of kick off on Friday.

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With the popular event returning to the city for the eighth consecutive year, Canada\u2019s men\u2019s and women\u2019s teams will be looking to put on a show for their fans as they enter the field at the BC Place Stadium.

\n

Canada women’s co-captain Breanne Nicholas said: \u201cWe\u2019re very excited to be playing on our home turf alongside the men. We know what it\u2019s like in Langford, and we\u2019re ready for the hype of Vancouver. Playing alongside the men is not only positive for the growth of rugby in Canada but the growth of women\u2019s sport in Canada.\u201d

\n

However, New Zealand\u2019s Black Ferns Sevens and All Blacks Sevens lead the current Series standings and arrive in confident mood having won the last three women\u2019s events and two men\u2019s events respectively.

\n

This weekend in Vancouver, if New Zealand’s women’s team reaches the cup finals, they will be the second nation to officially qualify for Paris 2024 after France, who have a spot secured as hosts.

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Black Ferns women\u2019s captain Sarah Goss said: \u201cIt\u2019s been amazing being in a new city in Canada, we love coming here and to be able to play at BC Place \u2013 we went to the stadium yesterday and had a run around against Canada \u2013 it\u2019s an amazing stadium and we\u2019re looking forward to the weekend.

\n

\u201cI have only seen that [New Zealand can qualify for Paris 2024] in the media and we haven\u2019t actually talked about that as a team. We\u2019re just trying to get better and better as the tournament goes along and we\u2019re very happy with how we\u2019re sitting but we probably won\u2019t be too happy unless we continue that momentum we\u2019ve already built.\u201d

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The 2023 Series is shaping up to be the most competitive in history with the prize of Olympic Games Paris 2024 qualification on offer for the top four women\u2019s and men\u2019s teams in the 2023 Series standings, while hosts France have pre-qualified for next year’s pinnacle event in the nation\u2019s capital.

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The men\u2019s Series has seen five different gold medal winners (Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, Samoa and South Africa) in the six rounds to date.

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New Zealand sit firmly on top of the women’s leader board with 78 points, having won the last three tournaments in Sydney, Hamilton and Cape Town. Australia, the only other nation to have won a tournament in Dubai, are tied with USA at 66 points each. The Americans join New Zealand as the only nation to have medalled at every event this season, while France picked up their first bronze medal in Sydney.

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VIEW MEN\u2019S SERIES STANDINGS >>

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VIEW WOMEN\u2019S SERIES STANDINGS >>

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The stakes couldn\u2019t be higher at the bottom end of the men\u2019s Series this season as well. Following the penultimate event in Toulouse, the 15th ranked team will be relegated to the 2024 Sevens Challenger Series while the 12th through 14th ranked teams will face off against the Sevens Challenger Series 2023 winner for the 12th and final position on the 2024 Series.

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Ireland captain Harry McNulty said: \u201cBack-to-back tournaments are always tough, and with the three-day tournament it means one less training day, but we love coming to Vancouver \u2013 it\u2019s always a great crowd so we\u2019re excited to push on from last week. For us it was great to get three wins in the pool but disappointing to not win anything on day two, so we\u2019re really looking forward to putting in another good performance this weekend.

\n

\u201cEvery tournament you have to take into consideration how hard the pools are because it\u2019s been crazy at the moment when there\u2019s nine teams who can qualify for the four Olympic spots at the end of the season. So we\u2019re going tournament-to-tournament in terms of getting our preparation right but also every tournament means you\u2019re one step closer to the end of the season so we need to make sure we get the most amount of points as we can.\u201d

\n

The men\u2019s pools for Vancouver have HSBC Los Angeles winners New Zealand in Pool A alongside Cape Town champions Samoa, Spain and the United States. Pool B includes silver medal winners Argentina with South Africa France and Japan. Bronze medal winners Fiji will meet Great Britain, Uruguay and Kenya in Pool C, while Australia lead Pool D alongside Ireland, Canada and Chile.

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VIEW MEN\u2019S MATCH SCHEDULE >>

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The women\u2019s pools for Vancouver have New Zealand, Fiji, Great Britain and Colombia in Pool A. Reigning Series champions Australia will be looking to bounce back in Pool B against France, Japan and Spain. Pool C sees the USA together with Ireland, hosts Canada and Brazil.

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VIEW WOMEN\u2019S MATCH SCHEDULE >>

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The action begins at 09:15 local time (GMT-8) on Friday, beginning three days of action-packed world-class rugby sevens, which concludes with the finals on Sunday evening.

\n

Tickets for the HSBC Canada Sevens are available from\u00a0Home – Canada Sevens

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Rugby sevens fans around the world can watch the action via live stream on World Rugby digital platforms including\u00a0www.world.rugby, YouTube and Facebook in countries where there is no national broadcaster covering the event.

\n

WHERE TO WATCH >>

\n

The post HSBC Canada Sevens set for historic weekend appeared first on Asia Rugby.

\n", "content_text": "The 28 captains gathered on Wednesday on the traditional territory of Tsleil-Waututh Nation ahead of the highly anticipated HSBC Canada Sevens on 3-5 March, which sees the women\u2019s Series join the men for the first time ever at BC Place as the race for Series glory and Olympic qualification heats up.\n\nThe HSBC Canada Sevens gets underway 3-5 March, marking the 200th men’s tournament in HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series storied history\nFor the first time ever, the top 12 women\u2019s nations are set to join the men at BC Place for a thrilling three-day competition\nNew Zealand Black Ferns Sevens lead current women\u2019s Series standings, can officially qualify for Paris 2024 this weekend\nNew Zealand All Blacks Sevens sit atop the men\u2019s Series standings having won back-to-back stops in Sydney and Los Angeles\nThe HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2023 is the most competitive in history with Paris 2024 Olympic qualification the prize for the top four teams\nPlay begins at 09:15 local time (GMT-8) on Friday, with the finals on Sunday\n\nThe world\u2019s best men\u2019s and women\u2019s rugby sevens players will return to action in Vancouver this weekend with a three-day event from 3-5 March as the race for HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series glory and the all-important Olympic qualification heats up.\nThe 28 captains who will do battle for the highly coveted HSBC Canada Sevens crowns gathered on Wednesday on the traditional territory of Tsleil-Waututh Nation as they fine tune their preparations ahead of kick off on Friday.\nWith the popular event returning to the city for the eighth consecutive year, Canada\u2019s men\u2019s and women\u2019s teams will be looking to put on a show for their fans as they enter the field at the BC Place Stadium.\nCanada women’s co-captain Breanne Nicholas said: \u201cWe\u2019re very excited to be playing on our home turf alongside the men. We know what it\u2019s like in Langford, and we\u2019re ready for the hype of Vancouver. Playing alongside the men is not only positive for the growth of rugby in Canada but the growth of women\u2019s sport in Canada.\u201d\nHowever, New Zealand\u2019s Black Ferns Sevens and All Blacks Sevens lead the current Series standings and arrive in confident mood having won the last three women\u2019s events and two men\u2019s events respectively.\nThis weekend in Vancouver, if New Zealand’s women’s team reaches the cup finals, they will be the second nation to officially qualify for Paris 2024 after France, who have a spot secured as hosts.\nBlack Ferns women\u2019s captain Sarah Goss said: \u201cIt\u2019s been amazing being in a new city in Canada, we love coming here and to be able to play at BC Place \u2013 we went to the stadium yesterday and had a run around against Canada \u2013 it\u2019s an amazing stadium and we\u2019re looking forward to the weekend.\n\u201cI have only seen that [New Zealand can qualify for Paris 2024] in the media and we haven\u2019t actually talked about that as a team. We\u2019re just trying to get better and better as the tournament goes along and we\u2019re very happy with how we\u2019re sitting but we probably won\u2019t be too happy unless we continue that momentum we\u2019ve already built.\u201d\nThe 2023 Series is shaping up to be the most competitive in history with the prize of Olympic Games Paris 2024 qualification on offer for the top four women\u2019s and men\u2019s teams in the 2023 Series standings, while hosts France have pre-qualified for next year’s pinnacle event in the nation\u2019s capital.\nThe men\u2019s Series has seen five different gold medal winners (Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, Samoa and South Africa) in the six rounds to date.\nNew Zealand sit firmly on top of the women’s leader board with 78 points, having won the last three tournaments in Sydney, Hamilton and Cape Town. Australia, the only other nation to have won a tournament in Dubai, are tied with USA at 66 points each. The Americans join New Zealand as the only nation to have medalled at every event this season, while France picked up their first bronze medal in Sydney.\nVIEW MEN\u2019S SERIES STANDINGS >>\nVIEW WOMEN\u2019S SERIES STANDINGS >>\nThe stakes couldn\u2019t be higher at the bottom end of the men\u2019s Series this season as well. Following the penultimate event in Toulouse, the 15th ranked team will be relegated to the 2024 Sevens Challenger Series while the 12th through 14th ranked teams will face off against the Sevens Challenger Series 2023 winner for the 12th and final position on the 2024 Series.\nIreland captain Harry McNulty said: \u201cBack-to-back tournaments are always tough, and with the three-day tournament it means one less training day, but we love coming to Vancouver \u2013 it\u2019s always a great crowd so we\u2019re excited to push on from last week. For us it was great to get three wins in the pool but disappointing to not win anything on day two, so we\u2019re really looking forward to putting in another good performance this weekend.\n\u201cEvery tournament you have to take into consideration how hard the pools are because it\u2019s been crazy at the moment when there\u2019s nine teams who can qualify for the four Olympic spots at the end of the season. So we\u2019re going tournament-to-tournament in terms of getting our preparation right but also every tournament means you\u2019re one step closer to the end of the season so we need to make sure we get the most amount of points as we can.\u201d\nThe men\u2019s pools for Vancouver have HSBC Los Angeles winners New Zealand in Pool A alongside Cape Town champions Samoa, Spain and the United States. Pool B includes silver medal winners Argentina with South Africa France and Japan. Bronze medal winners Fiji will meet Great Britain, Uruguay and Kenya in Pool C, while Australia lead Pool D alongside Ireland, Canada and Chile.\nVIEW MEN\u2019S MATCH SCHEDULE >>\nThe women\u2019s pools for Vancouver have New Zealand, Fiji, Great Britain and Colombia in Pool A. Reigning Series champions Australia will be looking to bounce back in Pool B against France, Japan and Spain. Pool C sees the USA together with Ireland, hosts Canada and Brazil.\nVIEW WOMEN\u2019S MATCH SCHEDULE >>\nThe action begins at 09:15 local time (GMT-8) on Friday, beginning three days of action-packed world-class rugby sevens, which concludes with the finals on Sunday evening.\nTickets for the HSBC Canada Sevens are available from\u00a0Home – Canada Sevens\nRugby sevens fans around the world can watch the action via live stream on World Rugby digital platforms including\u00a0www.world.rugby, YouTube and Facebook in countries where there is no national broadcaster covering the event.\nWHERE TO WATCH >>\nThe post HSBC Canada Sevens set for historic weekend appeared first on Asia Rugby.", "date_published": "2023-03-03T17:58:34+08:00", "date_modified": "2023-03-03T17:58:34+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Fiji.jpg", "tags": [ "HSBC Canada Sevens", "HSBC", "New Zealand Rugby", "Fiji Rugby", "Tsleil-Waututh", "Featured", "News" ] }, { "id": "https://www.asiarugby.com/?p=9232", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/2023/01/12/exciting-year-of-rugby-sevens-gets-underway-in-hamilton/", "title": "Exciting year of rugby sevens gets underway in Hamilton", "content_html": "

The first event of 2023 kicks off next weekend with the return of the HSBC New Zealand Sevens at FMG Stadium Waikato as the race to qualify for Paris 2024 heats up.

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After a short break for the holiday season, the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2023 continues with the HSBC New Zealand Sevens on 21-22 January kicking off what will be a thrilling year for rugby sevens.

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Hamilton marks the fourth event in a busy 11-stop men\u2019s Series, with Samoa and South Africa currently tied atop the standings, closely followed by New Zealand and USA.

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In the women\u2019s competition, Hamilton marks the third stop on the 2023 Series with trans-Tasman rivals Australia and New Zealand tied at the top of the standings after winning titles in Dubai and Cape Town respectively. USA and France are leading the chase in the race for the top four.

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Having been on New Zealand\u2019s sporting calendar for more than two decades, this year the tournament will see the addition of a second playing field next to FMG Stadium Waikato to enable the full men\u2019s and women\u2019s draws to be played over two action-packed days.

\n

The men\u2019s pool draw for Hamilton sees Cape Town champions Samoa take their place in Pool A alongside Olympic champions Fiji, France and Kenya.

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Hosts New Zealand slot into Pool B alongside Great Britain, Hong Kong winners Australia and invitational team Tonga.

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Cape Town bronze medal winners USA lead Pool C and will face off against Uruguay, Ireland and Japan on day one.

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South Africa, Cup winners in Dubai in December, are joined by Argentina, Spain and Canada in Pool D.

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\u201cTeams will be looking to build towards Olympic qualification, so we have to hit the ground running on day one,\u201d All Blacks Sevens head coach Clark Laidlaw said.

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\u201cThe players can\u2019t wait to get out on the field at FMG Stadium Waikato and put on their best performance in front of a big home crowd one last time. We are looking forward to it.\u201d

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VIEW SERIES 2023 CALENDAR >>

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In the women\u2019s competition, hosts New Zealand will face off against Great Britain, Fiji and invitational team Papua New Guinea in Pool A.

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Australia, who will be looking to build on their incredible momentum in 2022 in Hamilton ahead of their home tournament in Sydney from 27-29 January, headline Pool B alongside France, Canada and Japan.

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Pool C features USA, Ireland, Brazil and Spain.

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\u201cTo be back playing in a World Series event on our whenua since 2020 is incredibly exciting. The team has been looking forward to competing on home turf, in front of their wh\u0101nau and fans. It\u2019s going to be a memorable weekend for all of us, especially the players who will be taking the field for the final time in Hamilton,\u201d Black Ferns Sevens head coach Cory Sweeney said.

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VIEW MEN\u2019S MATCH SCHEDULE >>

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VIEW WOMEN\u2019S MATCH SCHEDULE >>

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World Rugby Chief Competitions and Performance Officer, Nigel Cass said: \u201cWe are excited to kick off what will be a thrilling year for rugby sevens at the HSBC New Zealand Sevens in Hamilton next weekend in front of a packed house of knowledgeable, enthusiastic and passionate rugby fans.

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\u201cWith Paris 2024 Olympic Games qualification on the line this season for both men\u2019s and women’s competitions, we know the action will be fierce at FMG Stadium Waikato from the opening match on Saturday morning to the final whistle on Sunday evening.\u201d

\n

The weekend kicks off with South Africa against Canada in the men\u2019s competition on 21 January at 09:10 local time (GMT +13) in Pool D action. Day one concludes with the New Zealand and Great Britain encounter in the women\u2019s event at 20:03.

\n

Rugby sevens fans around the world can watch the action via live stream on World Rugby digital platforms including\u00a0www.world.rugby, YouTube and Facebook in countries where there is no national broadcaster covering the event.

\n

WHERE TO WATCH >>

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For all tournament tickets, please visit\u00a0www.sevens.co.nz

\n

The post Exciting year of rugby sevens gets underway in Hamilton appeared first on Asia Rugby.

\n", "content_text": "The first event of 2023 kicks off next weekend with the return of the HSBC New Zealand Sevens at FMG Stadium Waikato as the race to qualify for Paris 2024 heats up.\n\nHSBC New Zealand Sevens returns on 21-22 January\nBlack Ferns Sevens and All Blacks Sevens look to defend titles won on home soil dating back to last event held in 2020\nParis 2024 Olympic qualification at stake for the top four teams in the 2023 Series\nThe action begins at 09:10 local time (GMT+13) on Saturday, with the final match on Sunday at 19:56\n\nAfter a short break for the holiday season, the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2023 continues with the HSBC New Zealand Sevens on 21-22 January kicking off what will be a thrilling year for rugby sevens.\nHamilton marks the fourth event in a busy 11-stop men\u2019s Series, with Samoa and South Africa currently tied atop the standings, closely followed by New Zealand and USA.\nIn the women\u2019s competition, Hamilton marks the third stop on the 2023 Series with trans-Tasman rivals Australia and New Zealand tied at the top of the standings after winning titles in Dubai and Cape Town respectively. USA and France are leading the chase in the race for the top four.\nHaving been on New Zealand\u2019s sporting calendar for more than two decades, this year the tournament will see the addition of a second playing field next to FMG Stadium Waikato to enable the full men\u2019s and women\u2019s draws to be played over two action-packed days.\nThe men\u2019s pool draw for Hamilton sees Cape Town champions Samoa take their place in Pool A alongside Olympic champions Fiji, France and Kenya.\nHosts New Zealand slot into Pool B alongside Great Britain, Hong Kong winners Australia and invitational team Tonga.\nCape Town bronze medal winners USA lead Pool C and will face off against Uruguay, Ireland and Japan on day one.\nSouth Africa, Cup winners in Dubai in December, are joined by Argentina, Spain and Canada in Pool D.\n\u201cTeams will be looking to build towards Olympic qualification, so we have to hit the ground running on day one,\u201d All Blacks Sevens head coach Clark Laidlaw said.\n\u201cThe players can\u2019t wait to get out on the field at FMG Stadium Waikato and put on their best performance in front of a big home crowd one last time. We are looking forward to it.\u201d\nVIEW SERIES 2023 CALENDAR >>\nIn the women\u2019s competition, hosts New Zealand will face off against Great Britain, Fiji and invitational team Papua New Guinea in Pool A.\nAustralia, who will be looking to build on their incredible momentum in 2022 in Hamilton ahead of their home tournament in Sydney from 27-29 January, headline Pool B alongside France, Canada and Japan.\nPool C features USA, Ireland, Brazil and Spain.\n\u201cTo be back playing in a World Series event on our whenua since 2020 is incredibly exciting. The team has been looking forward to competing on home turf, in front of their wh\u0101nau and fans. It\u2019s going to be a memorable weekend for all of us, especially the players who will be taking the field for the final time in Hamilton,\u201d Black Ferns Sevens head coach Cory Sweeney said.\nVIEW MEN\u2019S MATCH SCHEDULE >>\nVIEW WOMEN\u2019S MATCH SCHEDULE >>\nWorld Rugby Chief Competitions and Performance Officer, Nigel Cass said: \u201cWe are excited to kick off what will be a thrilling year for rugby sevens at the HSBC New Zealand Sevens in Hamilton next weekend in front of a packed house of knowledgeable, enthusiastic and passionate rugby fans.\n\u201cWith Paris 2024 Olympic Games qualification on the line this season for both men\u2019s and women’s competitions, we know the action will be fierce at FMG Stadium Waikato from the opening match on Saturday morning to the final whistle on Sunday evening.\u201d\nThe weekend kicks off with South Africa against Canada in the men\u2019s competition on 21 January at 09:10 local time (GMT +13) in Pool D action. Day one concludes with the New Zealand and Great Britain encounter in the women\u2019s event at 20:03.\nRugby sevens fans around the world can watch the action via live stream on World Rugby digital platforms including\u00a0www.world.rugby, YouTube and Facebook in countries where there is no national broadcaster covering the event.\nWHERE TO WATCH >>\nFor all tournament tickets, please visit\u00a0www.sevens.co.nz\nThe post Exciting year of rugby sevens gets underway in Hamilton appeared first on Asia Rugby.", "date_published": "2023-01-12T12:46:05+08:00", "date_modified": "2023-01-12T12:46:05+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Exciting-year-of-rugby-sevens-gets-underway-in-Hamilton.jpg", "tags": [ "All Blacks 7s", "All Blacks", "HSBC", "New Zealand Rugby", "HSBC New Zealand Sevens", "Featured", "News" ] }, { "id": "https://www.asiarugby.com/?p=9105", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/2022/11/11/syria-welcomed-as-world-rugby-associate-members/", "title": "Syria welcomed as World Rugby Associate Member", "content_html": "

Rugby\u2019s global expansion continued as three new national unions were approved as associated members at the interim meeting of World Rugby Council in Auckland, New Zealand on 10 November. St. Lucia ascended to full member status, while the Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt and Syria were confirmed as Associate Members.

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Rugby\u2019s global expansion continued as three new national unions were approved as associated members at the interim meeting of World Rugby Council in Auckland, New Zealand on 10 November.

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St. Lucia ascended to full member status, while the Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt and Syria were confirmed as Associate Members.

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World Rugby\u2019s supreme decision-making body approved the recommendation of the Executive and Regional Committee to accept St. Lucia\u2019s move to full membership and the three unions as associate members, after each demonstrated meeting the necessary governance criteria.

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The new members bring the total membership of the International Federation to 132, comprising 111 full members and 21 associate members, and demonstrates the continued strategic focus on the expansion of rugby\u2019s reach across the globe, driven by a surge in interest in women\u2019s rugby, and the development of rugby sevens in emerging nations.

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SEE FULL LIST OF WORLD RUGBY MEMBER UNIONS >>

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\"WorldThe Syrian High Rugby Committee (SHRC) was formed by the Syrian Sport Council in March 2012 and became a member of Asia Rugby in May 2015. \u00a0Rugby has been played in Syria since 2004, when the Damascus Zenobians Rugby team was established by European expatriates living in Syria.

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In 2008, the team, reached the final of the Gulf Men\u2019s Cup, which led to a large increase in the number of players. In 2011 they won the Gulf Men\u2019s Open in Dubai, which provided the inspiration to form Syria Rugby.

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The union has worked hard on player recruitment and succeeded in forming five registered clubs in the capital Damascus. After joining Asia Rugby and participating in Asian Rugby Tournaments the union aims to inspire more players and further increase the sport\u2019s popularly in Syria.

\n

Sarah Abd Elbaki has captained Syria women, served as an assistant coach for the men\u2019s national team and become the first woman to referee a domestic 15s match. She has taken on responsibility for the development of the women\u2019s game in Syria, and in 2021 became one of 12 recipients of the World Rugby Women\u2019s Executive Leadership Scholarship.

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Everything You Need To Know About Rugby World Cup 2021 >>

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The Egyptian Rugby Football Union has been a full member of Rugby Africa since 2019. The national men\u2019s and women\u2019s sevens teams have already experienced international success, winning the Arab Sevens in 2021, which they hosted in Alexandria and securing their place in regional qualifying for Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022.

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Egypt captain Farida Elzakzouk hopes her side\u2019s success at the Arab Sevens can help provide a springboard for the women\u2019s game in the African nation. Egypt won the women\u2019s tournament without conceding a single point, beating Lebanon, Syria and the UAE.

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Egypt has a large and youthful population and boasts some of the best infrastructure in Africa and an ambitious sports policy, with great potential for the growth of rugby.

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Everything you need to know about the Rugby World Cup 2023 Final Qualification Tournament >>

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The F\u00e9d\u00e9ration Congolaise de Rugby has been an active member of Rugby Africa since 2012. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a country of more than 80 million inhabitants in central Africa, four times the size of France and has the largest French speaking population in the world.

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Rugby has been practiced in the Democratic Republic of the Congo since the early 1980\u2019s after the sport was introduced by members of the French military who created the first clubs, followed by South Africans and Britons in the 1990s working for mining companies.

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A second wave of rugby lovers has continued the work begun by the French and today rugby is becoming the second most popular team sport in the country with more than 2,500 licensees and 35 clubs and many players playing abroad in France, Belgium, Great Britain, Italy and Canada.

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The St. Lucia Rugby Union in the Rugby Americas North region of World Rugby become an associate member of World Rugby in 1996 and has now met the necessary criteria to achieve full member status. St. Lucia has been involved in Rugby World Cup qualifying since the 2007 edition of the tournament and played it\u2019s first international rugby sevens in 2005.

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Final Qualification Tournament players we\u2019d love to see at Rugby World Cup 2023 >>

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World Rugby Chairman Sir Bill Beaumont said: \u201cAs a key element of our ongoing commitment to grow and diversify the global game, we are delighted to welcome the Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt and Syria as associate members of World Rugby, and confirm St. Lucia\u2019s accession to full member status.

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\u201cThese unions have demonstrated great enthusiasm and potential for the development of rugby in their territories and we look forward to working closely with them to achieve sustainable growth and provide a framework and support to accelerate their development as part of the World Rugby family.

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\u201cWith the very best of women\u2019s rugby currently on show at Rugby World Cup 2021 it is apt that several of these unions have achieved notable and impressive development of their women\u2019s rugby programmes. Women and girls rugby is the single greatest opportunity for the growth of rugby over the next decade and it is great to see the positive impact rugby is having in the lives of women from Syria to the Democratic Republic of Congo and beyond.

\n

Syria Rugby President Ahmad Madani said: \u201cI would like to express my sincere thanks to World Rugby from Syria, This result is about 20 years of developing rugby in our country, and it is a part of our vision to keep up the best efforts to achieve full membership of World Rugby. We are delighted by the recognition of our continuous devotion of the sport.\u201d

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\"AsiaAsia Rugby President Qais Al-Dhalai\u00a0said:\u00a0\u201cAs the President of Asia Rugby, I am very honoured to witness Syria being admitted as one of the newest members of the World Rugby family. Asia Rugby membership has grown phenomenally from 29 national federations in 2019 to 36 in 2022, we are committed to not merely growing the game but maintaining a solid and sustainable development of the game throughout the biggest continent in the world which now proudly has 27 national federations as members of the international federation, World Rugby.

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\u201cI am very proud of the leadership of Syria Rugby, who at times have had to overcome very challenging circumstances and obstacles to develop the sport of rugby in the country, however, their continuous efforts have paid off and Syria is one of the most active Rugby unions in West Asia. Their efforts, especially in the women\u2019s program, which is run by women for women, is exemplary.\u201d

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Head of Syria Women’s Rugby Development, Sarah Abd Elbaki said: \u201cI have been involved with Syria Rugby in all aspects, as a player, Match official, Coach, development officer and now as an administrator. Rugby has given us a pathway to break stereotypes of what women can or cannot do. The Rugby community in Syria is passionate and rugby has given us hope, especially for women.

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\u201cWe thank World Rugby and Asia Rugby for supporting us and this acknowledgement and inclusion to the global rugby family\u00a0by the World Rugby council is just the first step of a long-term plan to spread this beautiful game in Syria for both men and women.

\n

\u201cThe dedication and belief we all have put into this game is unbelievable. We all have made sacrifices to be here and fortunately, we are here now thanks to each one who worked hard on growing the game in Syria.\u201d

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Hussam Saheb, President of the Egyptian Rugby Federation President said: \u201cThe Egyptian Rugby Football Union will help Egypt develop more media participation, increase fan engagement, and support our players – women, men, and under 20 teams to grow into more developed teams. Players will be able to participate in higher-level competition, which will allow Egypt to meet stronger opponents and develop its rugby skills further.

\n

\u201cEgypt is also looking into hosting big rugby events and model the Dubai7s experience in Egypt and its integration with world rugby will open communication with unions to support and participate in international competitions in Egypt. We have successfully hosted big competitions in other sports in Egypt due to Egypt\u2019s rich facilities and resources and we hope to see rugby be part of it.\u201d

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Herman Mbonyo, Congolese Rugby Federation President said: \u201cBecoming an associate member of World Rugby will allow our federation to have a perspective on our strategic development plan that could not be fully applied so far as we could not participate in certain competitions.

\n

\u201cThe various formations organised with World Rugby competitions have made it possible to have a quality staff who are now working to develop rugby at the club and school levels. Becoming a member of Word Rugby will allow us to continue the development of rugby especially amongst women and in schools, universities and constituted bodies such as the army and the police.

\n

\u201cOur ambition is to qualify women’s and men’s sevens teams at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028 and one of our fifteens teams at the World Cup by 2031, while tripling the number of our licensees and clubs with a focus on girls. We are proud to have a federal committee where there are more women than men.\u201d

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Rugby Africa General Manager Azzouz Aib said: \u201cThe Democratic Republic of Congo and Egypt are two major African countries with populations of more than 80 million and 100 million respectively.

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\u201cRugby Africa is convinced that these countries will become an important added value for our confederation. The affiliation as an associate member of World Rugby will allow the professionalisation of these two countries that have high potential.\u201d

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St. Lucia Rugby Football Union President Roger Butcher said: \u201cWe are very excited and humbly grateful to World Rugby for recognising our effort in developing and spreading the game in St. Lucia and our region. Whilst having challenges in accomplishing this achievement, it could not have been attained without the guidance of the Rugby Americas North and World Rugby Training and Education team. The Saint Lucia Rugby Football Union will continue to spread the World Rugby ethos in our vision for the union and region.\u201d

\n

Rugby Americas North President George Nicholson said: \u201cRugby Americas North are pleased to see the St. Lucia Rugby Football Union (SLRFU) instated as a Full Member of World Rugby. St Lucia has fielded one of the stronger women’s sevens teams in the Caribbean region in the years before the pandemic and have worked hard to grow rugby on the island over the past few years. Their recognition as Full Members of World Rugby is a testament to the vision and dedication of the SLRFU EXCO and its members.\u201d

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The post Syria welcomed as World Rugby Associate Member appeared first on Asia Rugby.

\n", "content_text": "Rugby\u2019s global expansion continued as three new national unions were approved as associated members at the interim meeting of World Rugby Council in Auckland, New Zealand on 10 November. St. Lucia ascended to full member status, while the Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt and Syria were confirmed as Associate Members.\n\nLucia ascends to Full Member status, having been an Associate Member\nThe Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt and Syria welcomed as World Rugby Associate Members\nWorld Rugby membership rises to 132 unions across all continents\nGlobal growth is driven by a surge in interest in women\u2019s rugby, and rugby sevens in emerging nations\nMemberships confirmed at World Rugby interim Council meeting in Auckland, New Zealand ahead of Rugby World Cup 2021 final on Saturday\n\n\nRugby\u2019s global expansion continued as three new national unions were approved as associated members at the interim meeting of World Rugby Council in Auckland, New Zealand on 10 November.\nSt. Lucia ascended to full member status, while the Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt and Syria were confirmed as Associate Members.\nWorld Rugby\u2019s supreme decision-making body approved the recommendation of the Executive and Regional Committee to accept St. Lucia\u2019s move to full membership and the three unions as associate members, after each demonstrated meeting the necessary governance criteria.\nThe new members bring the total membership of the International Federation to 132, comprising 111 full members and 21 associate members, and demonstrates the continued strategic focus on the expansion of rugby\u2019s reach across the globe, driven by a surge in interest in women\u2019s rugby, and the development of rugby sevens in emerging nations.\nSEE FULL LIST OF WORLD RUGBY MEMBER UNIONS >>\nThe Syrian High Rugby Committee (SHRC) was formed by the Syrian Sport Council in March 2012 and became a member of Asia Rugby in May 2015. \u00a0Rugby has been played in Syria since 2004, when the Damascus Zenobians Rugby team was established by European expatriates living in Syria.\nIn 2008, the team, reached the final of the Gulf Men\u2019s Cup, which led to a large increase in the number of players. In 2011 they won the Gulf Men\u2019s Open in Dubai, which provided the inspiration to form Syria Rugby.\nThe union has worked hard on player recruitment and succeeded in forming five registered clubs in the capital Damascus. After joining Asia Rugby and participating in Asian Rugby Tournaments the union aims to inspire more players and further increase the sport\u2019s popularly in Syria.\nSarah Abd Elbaki has captained Syria women, served as an assistant coach for the men\u2019s national team and become the first woman to referee a domestic 15s match. She has taken on responsibility for the development of the women\u2019s game in Syria, and in 2021 became one of 12 recipients of the World Rugby Women\u2019s Executive Leadership Scholarship.\nEverything You Need To Know About Rugby World Cup 2021 >>\nThe Egyptian Rugby Football Union has been a full member of Rugby Africa since 2019. The national men\u2019s and women\u2019s sevens teams have already experienced international success, winning the Arab Sevens in 2021, which they hosted in Alexandria and securing their place in regional qualifying for Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022.\nEgypt captain Farida Elzakzouk hopes her side\u2019s success at the Arab Sevens can help provide a springboard for the women\u2019s game in the African nation. Egypt won the women\u2019s tournament without conceding a single point, beating Lebanon, Syria and the UAE.\nEgypt has a large and youthful population and boasts some of the best infrastructure in Africa and an ambitious sports policy, with great potential for the growth of rugby.\nEverything you need to know about the Rugby World Cup 2023 Final Qualification Tournament >>\nThe F\u00e9d\u00e9ration Congolaise de Rugby has been an active member of Rugby Africa since 2012. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a country of more than 80 million inhabitants in central Africa, four times the size of France and has the largest French speaking population in the world.\nRugby has been practiced in the Democratic Republic of the Congo since the early 1980\u2019s after the sport was introduced by members of the French military who created the first clubs, followed by South Africans and Britons in the 1990s working for mining companies.\nA second wave of rugby lovers has continued the work begun by the French and today rugby is becoming the second most popular team sport in the country with more than 2,500 licensees and 35 clubs and many players playing abroad in France, Belgium, Great Britain, Italy and Canada.\nThe St. Lucia Rugby Union in the Rugby Americas North region of World Rugby become an associate member of World Rugby in 1996 and has now met the necessary criteria to achieve full member status. St. Lucia has been involved in Rugby World Cup qualifying since the 2007 edition of the tournament and played it\u2019s first international rugby sevens in 2005.\nFinal Qualification Tournament players we\u2019d love to see at Rugby World Cup 2023 >>\nWorld Rugby Chairman Sir Bill Beaumont said: \u201cAs a key element of our ongoing commitment to grow and diversify the global game, we are delighted to welcome the Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt and Syria as associate members of World Rugby, and confirm St. Lucia\u2019s accession to full member status.\n\u201cThese unions have demonstrated great enthusiasm and potential for the development of rugby in their territories and we look forward to working closely with them to achieve sustainable growth and provide a framework and support to accelerate their development as part of the World Rugby family.\n\u201cWith the very best of women\u2019s rugby currently on show at Rugby World Cup 2021 it is apt that several of these unions have achieved notable and impressive development of their women\u2019s rugby programmes. Women and girls rugby is the single greatest opportunity for the growth of rugby over the next decade and it is great to see the positive impact rugby is having in the lives of women from Syria to the Democratic Republic of Congo and beyond.\nSyria Rugby President Ahmad Madani said: \u201cI would like to express my sincere thanks to World Rugby from Syria, This result is about 20 years of developing rugby in our country, and it is a part of our vision to keep up the best efforts to achieve full membership of World Rugby. We are delighted by the recognition of our continuous devotion of the sport.\u201d\nAsia Rugby President Qais Al-Dhalai\u00a0said:\u00a0\u201cAs the President of Asia Rugby, I am very honoured to witness Syria being admitted as one of the newest members of the World Rugby family. Asia Rugby membership has grown phenomenally from 29 national federations in 2019 to 36 in 2022, we are committed to not merely growing the game but maintaining a solid and sustainable development of the game throughout the biggest continent in the world which now proudly has 27 national federations as members of the international federation, World Rugby.\n\u201cI am very proud of the leadership of Syria Rugby, who at times have had to overcome very challenging circumstances and obstacles to develop the sport of rugby in the country, however, their continuous efforts have paid off and Syria is one of the most active Rugby unions in West Asia. Their efforts, especially in the women\u2019s program, which is run by women for women, is exemplary.\u201d\nHead of Syria Women’s Rugby Development, Sarah Abd Elbaki said: \u201cI have been involved with Syria Rugby in all aspects, as a player, Match official, Coach, development officer and now as an administrator. Rugby has given us a pathway to break stereotypes of what women can or cannot do. The Rugby community in Syria is passionate and rugby has given us hope, especially for women.\n\u201cWe thank World Rugby and Asia Rugby for supporting us and this acknowledgement and inclusion to the global rugby family\u00a0by the World Rugby council is just the first step of a long-term plan to spread this beautiful game in Syria for both men and women.\n\u201cThe dedication and belief we all have put into this game is unbelievable. We all have made sacrifices to be here and fortunately, we are here now thanks to each one who worked hard on growing the game in Syria.\u201d\nHussam Saheb, President of the Egyptian Rugby Federation President said: \u201cThe Egyptian Rugby Football Union will help Egypt develop more media participation, increase fan engagement, and support our players – women, men, and under 20 teams to grow into more developed teams. Players will be able to participate in higher-level competition, which will allow Egypt to meet stronger opponents and develop its rugby skills further.\n\u201cEgypt is also looking into hosting big rugby events and model the Dubai7s experience in Egypt and its integration with world rugby will open communication with unions to support and participate in international competitions in Egypt. We have successfully hosted big competitions in other sports in Egypt due to Egypt\u2019s rich facilities and resources and we hope to see rugby be part of it.\u201d\nHerman Mbonyo, Congolese Rugby Federation President said: \u201cBecoming an associate member of World Rugby will allow our federation to have a perspective on our strategic development plan that could not be fully applied so far as we could not participate in certain competitions.\n\u201cThe various formations organised with World Rugby competitions have made it possible to have a quality staff who are now working to develop rugby at the club and school levels. Becoming a member of Word Rugby will allow us to continue the development of rugby especially amongst women and in schools, universities and constituted bodies such as the army and the police.\n\u201cOur ambition is to qualify women’s and men’s sevens teams at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028 and one of our fifteens teams at the World Cup by 2031, while tripling the number of our licensees and clubs with a focus on girls. We are proud to have a federal committee where there are more women than men.\u201d\nRugby Africa General Manager Azzouz Aib said: \u201cThe Democratic Republic of Congo and Egypt are two major African countries with populations of more than 80 million and 100 million respectively.\n\u201cRugby Africa is convinced that these countries will become an important added value for our confederation. The affiliation as an associate member of World Rugby will allow the professionalisation of these two countries that have high potential.\u201d\nSt. Lucia Rugby Football Union President Roger Butcher said: \u201cWe are very excited and humbly grateful to World Rugby for recognising our effort in developing and spreading the game in St. Lucia and our region. Whilst having challenges in accomplishing this achievement, it could not have been attained without the guidance of the Rugby Americas North and World Rugby Training and Education team. The Saint Lucia Rugby Football Union will continue to spread the World Rugby ethos in our vision for the union and region.\u201d\nRugby Americas North President George Nicholson said: \u201cRugby Americas North are pleased to see the St. Lucia Rugby Football Union (SLRFU) instated as a Full Member of World Rugby. St Lucia has fielded one of the stronger women’s sevens teams in the Caribbean region in the years before the pandemic and have worked hard to grow rugby on the island over the past few years. Their recognition as Full Members of World Rugby is a testament to the vision and dedication of the SLRFU EXCO and its members.\u201d\nThe post Syria welcomed as World Rugby Associate Member appeared first on Asia Rugby.", "date_published": "2022-11-11T18:57:48+08:00", "date_modified": "2022-11-11T18:59:22+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/rugby.jpg", "tags": [ "New Zealand Rugby", "World Rugby Council", "Auckland Rugby", "Egypt Rugby", "Syria Rugby", "world Rugby", "Featured", "News" ] }, { "id": "https://www.asiarugby.com/?p=8960", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/2022/09/13/fiji-and-australia-crowned-rugby-world-cup-sevens-2022-champions-in-cape-town/", "title": "Fiji and Australia crowned Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 champions in Cape Town", "content_html": "

Fiji claimed their third men\u2019s Rugby World Cup Sevens title by beating defending champions New Zealand, while Australia\u2019s women took down New Zealand to win the title for the first time since 2009 in Cape Town.

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Fiji and Australia were crowned Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 winners in the men\u2019s and women\u2019s events respectively as they both defeated reigning champions New Zealand in two exhilarating finals in Cape Town.

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The Flying Fijians claimed a third RWC Sevens title, their first since 2005, by beating an All Blacks side that won the last two tournaments with a superb 29-12 victory in the Championship final.

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Start as you mean to go on! \"\ud83e\udd29\"

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It took only 30 seconds for Joseva Talacolo to get @fijirugby on the board \"\ud83c\uddeb\ud83c\uddef\"#RWC7s | #HereToSevens pic.twitter.com/j6YEBzcaUw

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\u2014 Rugby World Cup 7s 2022 (@WorldRugby7s) September 11, 2022

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The Olympic gold medallists battled past HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series champions Australia in the semi-finals before running in five tries in a fiercely physical final against a New Zealand side who overcame Ireland in the last four.

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Australia\u2019s women continued their imperious 2022 form by beating New Zealand in a thrilling final to add a World Cup to the World Rugby Sevens Series and Commonwealth Games titles they\u2019ve already claimed this year.

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The top seeds edged their old rivals 24-22 as Maddison Levi ran in a hat-trick, ending double defending champions New Zealand\u2019s 13-match winning run in the RWC Sevens and claiming a first Aussie women\u2019s World Cup since 2009 in Dubai.

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\u201cWe spoke a lot about the 2009 girls today, doing it for them and everyone back home who has left the legacy before us so we can continue it on,\u201d said Aussie 7s star Charlotte Caslick.

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History was made as Ireland\u2019s men claimed their first bronze medal since reaching the semi-finals in 1993, coming from behind twice to beat World Series champions Australia.

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France took bronze in the women\u2019s event with a commanding 29-7 win over the USA, as Lili Dezou ran in two tries on a dream starting debut for her country.

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SEE ALL THE RESULTS OF THE WEEKEND >>>

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There were emotional scenes as South Africa coaching great Neil Powell\u2019s nine-year reign came to an end with a big win over Samoa that earned the hosts a seventh-place finish.

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Argentina took fifth thanks to a win over France, while Fijiana did the same in the women\u2019s event with a crushing, tournament-best 53-0 victory over Canada.

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England won the men\u2019s Challenge bracket, overcoming Uruguay in the final, while Uganda defeated Germany to claim the Bowl.

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In the women\u2019s Challenge final, Japan launched a superb second half comeback to beat Poland.

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FEROCIOUS FIJI PUT ON SHOW IN FINAL

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Fiji flew out of the blocks as Joseva Talacolo went screaming down the left wing and over the try line inside 30 seconds, before Kaminieli Rasaku charged over in the corner to notch his fourth try of the weekend.

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Moses Leo finished a nice passing move from the All Blacks to get them back in it, but they were soon pegged back again as Elia Canakaivata carved open the defence and Filipe Sauturaga dummied and went through to give the Olympic champions a 19-point lead at the break.

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Akuila Rokolisoa got the All Blacks off to a good start with a try early in the second half, and Fiji\u2019s problems soon piled up as Talacolo was sin-binned for a high tackle and Waisea Nucuqu was forced off with injury.

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Rasaku looked set to stream through for his second try until the ball slipped out of his grasp, and the Fijians then received another yellow card as Sevuloni Mocenacagi was sent to the bin just as Talacolo returned to the fray.

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But they survived the testing period without conceding, and Rokolisoa then joined Mocenacagi in the bin for obstruction to make it a six-a-side game with three minutes left.

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The Fijians defended ferociously, pushing New Zealand all the way back under their own posts, and they sealed a superb victory with the final play through Pilipo Bukayaro.

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She is just too strong! \"\ud83d\udcaa\"

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Faith Nathan reaps the rewards for @Aussie7s as New Zealand just can’t bring down Alysia Lefau-Fakaosilea \"\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\uddfa\"#RWC7s | #HereToSevens pic.twitter.com/Z5vM6vr3x0

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\u2014 Rugby World Cup 7s 2022 (@WorldRugby7s) September 11, 2022

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AUSTRALIA WIN KNIFE-EDGE FINAL

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Australia underlined their status as the team to beat in women\u2019s rugby sevens with a 24-22 victory over their old rivals New Zealand in a thrilling, breathless gold medal match.

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The two finalists had conceded just two tries each going into the final, but that didn\u2019t stop them from going all-out in attack in their bid for glory.

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Kelly Brazier stretched over the line to give the Black Ferns an early lead, but Australia hit straight back through Maddison Levi.

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Caslick\u2019s quick hands then sent Levi over the try line for a second time, but New Zealand fought back through Stacey Fluhler as the Aussie 7s went in at the break with a slender two-point lead.

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A yellow card for Niall Williams early in the second half gave Australia a chance, and they took full advantage as the RWC Sevens 2022 top try scorer Faith Nathan scored her ninth try of the weekend before Levi powered down the wing to complete her hat-trick.

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That quickfire double gave the Aussies a commanding 14-point advantage with three minutes to go, but the Black Ferns would not give up without a fight and narrowed the gap thanks to a super break and finish from Shiray Kaka.

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Australia\u2019s performance was plagued by a high penalty count against them, giving New Zealand repeated chances to attack for a game-levelling score, which they eventually found in the final play when Alena Saili crossed.

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Tenika Willison needed to nail the conversion to take the game to extra-time but steered it wide, sparking euphoric scenes from the gold-shirted players.

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IRELAND CLAIM HISTORIC BRONZE

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There were joyous scenes of celebration at the final whistle when Ireland edged a nail-biting battle with Australia 19-14 to claim their first RWC Sevens bronze medal since 1993.

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The Irish had a tournament to remember, knocking out top seeds and hosts South Africa in the quarter-finals, and they showed all their class in toppling the World Series champions to take a place on the podium.

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Australia flyer Corey Toole lit up the first half with a beautiful switch to send Nathan Lawson under the posts and open the scoring, but Sean Cribbin drew Ireland level before the break with a powerful charge over the try line.

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More Toole magic restored the Aussie lead when he weaved past defenders before exploding through a gap to dot down.

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But Ireland responded with outstanding individual quality of their own, as Terry Kennedy, the World Series try scorer last season, nudged a grubber kick through a gap and got there first to touch down.

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Kennedy\u2019s footwork was again crucial as he somehow kept a passing move going by flicking a leg at a loose ball to shift it out wide, where Harry McNulty was on hand to dive in the corner with the winning score.

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DEZOU STARS AS FRANCE TAKE BRONZE

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Lili Dezou enjoyed a dream starting debut for France, crossing the try line twice as Les Bleues emphatically claimed bronze with a 29-7 win over USA.

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Dezou snaffled up an offload to go over early on, before pouncing again in a clinical, dominant first half where the French scored two tries from two visits to the American 22.

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Naya Tapper got the USA back in it with a strong burst over the try line, but she was then sent to the sin bin and France took advantage as Alycia Chrystiaens crossed to extend their lead.

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The in-form Joanna Grisez and Ian Jason added further scores to top off a strong performance.

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Fiji were in destructive mood in the fifth-place play-off as they crushed Canada 53-0 in the biggest win of the RWC Sevens 2022.

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Fijiana roared into a 34-0 lead by half time and barely reduced their intensity after the break as Reapi Uluisau ran in a hat-trick in a nine-try victory.

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England and Ireland faced off for seventh place after defeats to Canada (7-22) and (0-24) Fiji respectively earlier in the day, and Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe bagged a brace as the Irish ran out 26-10 winners.

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His glittering Sevens career didn’t end with the trophy he wanted but head coach Neil Powell bows out as an all-time @Blitzboks legend \"\ud83d\ude4c\"\"\ud83c\uddff\ud83c\udde6\"\"\ud83d\udc4f\"#RWC7s | #HereToSevens pic.twitter.com/ubC7P3sgYH

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\u2014 Rugby World Cup 7s 2022 (@WorldRugby7s) September 11, 2022

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POWELL BOWS OUT

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Argentina finished off a strong RWC Sevens showing by taking fifth place, beating hosts South Africa 26-19 before coming from behind to edge France 10-7 in the 5/6 placement match. Les Bleus made it there courtesy of a 24-17 win against Samoa.

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A place in the 7/8 match wasn\u2019t what the top-seeded Blitzboks had hoped for heading into the weekend, but they at least finished with a flourish, defeating Samoa 35-5 to send coaching great Neil Powell off on a high before he heads into a new role in the 15s game.

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Signs were held up by fans in the stadium to pay tribute to the South Africa coach, who is set to step down after leading his country to a host of honours over a nine-year period, including two Commonwealth Games gold medals, an Olympic bronze medal and three World Rugby Sevens Series titles.

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Asked what he is most proud of from his time in charge, Powell said: \u201cFor me it was always about the culture of the team, the people in the team.\u201d

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\u201cOur young men that have grown into adults and walked out of there mature, disciplined and respectful. It was great to be part of it and I\u2019m so honoured for the time I\u2019ve spent in this system.\u201d

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ALL BLACKS EDGE PAST IRELAND

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Ireland pushed New Zealand all the way in their semi-final meeting, as the men in green looked to back up their superb quarter-final victory over South Africa with a first-ever win against the All Blacks.

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The reigning champions got off to the perfect start when Ngarohi McGarvey-Black scored two tries in the opening two minutes, benefiting from some ferocious work at the breakdown.

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But a yellow card for Moses Leo gave the Irish a lifeline and they took full advantage as Jack Kelly and Andrew Smith scored either side of the break to level the match at 10-10.

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The All Blacks turned to their star performer in their time of need, though, as McGarvey-Black skipped through two tackles to complete his hat-trick and clinch a 17-10 win.

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Fiji showcased their flair and speed as they blew away Australia with a 38-14 semi-final win to reach their first RWC Sevens final since 2005.

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The Flying Fijians\u2019 famous offloading game put the World Series winners to the sword as they ran in six mesmerising tries with six different scorers, notching 19 points in each half.

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BLACK FERNS CRUISE THROUGH

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New Zealand\u2019s women booked their place in the final with a confident and clinical 38-7 win over France.

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Black Ferns speedster Michaela Blyde burst through from her own 22-metre line for the opening try, but Grisez soon responded.

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However, the reigning champions then turned on the style as Blyde crossed for a second time and Sarah Hirini scored before half time. Shiray Kaka bagged two tries, either side of a Jazmin Felix-Hotham score, after the break.

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Australia progressed to their first RWC Sevens final since 2009 with a 17-7 win over the USA that was lit up by their talisman Charlotte Caslick.

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The Aussie 7s star cut through the American defence to go under the posts and open the scoring, before striking again early in the second half by finishing a well-executed set piece move.

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USA, who managed to survive without conceding points while Jaz Gray was in the sin bin in the first half, pulled one back through Nicole Heavirland, but a show-and-go from Alysia Lefau-Fakaosilea ensured an Aussie win in the final minute.

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A final #RWC7s appearance, and still scoring tries

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Perry Baker, one of a kind#HereToSevens pic.twitter.com/ra29bxnBIa

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\u2014 Rugby World Cup 7s 2022 (@WorldRugby7s) September 11, 2022

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ENGLAND TAKE CHALLENGE CROWN

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England bowed out on a high by winning the Challenge bracket with a 28-5 victory over Uruguay, in their final match before teaming up with Wales and Scotland to form a Great Britain Sevens team for next season.

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Tom Mitchell produced a superb individual try, goose-stepping round one defender before chasing and gathering his own grubber kick to score, while Tom Bowen finished with a flourish by storming down the left wing to notch England\u2019s fourth try in the final play.

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USA legend Perry Baker marked his final RWC Sevens appearance in typically clinical fashion, scoring two tries in a 26-19 victory for the Eagles over Kenya that secured 11th\u00a0place.

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Canada finished 13th, beating Chile 12-10 in their play-off match in spectacular fashion by coming back from a 10-0 half-time deficit to win.

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There was a dramatic ending to the 15/16 placement match between Scotland and Wales; the Scots led at the death, but Kaleem Baretto picked up a late yellow card and Wales profited with a 16th-minute match-winning try from Iestyn Garin Rees.

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JAPAN FIGHT BACK IN CHALLENGE FINAL

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There was a dramatic conclusion to the women\u2019s Challenge final, as Japan completed a comeback to beat Poland 17-12.

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The Poles, who defeated China and Spain for their first RWC Sevens wins on Saturday, raced into a 12-0 half-time lead through Malgorzata Koldej and Anna Klichowska tries.

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But the Japanese fought back, led by the in-form speedster Wakaba Hara, who scored two tries and Yume Hirano another to complete an impressive turnaround.

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Brazil took 11th\u00a0place with a narrow 19-17 win over Spain, while hosts South Africa fell just short in the 13/14 place match, losing 21-19 to China.

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But the story of the Challenge bracket came in the battle for 15th, as debutants Madagascar earned their historic first RWC Sevens victory by beating Colombia 19-12.

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UGANDA TAKE BOWL

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There were scenes of celebration on the pitch and in the stands when Uganda clinched a 19-12 victory over Germany to win the Men\u2019s Bowl competition thanks to tries from Philip Wokorach, Ian Munyani and Michael Okorach.

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In the remaining placement matches, Hong Kong finished strongly by beating Tonga 19-0 to take 19th\u00a0place, Korea edged Portugal 12-10 to finish 21st\u00a0and Zimbabwe avoided the wooden spoon by beating Jamaica 31-17 in the 23/24 place match.

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The post Fiji and Australia crowned Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 champions in Cape Town appeared first on Asia Rugby.

\n", "content_text": "Fiji claimed their third men\u2019s Rugby World Cup Sevens title by beating defending champions New Zealand, while Australia\u2019s women took down New Zealand to win the title for the first time since 2009 in Cape Town.\nFiji and Australia were crowned Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 winners in the men\u2019s and women\u2019s events respectively as they both defeated reigning champions New Zealand in two exhilarating finals in Cape Town.\nThe Flying Fijians claimed a third RWC Sevens title, their first since 2005, by beating an All Blacks side that won the last two tournaments with a superb 29-12 victory in the Championship final.\n\nStart as you mean to go on! \nIt took only 30 seconds for Joseva Talacolo to get @fijirugby on the board #RWC7s | #HereToSevens pic.twitter.com/j6YEBzcaUw\n\u2014 Rugby World Cup 7s 2022 (@WorldRugby7s) September 11, 2022\n\nThe Olympic gold medallists battled past HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series champions Australia in the semi-finals before running in five tries in a fiercely physical final against a New Zealand side who overcame Ireland in the last four.\nAustralia\u2019s women continued their imperious 2022 form by beating New Zealand in a thrilling final to add a World Cup to the World Rugby Sevens Series and Commonwealth Games titles they\u2019ve already claimed this year.\nThe top seeds edged their old rivals 24-22 as Maddison Levi ran in a hat-trick, ending double defending champions New Zealand\u2019s 13-match winning run in the RWC Sevens and claiming a first Aussie women\u2019s World Cup since 2009 in Dubai.\n\nRugby World Cup Sevens 2022 semi-finalists confirmed in Cape Town\nWhere to Watch : Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022\nCape Town set for landmark Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022\nAustralia win the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2022\n\n\u201cWe spoke a lot about the 2009 girls today, doing it for them and everyone back home who has left the legacy before us so we can continue it on,\u201d said Aussie 7s star Charlotte Caslick.\nHistory was made as Ireland\u2019s men claimed their first bronze medal since reaching the semi-finals in 1993, coming from behind twice to beat World Series champions Australia.\nFrance took bronze in the women\u2019s event with a commanding 29-7 win over the USA, as Lili Dezou ran in two tries on a dream starting debut for her country.\nSEE ALL THE RESULTS OF THE WEEKEND >>>\nThere were emotional scenes as South Africa coaching great Neil Powell\u2019s nine-year reign came to an end with a big win over Samoa that earned the hosts a seventh-place finish.\nArgentina took fifth thanks to a win over France, while Fijiana did the same in the women\u2019s event with a crushing, tournament-best 53-0 victory over Canada.\nEngland won the men\u2019s Challenge bracket, overcoming Uruguay in the final, while Uganda defeated Germany to claim the Bowl.\nIn the women\u2019s Challenge final, Japan launched a superb second half comeback to beat Poland.\nFEROCIOUS FIJI PUT ON SHOW IN FINAL\nFiji flew out of the blocks as Joseva Talacolo went screaming down the left wing and over the try line inside 30 seconds, before Kaminieli Rasaku charged over in the corner to notch his fourth try of the weekend.\nMoses Leo finished a nice passing move from the All Blacks to get them back in it, but they were soon pegged back again as Elia Canakaivata carved open the defence and Filipe Sauturaga dummied and went through to give the Olympic champions a 19-point lead at the break.\nAkuila Rokolisoa got the All Blacks off to a good start with a try early in the second half, and Fiji\u2019s problems soon piled up as Talacolo was sin-binned for a high tackle and Waisea Nucuqu was forced off with injury.\nRasaku looked set to stream through for his second try until the ball slipped out of his grasp, and the Fijians then received another yellow card as Sevuloni Mocenacagi was sent to the bin just as Talacolo returned to the fray.\nBut they survived the testing period without conceding, and Rokolisoa then joined Mocenacagi in the bin for obstruction to make it a six-a-side game with three minutes left.\nThe Fijians defended ferociously, pushing New Zealand all the way back under their own posts, and they sealed a superb victory with the final play through Pilipo Bukayaro.\n\nShe is just too strong! \nFaith Nathan reaps the rewards for @Aussie7s as New Zealand just can’t bring down Alysia Lefau-Fakaosilea #RWC7s | #HereToSevens pic.twitter.com/Z5vM6vr3x0\n\u2014 Rugby World Cup 7s 2022 (@WorldRugby7s) September 11, 2022\n\nAUSTRALIA WIN KNIFE-EDGE FINAL\nAustralia underlined their status as the team to beat in women\u2019s rugby sevens with a 24-22 victory over their old rivals New Zealand in a thrilling, breathless gold medal match.\nThe two finalists had conceded just two tries each going into the final, but that didn\u2019t stop them from going all-out in attack in their bid for glory.\nKelly Brazier stretched over the line to give the Black Ferns an early lead, but Australia hit straight back through Maddison Levi.\nCaslick\u2019s quick hands then sent Levi over the try line for a second time, but New Zealand fought back through Stacey Fluhler as the Aussie 7s went in at the break with a slender two-point lead.\nA yellow card for Niall Williams early in the second half gave Australia a chance, and they took full advantage as the RWC Sevens 2022 top try scorer Faith Nathan scored her ninth try of the weekend before Levi powered down the wing to complete her hat-trick.\nThat quickfire double gave the Aussies a commanding 14-point advantage with three minutes to go, but the Black Ferns would not give up without a fight and narrowed the gap thanks to a super break and finish from Shiray Kaka.\nAustralia\u2019s performance was plagued by a high penalty count against them, giving New Zealand repeated chances to attack for a game-levelling score, which they eventually found in the final play when Alena Saili crossed.\nTenika Willison needed to nail the conversion to take the game to extra-time but steered it wide, sparking euphoric scenes from the gold-shirted players.\nIRELAND CLAIM HISTORIC BRONZE\nThere were joyous scenes of celebration at the final whistle when Ireland edged a nail-biting battle with Australia 19-14 to claim their first RWC Sevens bronze medal since 1993.\nThe Irish had a tournament to remember, knocking out top seeds and hosts South Africa in the quarter-finals, and they showed all their class in toppling the World Series champions to take a place on the podium.\nAustralia flyer Corey Toole lit up the first half with a beautiful switch to send Nathan Lawson under the posts and open the scoring, but Sean Cribbin drew Ireland level before the break with a powerful charge over the try line.\nMore Toole magic restored the Aussie lead when he weaved past defenders before exploding through a gap to dot down.\nBut Ireland responded with outstanding individual quality of their own, as Terry Kennedy, the World Series try scorer last season, nudged a grubber kick through a gap and got there first to touch down.\nKennedy\u2019s footwork was again crucial as he somehow kept a passing move going by flicking a leg at a loose ball to shift it out wide, where Harry McNulty was on hand to dive in the corner with the winning score.\nDEZOU STARS AS FRANCE TAKE BRONZE\nLili Dezou enjoyed a dream starting debut for France, crossing the try line twice as Les Bleues emphatically claimed bronze with a 29-7 win over USA.\nDezou snaffled up an offload to go over early on, before pouncing again in a clinical, dominant first half where the French scored two tries from two visits to the American 22.\nNaya Tapper got the USA back in it with a strong burst over the try line, but she was then sent to the sin bin and France took advantage as Alycia Chrystiaens crossed to extend their lead.\nThe in-form Joanna Grisez and Ian Jason added further scores to top off a strong performance.\nFiji were in destructive mood in the fifth-place play-off as they crushed Canada 53-0 in the biggest win of the RWC Sevens 2022.\nFijiana roared into a 34-0 lead by half time and barely reduced their intensity after the break as Reapi Uluisau ran in a hat-trick in a nine-try victory.\nEngland and Ireland faced off for seventh place after defeats to Canada (7-22) and (0-24) Fiji respectively earlier in the day, and Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe bagged a brace as the Irish ran out 26-10 winners.\n\nHis glittering Sevens career didn’t end with the trophy he wanted but head coach Neil Powell bows out as an all-time @Blitzboks legend #RWC7s | #HereToSevens pic.twitter.com/ubC7P3sgYH\n\u2014 Rugby World Cup 7s 2022 (@WorldRugby7s) September 11, 2022\n\nPOWELL BOWS OUT\nArgentina finished off a strong RWC Sevens showing by taking fifth place, beating hosts South Africa 26-19 before coming from behind to edge France 10-7 in the 5/6 placement match. Les Bleus made it there courtesy of a 24-17 win against Samoa.\nA place in the 7/8 match wasn\u2019t what the top-seeded Blitzboks had hoped for heading into the weekend, but they at least finished with a flourish, defeating Samoa 35-5 to send coaching great Neil Powell off on a high before he heads into a new role in the 15s game.\nSigns were held up by fans in the stadium to pay tribute to the South Africa coach, who is set to step down after leading his country to a host of honours over a nine-year period, including two Commonwealth Games gold medals, an Olympic bronze medal and three World Rugby Sevens Series titles.\nAsked what he is most proud of from his time in charge, Powell said: \u201cFor me it was always about the culture of the team, the people in the team.\u201d\n\u201cOur young men that have grown into adults and walked out of there mature, disciplined and respectful. It was great to be part of it and I\u2019m so honoured for the time I\u2019ve spent in this system.\u201d\nALL BLACKS EDGE PAST IRELAND\nIreland pushed New Zealand all the way in their semi-final meeting, as the men in green looked to back up their superb quarter-final victory over South Africa with a first-ever win against the All Blacks.\nThe reigning champions got off to the perfect start when Ngarohi McGarvey-Black scored two tries in the opening two minutes, benefiting from some ferocious work at the breakdown.\nBut a yellow card for Moses Leo gave the Irish a lifeline and they took full advantage as Jack Kelly and Andrew Smith scored either side of the break to level the match at 10-10.\nThe All Blacks turned to their star performer in their time of need, though, as McGarvey-Black skipped through two tackles to complete his hat-trick and clinch a 17-10 win.\nFiji showcased their flair and speed as they blew away Australia with a 38-14 semi-final win to reach their first RWC Sevens final since 2005.\nThe Flying Fijians\u2019 famous offloading game put the World Series winners to the sword as they ran in six mesmerising tries with six different scorers, notching 19 points in each half.\nBLACK FERNS CRUISE THROUGH\nNew Zealand\u2019s women booked their place in the final with a confident and clinical 38-7 win over France.\nBlack Ferns speedster Michaela Blyde burst through from her own 22-metre line for the opening try, but Grisez soon responded.\nHowever, the reigning champions then turned on the style as Blyde crossed for a second time and Sarah Hirini scored before half time. Shiray Kaka bagged two tries, either side of a Jazmin Felix-Hotham score, after the break.\nAustralia progressed to their first RWC Sevens final since 2009 with a 17-7 win over the USA that was lit up by their talisman Charlotte Caslick.\nThe Aussie 7s star cut through the American defence to go under the posts and open the scoring, before striking again early in the second half by finishing a well-executed set piece move.\nUSA, who managed to survive without conceding points while Jaz Gray was in the sin bin in the first half, pulled one back through Nicole Heavirland, but a show-and-go from Alysia Lefau-Fakaosilea ensured an Aussie win in the final minute.\n\nA final #RWC7s appearance, and still scoring tries\nPerry Baker, one of a kind#HereToSevens pic.twitter.com/ra29bxnBIa\n\u2014 Rugby World Cup 7s 2022 (@WorldRugby7s) September 11, 2022\n\nENGLAND TAKE CHALLENGE CROWN\nEngland bowed out on a high by winning the Challenge bracket with a 28-5 victory over Uruguay, in their final match before teaming up with Wales and Scotland to form a Great Britain Sevens team for next season.\nTom Mitchell produced a superb individual try, goose-stepping round one defender before chasing and gathering his own grubber kick to score, while Tom Bowen finished with a flourish by storming down the left wing to notch England\u2019s fourth try in the final play.\nUSA legend Perry Baker marked his final RWC Sevens appearance in typically clinical fashion, scoring two tries in a 26-19 victory for the Eagles over Kenya that secured 11th\u00a0place.\nCanada finished 13th, beating Chile 12-10 in their play-off match in spectacular fashion by coming back from a 10-0 half-time deficit to win.\nThere was a dramatic ending to the 15/16 placement match between Scotland and Wales; the Scots led at the death, but Kaleem Baretto picked up a late yellow card and Wales profited with a 16th-minute match-winning try from Iestyn Garin Rees.\nJAPAN FIGHT BACK IN CHALLENGE FINAL\nThere was a dramatic conclusion to the women\u2019s Challenge final, as Japan completed a comeback to beat Poland 17-12.\nThe Poles, who defeated China and Spain for their first RWC Sevens wins on Saturday, raced into a 12-0 half-time lead through Malgorzata Koldej and Anna Klichowska tries.\nBut the Japanese fought back, led by the in-form speedster Wakaba Hara, who scored two tries and Yume Hirano another to complete an impressive turnaround.\nBrazil took 11th\u00a0place with a narrow 19-17 win over Spain, while hosts South Africa fell just short in the 13/14 place match, losing 21-19 to China.\nBut the story of the Challenge bracket came in the battle for 15th, as debutants Madagascar earned their historic first RWC Sevens victory by beating Colombia 19-12.\nUGANDA TAKE BOWL\nThere were scenes of celebration on the pitch and in the stands when Uganda clinched a 19-12 victory over Germany to win the Men\u2019s Bowl competition thanks to tries from Philip Wokorach, Ian Munyani and Michael Okorach.\nIn the remaining placement matches, Hong Kong finished strongly by beating Tonga 19-0 to take 19th\u00a0place, Korea edged Portugal 12-10 to finish 21st\u00a0and Zimbabwe avoided the wooden spoon by beating Jamaica 31-17 in the 23/24 place match.\nThe post Fiji and Australia crowned Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 champions in Cape Town appeared first on Asia Rugby.", "date_published": "2022-09-13T16:30:22+08:00", "date_modified": "2022-09-13T16:30:22+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/JAPAN.jpeg", "tags": [ "Rugby World Cup", "Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022", "Australia Rugby", "New Zealand Rugby", "Fiji Rugby", "Featured", "News" ] }, { "id": "https://www.asiarugby.com/?p=8931", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/2022/08/29/australia-win-the-hsbc-world-rugby-sevens-series-2022/", "title": "Australia win the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2022", "content_html": "

Bronze medal in Los Angeles enough for Australia to clinch the Series title as New Zealand win the tournament.

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Australia won the men\u2019s\u00a0HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series\u00a0for the first time in history on Sunday after an amazing day two of action in Los Angeles.

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The 2022 series started way back in November last year and, after nine tournaments, it all came down to the bronze medal match at Dignity Health Sports Park in California, USA.

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Going into that match Australia knew that if they could win it then they would have too big a points total for nearest rivals Fiji and South Africa and so it proved.

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They beat Samoa 21-7 to clinch third over the weekend and, more importantly, the overall title.

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SEE ALL THE RESULTS OF THE HSBC LA SEVENS >>>

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An emotional Australia head coach John Manenti said:\u00a0 \u201cIt is quite surreal to be honest.

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\u201cIt has been an amazing six months or so with the boys, we have had our ups and downs, but these kids have fought hard and they deserve this and it is something that they will remember for ever.

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\u201cWe are a bunch of misfits just having a crack, working hard for each other and the boys love each other which is a big thing.

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\u201cThis season we wanted to be consistent from day one and we didn\u2019t get there every tournament, but in general this overall victory is all about the consistency the boys have shown.\u201d

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Before this, Australia had finished second in the men\u2019s series in 2000-01, but this time they made it to the top of the mountain and backed up their women\u2019s series win to show that they are the country to beat now when it comes to sevens.

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Australia finished fourth at the\u00a0Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games in July, losing to New Zealand in the bronze medal match, so they obviously channelled that frustration here.

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And their head coach mentioned consistency, well they are the only team who reached the Cup quarter-finals at every round of the 2022 Series.

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They are the fifth country ever to win the series after New Zealand, South Africa, Fiji and Samoa.

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In all the excitement, Fiji and New Zealand then played out a brilliant gold medal match.

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Before it, New Zealand had reached a Cup final on USA soil on eight occasions, but only lifted the trophy twice – in 2004-05 in Los Angeles and 2007-08 in San Diego.

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Their record in Cup finals now is won 62, lost 39 after a late Moses Leo try – converted by Kurt Baker – helped the injury-hit squad see them win the game 28-21.

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HSBC Player of the Final Leo said:\u00a0 \u201cWe had to dig deep, but the boys showed character and we did it.\u201d

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SEE THE OVERALL SEASON’S RANKING >>>

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In the final standings, Australia finish on 128 points, South Africa are on 124, Fiji are third on 122, Argentina are fourth on 118 and Ireland finish fifth on 92.

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GOLD MEDAL MATCH: MOSES LEO THE STAR MAN AS NEW ZEALAND FIND GOLD

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With these two great sides tied at 21-21 going into the final 60 seconds of a pulsating Cup final it was going to take something special to separate them – and Moses Leo came up with it.

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His try, converted by Kurt Baker, saw them record a 28-21 triumph.

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The result was tough for Fiji to take because they certainly played their part, their tries coming from Kaminieli Rasaku, Waisea Nacuqu and Filipe Sauturaga.

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New Zealand captain Sione Molia said:\u00a0 \u201cIt was such a tough match and we knew we had to be real clinical and we were.

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\u201cWe had a few guys nursing injuries, but we wanted to win for each other and our country.\u201d

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BRONZE MEDAL MATCH: AUSTRALIA BOUNCE BACK FROM EARLY SAMOA TRY

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Knowing a win in this one would secure them the Series there was no doubt some nerves in the Australian squad before this game against Samoa.

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And that only intensified when Owen Niue scored a converted try for the opponents after three minutes.

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Australia stayed calm though and tries from Corey Toole, Henry Paterson and Dietrich Roache – all converted by the latter – got them home 21-7.

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After the game which gave his side ultimate glory, captain Nick Malouf said:\u00a0 \u201cI am just so proud, I look back to the start of this season and we had six guys contracted, it has been quite some journey since then.

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\u201cBefore this game we spoke about making three groups of people proud. The first was Australians, the second was the name on our backs our families and the third was the group of guys. I hope we did that.\u201d

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You certainly did Nick\u2026

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CUP SEMI-FINALS: FIJI TURN ON STYLE AS NEW ZEALAND EDGE THROUGH

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Henry Paterson and James Turner scored first half unconverted tries for Australia, but in the end Fiji were too strong in the first Cup semi-final.

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Waisea Nacuqu, Jerry Tuwai, Filipe Sauturaga, Joseva Talacolo and Kaminieli Rasaku scored their tries in a 29-10 victory.

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Samoa led 19-7 at the break against New Zealand in the second semi, but the latter showed amazing battling spirit to come through 28-26.

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Sione Molia scored their winning try with Kurt Baker converting to add to earlier scores from Akuila Rokolisoa (2) and Baker.

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Steve Onosai, Vaa Apelu Maliko, Uaina Sione and Paul Scanlan were Samoa\u2019s try scorers in defeat.

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CUP QUARTER-FINALS: AUSTRALIA, FIJI, SAMOA AND NEW ZEALAND PROGRESS

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Having been awesome on day one, early on day two Australia showed they were keen to continue where they left off.

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Matthew Gonzalez, Maurice Longbottom, Henry Paterson (2), Josh Turner and Corey Toole scored their tries in a comfortable 40-14 Cup quarter-final triumph.

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Fiji then got the better of hosts USA, Kaminieli Rasaku, Joseva Talacolo (2) and Viwa Naduvalo their try scorers in a 28-12 triumph although the biggest cheers came when Steve Tomasin and Maka Unufe crossed.

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Paul Scanlan was the hero with the winning try as Samoa just got the better of Argentina 24-19 in one of the ties of the weekend.

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Mat\u00edas Osadczuk\u2019s try, converted by Alejo Lavayen, had made it 19-19 before Scanlan\u2019s intervention. Scanlan was later named DHL Impact Player of the weekend.

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Joe Webber, Caleb Tangitau, Amanaki Nicole, Ngarohi McGarvey-Black and Lewis Ormond bagged tries for New Zealand as they were too strong for Ireland 29-14.

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5TH PLACE: ARGENTINA FINISH FIFTH AND HAVE HEADS HELD HIGH

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Along with Australia, Fiji and South Africa, Argentina were one of four sides going into this event who could have lifted the overall series title had things gone their way.

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It was not to be in the end, but what entertainers they have been in recent months and they made sure of fifth place in Los Angeles by beating Kenya 29-7 in the fifth place final.

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An Anthony Omondi converted try on the stroke of half-time saw Kenya cut the deficit to 12-7 at the break, but second period tries from Tomas Lizazu (2) and Franco Sabato – as well as two Tobias Wade conversions \u2013 got Argentina home 29-7.

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Earlier in the first fifth place semi-final, Edmund Anya scored a converted try at the death as Kenya stunned the home support with a 21-14 victory over a USA outfit who certainly entertained over the two days.

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In the second semi, Argentina had to battle back from 21-7 down against Ireland and there was similar late drama to the Kenya-USA tie.

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Tomas Lizazu was the match winner here, his converted try getting Argentina through 28-21 after a cracking contest.

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9TH\u00a0PLACE: FRENCH FLYING IN FINAL

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France had a mixed weekend overall, but in the 9th\u00a0place final they turned on the style.

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They scored just one try in the first half, but they scored four more after the interval to defeat Scotland 33-0.

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Nisie Huyard, Aaron Grandidier, William Iraguha, Stephen Parez and Paulin Riva were thee French try scorers with four conversions being added as they ended on a high.

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Earlier France had got the better of England 19-7 in the first 9th\u00a0place semi-final, Jean Pascal Barraque, Nelson Epee and Pierre Mignot their scorers there.

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And Scotland had made it to the final with a victory that had the same score against Wales.

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Robbie Fergusson (2) and Harvey Elms were the Scotland try scorers in this one.

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In the 9th\u00a0place quarter-finals, England defeated Japan 36-15 with Tom Bowen leading the way with two tries and Nelson Epee was at the double in a 42-0 thumping of Canada.

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Matt Davidson, Jamie Farndale, Robbie Fergusson and Harvey Elms scored converted tries as Scotland got the better of Spain 28-7 and Wales caused a shock to edge out South Africa 10-5.

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Luke Treharne opened the scoring early on before Ryan Oosthuizen replied, but Morgan Williams won it for the Welsh.

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13TH PLACE: SOUTH AFRICA FINISH 13TH TO FALL SHORT

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If you had said to many people at the start of the weekend that series leading South Africa would be in the 13th\u00a0place final then not a lot of them would have believed you.

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However, as we know sevens throws up the most amazing things and that is what happened here.

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In the final South Africa won 26-0 to, at the time, keep their overall series title hopes alive at the time, but in the end it was not enough.

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In the final, Shilton van Wyk, James Murphy, JC Pretorius and Ryan Oosthuizen scored South Africa\u2019s tries with Branco du Preez (2) and Shaun Williams kicking conversions.

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Earlier in the first 13th\u00a0place final, Japan had come out of the blocks flying to defeat Canada 26-19.

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Timo Fiti Sufia, Shotaro Tsuoka, Taichi Yoshizawa and Ryota Kano scored tries, three of them converted, as the Japanese team led 26-0 at one point before holding off a comeback.

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In the other semi, Siviwe Soyizwapi and JC Pretorius tries had South Africa 10-7 up at the break over Spain and eventually they won 29-12.

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Second half try scorers for South Africa were James Murphy, Angelo Davids and Muller du Plessis.

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RUGBY WORLD CUP SEVENS 2022

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The World Rugby Sevens Series for 2022 may well be over now, but the best male and female sevens players on the planet will soon be at show in the\u00a0Rugby World Cup Sevens.

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The showpiece event takes place in Cape Town, South Africa, between September 9 and 11.

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The post Australia win the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2022 appeared first on Asia Rugby.

\n", "content_text": "Bronze medal in Los Angeles enough for Australia to clinch the Series title as New Zealand win the tournament.\nAustralia won the men\u2019s\u00a0HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series\u00a0for the first time in history on Sunday after an amazing day two of action in Los Angeles.\nThe 2022 series started way back in November last year and, after nine tournaments, it all came down to the bronze medal match at Dignity Health Sports Park in California, USA.\nGoing into that match Australia knew that if they could win it then they would have too big a points total for nearest rivals Fiji and South Africa and so it proved.\nThey beat Samoa 21-7 to clinch third over the weekend and, more importantly, the overall title.\nSEE ALL THE RESULTS OF THE HSBC LA SEVENS >>>\nAn emotional Australia head coach John Manenti said:\u00a0 \u201cIt is quite surreal to be honest.\n\u201cIt has been an amazing six months or so with the boys, we have had our ups and downs, but these kids have fought hard and they deserve this and it is something that they will remember for ever.\n\u201cWe are a bunch of misfits just having a crack, working hard for each other and the boys love each other which is a big thing.\n\u201cThis season we wanted to be consistent from day one and we didn\u2019t get there every tournament, but in general this overall victory is all about the consistency the boys have shown.\u201d\nBefore this, Australia had finished second in the men\u2019s series in 2000-01, but this time they made it to the top of the mountain and backed up their women\u2019s series win to show that they are the country to beat now when it comes to sevens.\nAustralia finished fourth at the\u00a0Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games in July, losing to New Zealand in the bronze medal match, so they obviously channelled that frustration here.\nAnd their head coach mentioned consistency, well they are the only team who reached the Cup quarter-finals at every round of the 2022 Series.\nThey are the fifth country ever to win the series after New Zealand, South Africa, Fiji and Samoa.\nIn all the excitement, Fiji and New Zealand then played out a brilliant gold medal match.\nBefore it, New Zealand had reached a Cup final on USA soil on eight occasions, but only lifted the trophy twice – in 2004-05 in Los Angeles and 2007-08 in San Diego.\nTheir record in Cup finals now is won 62, lost 39 after a late Moses Leo try – converted by Kurt Baker – helped the injury-hit squad see them win the game 28-21.\nHSBC Player of the Final Leo said:\u00a0 \u201cWe had to dig deep, but the boys showed character and we did it.\u201d\nSEE THE OVERALL SEASON’S RANKING >>>\nIn the final standings, Australia finish on 128 points, South Africa are on 124, Fiji are third on 122, Argentina are fourth on 118 and Ireland finish fifth on 92.\nGOLD MEDAL MATCH: MOSES LEO THE STAR MAN AS NEW ZEALAND FIND GOLD\nWith these two great sides tied at 21-21 going into the final 60 seconds of a pulsating Cup final it was going to take something special to separate them – and Moses Leo came up with it.\nHis try, converted by Kurt Baker, saw them record a 28-21 triumph.\nThe result was tough for Fiji to take because they certainly played their part, their tries coming from Kaminieli Rasaku, Waisea Nacuqu and Filipe Sauturaga.\nNew Zealand captain Sione Molia said:\u00a0 \u201cIt was such a tough match and we knew we had to be real clinical and we were.\n\u201cWe had a few guys nursing injuries, but we wanted to win for each other and our country.\u201d\nBRONZE MEDAL MATCH: AUSTRALIA BOUNCE BACK FROM EARLY SAMOA TRY\nKnowing a win in this one would secure them the Series there was no doubt some nerves in the Australian squad before this game against Samoa.\nAnd that only intensified when Owen Niue scored a converted try for the opponents after three minutes.\nAustralia stayed calm though and tries from Corey Toole, Henry Paterson and Dietrich Roache – all converted by the latter – got them home 21-7.\nAfter the game which gave his side ultimate glory, captain Nick Malouf said:\u00a0 \u201cI am just so proud, I look back to the start of this season and we had six guys contracted, it has been quite some journey since then.\n\u201cBefore this game we spoke about making three groups of people proud. The first was Australians, the second was the name on our backs our families and the third was the group of guys. I hope we did that.\u201d\nYou certainly did Nick\u2026\nCUP SEMI-FINALS: FIJI TURN ON STYLE AS NEW ZEALAND EDGE THROUGH\nHenry Paterson and James Turner scored first half unconverted tries for Australia, but in the end Fiji were too strong in the first Cup semi-final.\nWaisea Nacuqu, Jerry Tuwai, Filipe Sauturaga, Joseva Talacolo and Kaminieli Rasaku scored their tries in a 29-10 victory.\nSamoa led 19-7 at the break against New Zealand in the second semi, but the latter showed amazing battling spirit to come through 28-26.\nSione Molia scored their winning try with Kurt Baker converting to add to earlier scores from Akuila Rokolisoa (2) and Baker.\nSteve Onosai, Vaa Apelu Maliko, Uaina Sione and Paul Scanlan were Samoa\u2019s try scorers in defeat.\nCUP QUARTER-FINALS: AUSTRALIA, FIJI, SAMOA AND NEW ZEALAND PROGRESS\nHaving been awesome on day one, early on day two Australia showed they were keen to continue where they left off.\nMatthew Gonzalez, Maurice Longbottom, Henry Paterson (2), Josh Turner and Corey Toole scored their tries in a comfortable 40-14 Cup quarter-final triumph.\nFiji then got the better of hosts USA, Kaminieli Rasaku, Joseva Talacolo (2) and Viwa Naduvalo their try scorers in a 28-12 triumph although the biggest cheers came when Steve Tomasin and Maka Unufe crossed.\nPaul Scanlan was the hero with the winning try as Samoa just got the better of Argentina 24-19 in one of the ties of the weekend.\nMat\u00edas Osadczuk\u2019s try, converted by Alejo Lavayen, had made it 19-19 before Scanlan\u2019s intervention. Scanlan was later named DHL Impact Player of the weekend.\nJoe Webber, Caleb Tangitau, Amanaki Nicole, Ngarohi McGarvey-Black and Lewis Ormond bagged tries for New Zealand as they were too strong for Ireland 29-14.\n5TH PLACE: ARGENTINA FINISH FIFTH AND HAVE HEADS HELD HIGH\nAlong with Australia, Fiji and South Africa, Argentina were one of four sides going into this event who could have lifted the overall series title had things gone their way.\nIt was not to be in the end, but what entertainers they have been in recent months and they made sure of fifth place in Los Angeles by beating Kenya 29-7 in the fifth place final.\nAn Anthony Omondi converted try on the stroke of half-time saw Kenya cut the deficit to 12-7 at the break, but second period tries from Tomas Lizazu (2) and Franco Sabato – as well as two Tobias Wade conversions \u2013 got Argentina home 29-7.\nEarlier in the first fifth place semi-final, Edmund Anya scored a converted try at the death as Kenya stunned the home support with a 21-14 victory over a USA outfit who certainly entertained over the two days.\nIn the second semi, Argentina had to battle back from 21-7 down against Ireland and there was similar late drama to the Kenya-USA tie.\nTomas Lizazu was the match winner here, his converted try getting Argentina through 28-21 after a cracking contest.\n9TH\u00a0PLACE: FRENCH FLYING IN FINAL\nFrance had a mixed weekend overall, but in the 9th\u00a0place final they turned on the style.\nThey scored just one try in the first half, but they scored four more after the interval to defeat Scotland 33-0.\nNisie Huyard, Aaron Grandidier, William Iraguha, Stephen Parez and Paulin Riva were thee French try scorers with four conversions being added as they ended on a high.\nEarlier France had got the better of England 19-7 in the first 9th\u00a0place semi-final, Jean Pascal Barraque, Nelson Epee and Pierre Mignot their scorers there.\nAnd Scotland had made it to the final with a victory that had the same score against Wales.\nRobbie Fergusson (2) and Harvey Elms were the Scotland try scorers in this one.\nIn the 9th\u00a0place quarter-finals, England defeated Japan 36-15 with Tom Bowen leading the way with two tries and Nelson Epee was at the double in a 42-0 thumping of Canada.\nMatt Davidson, Jamie Farndale, Robbie Fergusson and Harvey Elms scored converted tries as Scotland got the better of Spain 28-7 and Wales caused a shock to edge out South Africa 10-5.\nLuke Treharne opened the scoring early on before Ryan Oosthuizen replied, but Morgan Williams won it for the Welsh.\n13TH PLACE: SOUTH AFRICA FINISH 13TH TO FALL SHORT\nIf you had said to many people at the start of the weekend that series leading South Africa would be in the 13th\u00a0place final then not a lot of them would have believed you.\nHowever, as we know sevens throws up the most amazing things and that is what happened here.\nIn the final South Africa won 26-0 to, at the time, keep their overall series title hopes alive at the time, but in the end it was not enough.\nIn the final, Shilton van Wyk, James Murphy, JC Pretorius and Ryan Oosthuizen scored South Africa\u2019s tries with Branco du Preez (2) and Shaun Williams kicking conversions.\nEarlier in the first 13th\u00a0place final, Japan had come out of the blocks flying to defeat Canada 26-19.\nTimo Fiti Sufia, Shotaro Tsuoka, Taichi Yoshizawa and Ryota Kano scored tries, three of them converted, as the Japanese team led 26-0 at one point before holding off a comeback.\nIn the other semi, Siviwe Soyizwapi and JC Pretorius tries had South Africa 10-7 up at the break over Spain and eventually they won 29-12.\nSecond half try scorers for South Africa were James Murphy, Angelo Davids and Muller du Plessis.\nRUGBY WORLD CUP SEVENS 2022\nThe World Rugby Sevens Series for 2022 may well be over now, but the best male and female sevens players on the planet will soon be at show in the\u00a0Rugby World Cup Sevens.\nThe showpiece event takes place in Cape Town, South Africa, between September 9 and 11.\nThe post Australia win the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2022 appeared first on Asia Rugby.", "date_published": "2022-08-29T14:57:33+08:00", "date_modified": "2022-08-29T14:57:33+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Australia-win-the-HSBC-World-Rugby-Sevens-Series-2022.jpg", "tags": [ "HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2022", "World Rugby Sevens", "HSBC World Rugby Sevens", "Australia Rugby", "New Zealand Rugby", "Featured", "News" ] }, { "id": "https://www.asiarugby.com/?p=8886", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/2022/07/30/records-fall-on-first-day-of-rugby-sevens-at-commonwealth-games/", "title": "Records fall on first day of rugby sevens at Commonwealth Games", "content_html": "

Fans were treated to a spectacular opening day of rugby sevens action as the popular, fast-paced sport kicked off its Commonwealth Games competition in record breaking fashion at Coventry Stadium on Friday.

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Fans were treated to a spectacular opening day of rugby sevens action as the popular, fast-paced sport kicked off its Commonwealth Games competition in record breaking fashion at Coventry Stadium on Friday.

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With many of the world\u2019s top teams and best players on show, the speed, skill and end-to-end drama of rugby sevens delivered as the top seeds showed their class to claim victories on day one in front of a crowd which included HRH the Princess Royal and the Earl and Countess of Wessex.

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VIEW RESULTS, POOLS AND MATCH SCHEDULE >>

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In the women\u2019s competition, which contains eight teams in two pools of four teams each, New Zealand are aiming to retain the \u00a0title they won four years ago but the Olympic champions will have to overcome Australia, who claimed the World Series title earlier this year and an impressive Fiji who were Olympic bronze medallists in Tokyo last year.

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On day one of the women\u2019s competition in Coventry Australia and Fiji secured their places in Saturday\u2019s semi-finals, by overcoming Scotland and South Africa to ensure their safe passage from pool B.

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In pool A reigning Olympic and Commonwealth Champions New Zealand began their campaign in fine form with a 45-7 win against Canada before a record-breaking 60-0 triumph over Sri Lanka which included a sensational six tries for Michaela Blyde.

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Read More –\u00a0

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New Zealand will take on England in a crucial third and final pool match at 10:06 BST on Saturday. The hosts had mixed fortunes on day one with a 57-0 win over Sri Lanka, which saw Ellie Boatman score four first half tries, followed by a 26-19 defeat to Canada, which means they are likely to have to beat New Zealand to progress to the semi-finals.

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In the men\u2019s competition, which comprises 16 teams in four pools of four teams each, double men\u2019s Olympic champions Fiji face stiff competition from reigning Commonwealth title holders New Zealand, HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series leaders South Africa among other potential medallists.

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South Africa and Scotland ensured their progress to Saturday evening\u2019s quarter-finals by overcoming Tonga and Malaysia in pool B. An impressive Scotland outfit thrashed Tonga 41-0 and Malaysia 50-12. South Africa beat Malaysia 46-0 before overcoming Tonga 36-5.

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Meanwhile New Zealand, Fiji and Kenya lead pools A, C and D respectively with perfect win records on Friday, but will need to confirm their progress in the final pool matches on Saturday morning.

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Perhaps the match of the day saw underdogs Uganda claim a pulsating 12-12 draw with Australia in pool D as the men from downunder were temporarily reduced to five players and Uganda narrowly missed the chance for a historic victory with the last kick of the game as a penalty attempt sailed agonisingly wide.

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Earlier in the day Australia had go off to a flying start as a first half hattrick of tries from Samu Kerevi helped them to a 62-0 victory over Jamaica. However Kenya\u2019s 27-14 win over Uganda means Australia still have work to do in the final pool match against Kenya to ensure their place in the quarter-finals.

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Reigning champions New Zealand showed all their resilience to fight back from 0-17 down to an impressive Samoa outfit, eventually claiming a hard fought 19-17 victory to add to their earlier win over Sri Lanka and top pool A. Hosts England have their work cut out after a heavy opening match defeat to Samoa by a 34-0 score line but bounced back to claim a 47-19 win over Sri Lanka, which keeps their hopes of making the quarter-finals alive.

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Olympic champions Fiji, who have never won Commonwealth gold, sit on top of pool C after beating Zambia convincingly 52-0 followed by a hard fought win over Canada by a 19-12 score. Zambia scored their first ever Commonwealth Games try in a 38-5 defeat to Wales, who were earlier beaten 31-0 by Canada and will likely need to pull off a shock result against Fiji to progress to the quarter-finals.

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New Zealand women\u2019s Tyla Nathan-Wong was pleased with the Black Ferns Sevens opening day performances: \u201cIt was pretty good and there are a few things that we need to clear up a couple of receipts of kick-off weren\u2019t the best and you can\u2019t do that against the bigger teams. We need to tidy up a few things and we\u2019re looking forward to day two and facing England.\u201d

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The competition continues on Saturday with the final round of pool matches in the morning session from 09:00-13:30 BST. Hosts England face New Zealand in crucial final pool matches on Saturday with the women going head-to-head at 10:06 BST and the men\u2019s teams facing each other at 11:34 BST.

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England men\u2019s player Jamie Adamson is looking ahead to taking on the All Blacks Sevens: \u201cSevens is funny game and tomorrow we\u2019ll fly into New Zealand and see what comes of it. We\u2019ve got to go in tomorrow with our heads up, with the right attitude and hopefully we\u2019ll come out on top.\u201d

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The competition reaches its exciting knock out phase as the women\u2019s semi-finals and men\u2019s quarter-finals take place in the afternoon session on Saturday from 17:30-22:30 BST, while the medals will be decided on Sunday evening.

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A few remaining tickets are still available, starting at just \u00a38 for under 16s and \u00a315 for adults. Fans should visit\u00a0www.birmingham2022.com\u00a0for details.

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Rights free images are available via the\u00a0World Rugby Media Zone.

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The post Records fall on first day of rugby sevens at Commonwealth Games appeared first on Asia Rugby.

\n", "content_text": "Fans were treated to a spectacular opening day of rugby sevens action as the popular, fast-paced sport kicked off its Commonwealth Games competition in record breaking fashion at Coventry Stadium on Friday.\n\nRecord breaking first day of rugby sevens action at Commonwealth Games in Coventry\nAustralia and Fiji secure spots in women\u2019s semi-finals while New Zealand also claim pair of victories including a record-smashing 60-0 win over Sri Lanka that saw Michaela Blyde run in a sensational six tries\nScotland and South Africa reach men\u2019s quarter-finals while Fiji, Kenya and New Zealand lead their pools with perfect win records\nThe second and penultimate day of the rugby sevens competition kicks off at Coventry Stadium at 09:00 BST on Saturday 30 July, with the medal matches on Sunday\nHosts England face New Zealand in both men\u2019s and women\u2019s crucial final pool matches on Saturday with the women going head-to-head at 10:06 BST and the men at 11:34 BST\nRemaining tickets are available, starting at just \u00a38 for under 16s and \u00a315 for adults, from birmingham2022.com\n\nFans were treated to a spectacular opening day of rugby sevens action as the popular, fast-paced sport kicked off its Commonwealth Games competition in record breaking fashion at Coventry Stadium on Friday.\nWith many of the world\u2019s top teams and best players on show, the speed, skill and end-to-end drama of rugby sevens delivered as the top seeds showed their class to claim victories on day one in front of a crowd which included HRH the Princess Royal and the Earl and Countess of Wessex.\nVIEW RESULTS, POOLS AND MATCH SCHEDULE >>\nIn the women\u2019s competition, which contains eight teams in two pools of four teams each, New Zealand are aiming to retain the \u00a0title they won four years ago but the Olympic champions will have to overcome Australia, who claimed the World Series title earlier this year and an impressive Fiji who were Olympic bronze medallists in Tokyo last year.\nOn day one of the women\u2019s competition in Coventry Australia and Fiji secured their places in Saturday\u2019s semi-finals, by overcoming Scotland and South Africa to ensure their safe passage from pool B.\nIn pool A reigning Olympic and Commonwealth Champions New Zealand began their campaign in fine form with a 45-7 win against Canada before a record-breaking 60-0 triumph over Sri Lanka which included a sensational six tries for Michaela Blyde.\nRead More –\u00a0\n\nRugby sevens ready for Commonwealth Games kick-off\nRugby Sevens match schedule confirmed for Commonwealth Games 2022\nRugby World Cup Sevens 2022 line-up confirmed in BucharestRugby World Cup Sevens 2022 line-up confirmed in Bucharest\nDubai to host decisive Final Qualification Tournament for Rugby World Cup 2023\n\nNew Zealand will take on England in a crucial third and final pool match at 10:06 BST on Saturday. The hosts had mixed fortunes on day one with a 57-0 win over Sri Lanka, which saw Ellie Boatman score four first half tries, followed by a 26-19 defeat to Canada, which means they are likely to have to beat New Zealand to progress to the semi-finals.\nIn the men\u2019s competition, which comprises 16 teams in four pools of four teams each, double men\u2019s Olympic champions Fiji face stiff competition from reigning Commonwealth title holders New Zealand, HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series leaders South Africa among other potential medallists.\nSouth Africa and Scotland ensured their progress to Saturday evening\u2019s quarter-finals by overcoming Tonga and Malaysia in pool B. An impressive Scotland outfit thrashed Tonga 41-0 and Malaysia 50-12. South Africa beat Malaysia 46-0 before overcoming Tonga 36-5.\nMeanwhile New Zealand, Fiji and Kenya lead pools A, C and D respectively with perfect win records on Friday, but will need to confirm their progress in the final pool matches on Saturday morning.\nPerhaps the match of the day saw underdogs Uganda claim a pulsating 12-12 draw with Australia in pool D as the men from downunder were temporarily reduced to five players and Uganda narrowly missed the chance for a historic victory with the last kick of the game as a penalty attempt sailed agonisingly wide.\nEarlier in the day Australia had go off to a flying start as a first half hattrick of tries from Samu Kerevi helped them to a 62-0 victory over Jamaica. However Kenya\u2019s 27-14 win over Uganda means Australia still have work to do in the final pool match against Kenya to ensure their place in the quarter-finals.\nReigning champions New Zealand showed all their resilience to fight back from 0-17 down to an impressive Samoa outfit, eventually claiming a hard fought 19-17 victory to add to their earlier win over Sri Lanka and top pool A. Hosts England have their work cut out after a heavy opening match defeat to Samoa by a 34-0 score line but bounced back to claim a 47-19 win over Sri Lanka, which keeps their hopes of making the quarter-finals alive.\nOlympic champions Fiji, who have never won Commonwealth gold, sit on top of pool C after beating Zambia convincingly 52-0 followed by a hard fought win over Canada by a 19-12 score. Zambia scored their first ever Commonwealth Games try in a 38-5 defeat to Wales, who were earlier beaten 31-0 by Canada and will likely need to pull off a shock result against Fiji to progress to the quarter-finals.\nNew Zealand women\u2019s Tyla Nathan-Wong was pleased with the Black Ferns Sevens opening day performances: \u201cIt was pretty good and there are a few things that we need to clear up a couple of receipts of kick-off weren\u2019t the best and you can\u2019t do that against the bigger teams. We need to tidy up a few things and we\u2019re looking forward to day two and facing England.\u201d\nThe competition continues on Saturday with the final round of pool matches in the morning session from 09:00-13:30 BST. Hosts England face New Zealand in crucial final pool matches on Saturday with the women going head-to-head at 10:06 BST and the men\u2019s teams facing each other at 11:34 BST.\nEngland men\u2019s player Jamie Adamson is looking ahead to taking on the All Blacks Sevens: \u201cSevens is funny game and tomorrow we\u2019ll fly into New Zealand and see what comes of it. We\u2019ve got to go in tomorrow with our heads up, with the right attitude and hopefully we\u2019ll come out on top.\u201d\nThe competition reaches its exciting knock out phase as the women\u2019s semi-finals and men\u2019s quarter-finals take place in the afternoon session on Saturday from 17:30-22:30 BST, while the medals will be decided on Sunday evening.\nA few remaining tickets are still available, starting at just \u00a38 for under 16s and \u00a315 for adults. Fans should visit\u00a0www.birmingham2022.com\u00a0for details.\nRights free images are available via the\u00a0World Rugby Media Zone.\nThe post Records fall on first day of rugby sevens at Commonwealth Games appeared first on Asia Rugby.", "date_published": "2022-07-30T11:57:29+08:00", "date_modified": "2022-07-30T12:11:53+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/SLvNZ.jpg", "tags": [ "Rugby sevens", "Sri Lanka Rugby", "New Zealand Rugby", "Commonwealth Games", "Featured", "News" ] }, { "id": "https://www.asiarugby.com/?p=8794", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/2022/06/21/rugbys-biggest-family-reunion/", "title": "World Rugby calls on fans to join rugby\u2019s biggest family reunion at Rugby World Cup 2021", "content_html": "\n

World Rugby today has launched the Rugby World Cup 2021 \u2018Family Reunion\u2019 campaign, celebrating the 100 days to go milestone by encouraging the rugby family to join together and celebrate the very best of women in rugby after the pandemic.

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Following its Covid-19 enforced postponement, New Zealand is set to welcome the world\u2019s top players and fans around the world with a very special celebration of rugby, rugby\u2019s values, women and togetherness from 8 October to 12 November 2022.

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Land Rover announced as Worldwide Partner of Rugby World Cup 2021

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It promises to be the greatest celebration of women\u2019s rugby the sport has ever witnessed. Focused primarily at a New Zealand audience, the campaign launches just days before tickets to Rugby World Cup 2021 go on general sale on 30 June and celebrates the \u2018rugby family\u2019 and the off-field values that make rugby so unique.

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A winning blend of rugby, party and a family reunion like no other, the campaign is brought to life through a hero film shot in the Auckland suburbs which demonstrates that Rugby World Cup 2021 will offer so much more than just the 80 minutes on the pitch.

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The star-studded campaign film features Black Fern and Black Ferns Sevens icon Ruby Tui, former Black Ferns captain and Rugby World Cup winner Fiao’o Fa’amausili, England Rugby international Emily Scarratt, New Zealand Rugby international Caleb Clarke and former captain of the New Zealand international cricket team Ross Taylor.

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Following a cessation of live sport owing to the pandemic, rugby\u2019s stars are calling on the people of New Zealand to come together at Rugby World Cup 2021 for the biggest family gathering of the year \u2013 and everyone\u2019s invited.

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It\u2019s not just mums and dads, brothers and sisters \u2013 Rugby World Cup 2021 is inviting the entire rugby Whanau for a long overdue and much anticipated celebration.

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The rugby family means friends from school, mates from work, girls from the rugby club. It\u2019s the bond people have with their friends, their family, their favourite players and everything in between.

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\"Japan

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It\u2019s everyone being brought together for six weeks by their own genealogy \u2013 rugby.

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World Rugby Chief Executive Officer Alan Gilpin said: \u201cFamily Reunion is a pivotal step on our journey to Rugby World Cup 2021 as we approach 100 days to go when fans will be able to secure their ticket to what will be a spectacular celebration of women\u2019s rugby this October and November.

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\u201cThe campaign perfectly encapsulates rugby\u2019s values and celebrates the rugby family; something that is incredibly special and unique to our sport. It has been some time since the world has had an opportunity to come together and enjoy international rugby on this scale, so we are extremely excited that Rugby World Cup 2021 will be an enabler for the global rugby family to enjoy world-class sport New Zealand later this year.\u201d

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Rugby World Cup 2021 will kick off at Eden Park on 8 October, 2022 with a triple header. 12 international teams will go head-to-head for four weeks before the tournament culminates with the final on 12 November, which will see the remaining teams return to Eden Park Join the Family Reunion by securing your ticket to Rugby World Cup 2021 on 30 June, available here.

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Individual match day tickets will be available exclusively for Mastercard holders from 22 to 26 June.

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The post World Rugby calls on fans to join rugby\u2019s biggest family reunion at Rugby World Cup 2021 appeared first on Asia Rugby.

\n", "content_text": "World Rugby launches \u2018Family Reunion\u2019 campaign for Rugby World Cup 2021\n\u00a0Campaign encourages New Zealanders and fans from around the world to join rugby\u2019s biggest reunion following the pandemic\nCampaign launches ahead of tickets to pinnacle tournament going on general sale 30 June, available here\nStar-studded campaign film features Ruby Tui, Fiao’o Fa’amausili, Caleb Clarke, Ross Taylor and Emily Scarratt\n30 June marks 100 days to go until the start of the tournament which will be held in New Zealand from 8 October to 12 November, 2022\nRugby World Cup 2021 set to be the biggest celebration of women\u2019s rugby as 12 international teams come together to see who will be crowned world champions\nGeneral sale tickets to Rugby World Cup 2021\n\nWorld Rugby today has launched the Rugby World Cup 2021 \u2018Family Reunion\u2019 campaign, celebrating the 100 days to go milestone by encouraging the rugby family to join together and celebrate the very best of women in rugby after the pandemic.\nFollowing its Covid-19 enforced postponement, New Zealand is set to welcome the world\u2019s top players and fans around the world with a very special celebration of rugby, rugby\u2019s values, women and togetherness from 8 October to 12 November 2022.\nLand Rover announced as Worldwide Partner of Rugby World Cup 2021\nIt promises to be the greatest celebration of women\u2019s rugby the sport has ever witnessed. Focused primarily at a New Zealand audience, the campaign launches just days before tickets to Rugby World Cup 2021 go on general sale on 30 June and celebrates the \u2018rugby family\u2019 and the off-field values that make rugby so unique.\nA winning blend of rugby, party and a family reunion like no other, the campaign is brought to life through a hero film shot in the Auckland suburbs which demonstrates that Rugby World Cup 2021 will offer so much more than just the 80 minutes on the pitch.\nThe star-studded campaign film features Black Fern and Black Ferns Sevens icon Ruby Tui, former Black Ferns captain and Rugby World Cup winner Fiao’o Fa’amausili, England Rugby international Emily Scarratt, New Zealand Rugby international Caleb Clarke and former captain of the New Zealand international cricket team Ross Taylor.\nFollowing a cessation of live sport owing to the pandemic, rugby\u2019s stars are calling on the people of New Zealand to come together at Rugby World Cup 2021 for the biggest family gathering of the year \u2013 and everyone\u2019s invited.\nIt\u2019s not just mums and dads, brothers and sisters \u2013 Rugby World Cup 2021 is inviting the entire rugby Whanau for a long overdue and much anticipated celebration.\nThe rugby family means friends from school, mates from work, girls from the rugby club. It\u2019s the bond people have with their friends, their family, their favourite players and everything in between.\n\nIt\u2019s everyone being brought together for six weeks by their own genealogy \u2013 rugby.\nWorld Rugby Chief Executive Officer Alan Gilpin said: \u201cFamily Reunion is a pivotal step on our journey to Rugby World Cup 2021 as we approach 100 days to go when fans will be able to secure their ticket to what will be a spectacular celebration of women\u2019s rugby this October and November.\n\u201cThe campaign perfectly encapsulates rugby\u2019s values and celebrates the rugby family; something that is incredibly special and unique to our sport. It has been some time since the world has had an opportunity to come together and enjoy international rugby on this scale, so we are extremely excited that Rugby World Cup 2021 will be an enabler for the global rugby family to enjoy world-class sport New Zealand later this year.\u201d\nRugby World Cup 2021 will kick off at Eden Park on 8 October, 2022 with a triple header. 12 international teams will go head-to-head for four weeks before the tournament culminates with the final on 12 November, which will see the remaining teams return to Eden Park Join the Family Reunion by securing your ticket to Rugby World Cup 2021 on 30 June, available here.\nIndividual match day tickets will be available exclusively for Mastercard holders from 22 to 26 June.\nThe post World Rugby calls on fans to join rugby\u2019s biggest family reunion at Rugby World Cup 2021 appeared first on Asia Rugby.", "date_published": "2022-06-21T07:40:43+08:00", "date_modified": "2022-06-21T08:37:18+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Family-Union-Editorial-Image.webp", "tags": [ "world Rugby", "RWC2021", "World Cup 2021", "New Zealand Rugby", "WXV", "Featured", "Womens Rugby", "News" ] } ] }