{ "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/fiji-rugby/feed/json/ -- and add it your reader.", "home_page_url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/tag/fiji-rugby/", "feed_url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/tag/fiji-rugby/feed/json/", "language": "en-US", "title": "Fiji 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.

\n

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.

\n

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

\n

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.

\n

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.

\n

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.

\n

VIEW MEN\u2019S SERIES STANDINGS >>

\n

VIEW WOMEN\u2019S SERIES STANDINGS >>

\n

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.

\n

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.

\n

VIEW MEN\u2019S MATCH SCHEDULE >>

\n

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.

\n

VIEW WOMEN\u2019S MATCH SCHEDULE >>

\n

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

\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 >>

\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=8962", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/2022/09/13/rugby-world-cup-sevens-2022-how-an-incredible-weekend-unfolded/", "title": "Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022: How an \u201cincredible\u201d weekend unfolded", "content_html": "

Following the conclusion of RWC Sevens 2022 in Cape Town, we recap some of the highlights from a truly special weekend.

\n

Following 84 incredible matches, the curtain came down on an enthralling\u00a0Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022\u00a0with Australia and Fiji sitting on the top step of the podium.

\n

Australia dominated the women\u2019s tournament from the very first match, while Fiji were made to work hard to end their season on a high in Cape Town.

\n

But that only tells part of the story. We recap some of the highlights from a memorable weekend that sets up both the men\u2019s and women\u2019s\u00a0World Rugby Sevens Series 2023\u00a0perfectly.

\n
\n

Sevens? Completed it \"\ud83c\udfc6\"

\n

Charlotte Caslick and Sharni Williams are the first @Aussie7s players to complete a unique quartet of Sevens titles

\n

\"\ud83e\udd47\" Olympics
\n\"\ud83e\udd47\" Rugby World Cup Sevens
\n\"\ud83e\udd47\" World Rugby Sevens Series
\n\"\ud83e\udd47\" Commonwealth Games#RWC7s | #HereToSevens pic.twitter.com/mTnUxO5lxt

\n

\u2014 Rugby World Cup 7s 2022 (@WorldRugby7s) September 12, 2022

\n

\n

AUSTRALIA COMPLETE HISTORIC HAT-TRICK

\n

Heading into the 2022 season, Australia\u2019s women were determined to bounce back from a disappointing Tokyo Olympic Games in style.

\n

Ten months later, they have created history as the first team to win the World Rugby Sevens Series, Commonwealth Games and Rugby World Cup Sevens in the same year.

\n

In Cape Town they hit the ground running with a 48-0 win against Madagascar and didn\u2019t look back, beating England 35-5 in the quarter-finals and the USA 17-7 in the semi-finals.

\n

New Zealand stood between them and a second RWC Sevens title but a Maddison Levi hat-trick and a ninth try of the tournament for Faith Nathan helped them to a nail-biting 24-22 victory.

\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a pretty special feat that this group of young girls has done. It was something we\u2019ve been brave enough to put out there and put everything on the line to come away with,\u201d co-captain Charlotte Caslick said.

\n

\u201cIt\u2019s incredible.\u00a0I\u2019m so proud of the girls \u2013 it\u2019s been an honour to lead them this year and to watch the growth they\u2019ve had as a group and as a team.

\n

\u201cIt\u2019s really special for me to be a part of. At the moment, I\u2019m just really proud \u2013 proud of our coaching staff, proud of the girls, proud of Demi [Hayes] and I, and getting them to have this bond that is becoming a real force on the world stage.”

\n

Co-captain Hayes added: \u201cI am so proud of our group, the 12 of us, and everyone back home, the whole of Australia. Hopefully, we have done all of them proud. It\u2019s never been done before, so to take that home is really special.”

\n

FIJI BACK ON TOP OF THE WORLD

\n

By Fiji\u2019s extremely high standards, 2022 had been a slightly disappointing one, missing out on the men\u2019s Series title by four points and losing in the Commonwealth Games final to South Africa.

\n

The team put that right in Cape Town, however, to end Ben Gollings\u2019 first season as coach on a high and come away with a third RWC Sevens title \u2013 and first of those won outside of Hong Kong.

\n

Wales were dispatched 29-5 in the round of 16 on Friday before Fiji overcame Pacific Island rivals Samoa 21-10 in a bruising quarter-final the following evening.

\n

A 38-14 defeat of Australia in the semi-finals set up a showpiece match against defending champions, New Zealand. Fiji ran in five tries through five different scorers in the final to topple the All Blacks Sevens 29-12.

\n
\n

Flying finish for @fijirugby! \"\u2708\"

\n

Scenes were made in Cape Town thanks to Fellipe Sauturaga!#HereToSevens | #RWC7s pic.twitter.com/Zy3nG8FYiA

\n

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

\n

\n

\u201cIt was huge. These boys have been fantastic this whole week,\u201d Gollings said. \u201cThey set themselves a goal and they came and finished the job this evening, and it was just incredible.

\n

\u201cWords don\u2019t really express it right now. They deserve everything they have done today.\u201d

\n

Try-scorer in the final, Kaminieli Rasaku added: \u201cToday was unreal for the boys. It\u2019s quite a long time since we won the World Cup. I think the boys are proud of themselves – their performance throughout the three days of the tournament.\u201d

\n

RWC SEVENS 2022 HIGHLIGHTS

\n

It did not take long for Australia and Faith Nathan to find their form in Cape Town, the exciting finisher becoming the first player ever to score five tries in a single RWC Sevens match in the opening tie of the women\u2019s tournament.

\n

Madagascar were on the receiving end as Nathan touched down twice in the first half, before crossing the whitewash another three times in the second.

\n

\u201cIt feels really good. They were more team tries rather than individual but it feels good,\u201d she said after the 48-0 win.

\n

Nathan went on to score a hat-trick in the quarter-final against England before a try in the final against New Zealand took her tournament tally to nine.

\n

In the men\u2019s tournament, several of Ireland\u2019s players danced their way through the media mixed zone after they capped a stunning weekend with the bronze medal on Sunday night.

\n

Having played and won the opening match of the tournament against Portugal in the pre-round of 16, Ireland then overcame England before beating South Africa in front of their home crowd in the last eight.

\n

Following that win, Mark Roche had claimed his team-mates had \u201cgot great things ahead\u201d of them, and after losing narrowly to the All Blacks Sevens in the semi-finals, they claimed third place with a 19-14 win against Series champions Australia.

\n
\n

How’s your football skills Terry Kennedy!

\n

Phenomenal as he sets up Harry McNulty in the TUDOR Daring Play of the Day! \"\ud83e\udd29\"#BornToDare pic.twitter.com/5N1cv0jhcL

\n

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

\n

\n

\u201cIt is incredible,\u201d try-scorer Terry Kennedy said after the bronze final. \u201cWe never fail to surprise, every time our backs are against the wall, we stand up.

\n

\u201cIt was a tough loss today against New Zealand in the semis, so to come out there and put on that performance was unbelievable.\u201d

\n

WHAT NEXT?

\n

As the goalposts are taken down at DHL Stadium and the dust settles on a remarkable three days, both Australia and Fiji are now tied as the most successful teams in women\u2019s and men\u2019s Rugby World Cup Sevens respectively.

\n

Fiji\u2019s triumph in Cape Town was their third at a men\u2019s RWC Sevens, taking them level with the All Blacks Sevens, who tasted victory in 2001, 2013 and 2018.

\n

Australia, meanwhile, have now won two tournaments \u2013 having lifted the inaugural women\u2019s title in 2009 \u2013 and are now level with the Black Ferns Sevens, who claimed RWC Sevens glory in 2013 and 2018.

\n

Like the rest of the teams who competed in Cape Town, Australia and Fiji will now enjoy a well-earned rest, but they will also take a great deal of confidence into the 2023 Series.

\n

Fiji have less than eight weeks to wait until the men\u2019s World Rugby Sevens Series 2023 gets underway in Hong Kong, the scene of their first two RWC Sevens triumphs.

\n

Australia, meanwhile, have an extra month to prepare for the start of the women\u2019s Series, which kicks off with a joint event in Dubai at the beginning of December.

\n

Much work will go in on the road to Hong Kong and Dubai as teams aim to close the gap on Fiji and Australia, while others attempt to rebound from disappointment in Cape Town.

\n

If any extra significance was needed, the 2023 Series will also act as a qualification pathway for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. See you at Hong Kong Stadium on 4 November!

\n

The post Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022: How an \u201cincredible\u201d weekend unfolded appeared first on Asia Rugby.

\n", "content_text": "Following the conclusion of RWC Sevens 2022 in Cape Town, we recap some of the highlights from a truly special weekend.\nFollowing 84 incredible matches, the curtain came down on an enthralling\u00a0Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022\u00a0with Australia and Fiji sitting on the top step of the podium.\nAustralia dominated the women\u2019s tournament from the very first match, while Fiji were made to work hard to end their season on a high in Cape Town.\nBut that only tells part of the story. We recap some of the highlights from a memorable weekend that sets up both the men\u2019s and women\u2019s\u00a0World Rugby Sevens Series 2023\u00a0perfectly.\n\nSevens? Completed it \nCharlotte Caslick and Sharni Williams are the first @Aussie7s players to complete a unique quartet of Sevens titles\n Olympics\n Rugby World Cup Sevens\n World Rugby Sevens Series\n Commonwealth Games#RWC7s | #HereToSevens pic.twitter.com/mTnUxO5lxt\n\u2014 Rugby World Cup 7s 2022 (@WorldRugby7s) September 12, 2022\n\nAUSTRALIA COMPLETE HISTORIC HAT-TRICK\nHeading into the 2022 season, Australia\u2019s women were determined to bounce back from a disappointing Tokyo Olympic Games in style.\nTen months later, they have created history as the first team to win the World Rugby Sevens Series, Commonwealth Games and Rugby World Cup Sevens in the same year.\nIn Cape Town they hit the ground running with a 48-0 win against Madagascar and didn\u2019t look back, beating England 35-5 in the quarter-finals and the USA 17-7 in the semi-finals.\nNew Zealand stood between them and a second RWC Sevens title but a Maddison Levi hat-trick and a ninth try of the tournament for Faith Nathan helped them to a nail-biting 24-22 victory.\n\u201cIt\u2019s a pretty special feat that this group of young girls has done. It was something we\u2019ve been brave enough to put out there and put everything on the line to come away with,\u201d co-captain Charlotte Caslick said.\n\u201cIt\u2019s incredible.\u00a0I\u2019m so proud of the girls \u2013 it\u2019s been an honour to lead them this year and to watch the growth they\u2019ve had as a group and as a team.\n\u201cIt\u2019s really special for me to be a part of. At the moment, I\u2019m just really proud \u2013 proud of our coaching staff, proud of the girls, proud of Demi [Hayes] and I, and getting them to have this bond that is becoming a real force on the world stage.”\nCo-captain Hayes added: \u201cI am so proud of our group, the 12 of us, and everyone back home, the whole of Australia. Hopefully, we have done all of them proud. It\u2019s never been done before, so to take that home is really special.”\nFIJI BACK ON TOP OF THE WORLD\nBy Fiji\u2019s extremely high standards, 2022 had been a slightly disappointing one, missing out on the men\u2019s Series title by four points and losing in the Commonwealth Games final to South Africa.\nThe team put that right in Cape Town, however, to end Ben Gollings\u2019 first season as coach on a high and come away with a third RWC Sevens title \u2013 and first of those won outside of Hong Kong.\nWales were dispatched 29-5 in the round of 16 on Friday before Fiji overcame Pacific Island rivals Samoa 21-10 in a bruising quarter-final the following evening.\nA 38-14 defeat of Australia in the semi-finals set up a showpiece match against defending champions, New Zealand. Fiji ran in five tries through five different scorers in the final to topple the All Blacks Sevens 29-12.\n\nFlying finish for @fijirugby! \nScenes were made in Cape Town thanks to Fellipe Sauturaga!#HereToSevens | #RWC7s pic.twitter.com/Zy3nG8FYiA\n\u2014 Rugby World Cup 7s 2022 (@WorldRugby7s) September 11, 2022\n\n\u201cIt was huge. These boys have been fantastic this whole week,\u201d Gollings said. \u201cThey set themselves a goal and they came and finished the job this evening, and it was just incredible.\n\u201cWords don\u2019t really express it right now. They deserve everything they have done today.\u201d\nTry-scorer in the final, Kaminieli Rasaku added: \u201cToday was unreal for the boys. It\u2019s quite a long time since we won the World Cup. I think the boys are proud of themselves – their performance throughout the three days of the tournament.\u201d\nRWC SEVENS 2022 HIGHLIGHTS\nIt did not take long for Australia and Faith Nathan to find their form in Cape Town, the exciting finisher becoming the first player ever to score five tries in a single RWC Sevens match in the opening tie of the women\u2019s tournament.\nMadagascar were on the receiving end as Nathan touched down twice in the first half, before crossing the whitewash another three times in the second.\n\u201cIt feels really good. They were more team tries rather than individual but it feels good,\u201d she said after the 48-0 win.\nNathan went on to score a hat-trick in the quarter-final against England before a try in the final against New Zealand took her tournament tally to nine.\nIn the men\u2019s tournament, several of Ireland\u2019s players danced their way through the media mixed zone after they capped a stunning weekend with the bronze medal on Sunday night.\nHaving played and won the opening match of the tournament against Portugal in the pre-round of 16, Ireland then overcame England before beating South Africa in front of their home crowd in the last eight.\nFollowing that win, Mark Roche had claimed his team-mates had \u201cgot great things ahead\u201d of them, and after losing narrowly to the All Blacks Sevens in the semi-finals, they claimed third place with a 19-14 win against Series champions Australia.\n\nHow’s your football skills Terry Kennedy!\nPhenomenal as he sets up Harry McNulty in the TUDOR Daring Play of the Day! #BornToDare pic.twitter.com/5N1cv0jhcL\n\u2014 Rugby World Cup 7s 2022 (@WorldRugby7s) September 11, 2022\n\n\u201cIt is incredible,\u201d try-scorer Terry Kennedy said after the bronze final. \u201cWe never fail to surprise, every time our backs are against the wall, we stand up.\n\u201cIt was a tough loss today against New Zealand in the semis, so to come out there and put on that performance was unbelievable.\u201d\nWHAT NEXT?\nAs the goalposts are taken down at DHL Stadium and the dust settles on a remarkable three days, both Australia and Fiji are now tied as the most successful teams in women\u2019s and men\u2019s Rugby World Cup Sevens respectively.\nFiji\u2019s triumph in Cape Town was their third at a men\u2019s RWC Sevens, taking them level with the All Blacks Sevens, who tasted victory in 2001, 2013 and 2018.\nAustralia, meanwhile, have now won two tournaments \u2013 having lifted the inaugural women\u2019s title in 2009 \u2013 and are now level with the Black Ferns Sevens, who claimed RWC Sevens glory in 2013 and 2018.\nLike the rest of the teams who competed in Cape Town, Australia and Fiji will now enjoy a well-earned rest, but they will also take a great deal of confidence into the 2023 Series.\nFiji have less than eight weeks to wait until the men\u2019s World Rugby Sevens Series 2023 gets underway in Hong Kong, the scene of their first two RWC Sevens triumphs.\nAustralia, meanwhile, have an extra month to prepare for the start of the women\u2019s Series, which kicks off with a joint event in Dubai at the beginning of December.\nMuch work will go in on the road to Hong Kong and Dubai as teams aim to close the gap on Fiji and Australia, while others attempt to rebound from disappointment in Cape Town.\nIf any extra significance was needed, the 2023 Series will also act as a qualification pathway for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. See you at Hong Kong Stadium on 4 November!\nThe post Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022: How an \u201cincredible\u201d weekend unfolded appeared first on Asia Rugby.", "date_published": "2022-09-13T16:39:55+08:00", "date_modified": "2022-09-13T16:39:55+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/Rugby-World-Cup-Sevens-2022.jpg", "tags": [ "Rugby World Cup", "Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022", "Australia Rugby", "RWC Sevens", "Fiji Rugby", "RWC", "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": [ "New Zealand Rugby", "Fiji Rugby", "Rugby World Cup", "Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022", "Australia Rugby", "Featured", "News" ] }, { "id": "https://www.asiarugby.com/?p=8926", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/2022/08/26/four-teams-aiming-to-win-sevens-series-title-in-la/", "title": "Four teams aiming to win Sevens Series title in LA", "content_html": "

The 16 team captains lined-up at the famous LA Memorial Coliseum ahead of the grand finale of the men\u2019s HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2022 on 27-28 August as four teams stand a chance to become Series champions – South Africa, Australia, Argentina and Fiji.

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The 16 team captains lined-up at the famous LA Memorial Coliseum \u2013 scene of the 1984 Olympic Games – on Wednesday ahead of the grand finale of the men\u2019s HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2022 as the race to the title comes to a conclusion this weekend.

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Four captains have one hand on the Series trophy as South Africa, Australia, Argentina and Fiji are all in with a chance of clinching the Series title at the HSBC LA Sevens, which takes place at Dignity Health Sports Park on 27-28 August.

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VIEW SERIES STANDINGS >>

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With a unique Series scoring system in place for the 2022 Series due to the impacts of the global pandemic, each team\u2019s end of season total is calculated by taking their best seven results from the nine Series events.

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That means South Africa, who won the first four tournaments of the 2022 Series, currently lead the way on 124 points and would claim the Series title should they reach the final in LA, meanwhile Australia are two points behind and Argentina a further four adrift.

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Fiji are fourth on 104 points but the system in place in 2022 ensures that they retain a shot at claiming a fifth men\u2019s Series crown despite missing the tournaments in Malaga and Seville at the start of the year.

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HOW TITLE CAN BE WON >>

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South Africa arrived in LA in confident mood, fresh from their victory at the recent Commonwealth Games in England. The Blitzboks face New Zealand, hosts USA and Canada in a tough looking Pool B.

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Their closest title challengers Australia and Argentina are paired together in Pool A alongside Spain and Japan.

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Double Olympic Champions Fiji are in Pool C against Ireland, France and Wales. Pool D is made up of Samoa, England, Scotland and Kenya.

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Read More –

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South Africa captain Siviwe Soyizwapi said: \u201cWe have to keep our own standards and not worry about our opponents. We had an up and down season, but we learned from all those mishaps and came back stronger. This is one more go and another opportunity to finish the season the way we started it way back in Dubai. We know what the level is to win tournaments, it is now up to us to make sure we reach that this weekend.\u201d

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\u201cWe want to make sure the focus remains in the right areas as we have learned from mistakes made. There is a tough weekend awaiting us, but that is how we prefer it \u2013 we are at our best when things are tough.\u201d

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\u201cCanada have been playing good rugby all series, the USA will feed off the energy from their home crowd and will be pumped up, and New Zealand have always been a great rival, so all three pool matches will challenge us. We just need to\u00a0ensure we have the consistency from the start and the rest will follow.\u201d

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Australia Sevens coach John Manenti said: \u201cThe Aussie men have never won the World Rugby Sevens Series \u2013 so this is a rare occasion for the squad.

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\u201cYou never know how many chances you will get in your career to achieve something like this, so everyone is determined to really go out there and take the opportunity.

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\u201cOn the back of the women\u2019s success in winning the World Series, the men are motivated and keen to emulate their performance and make it a rare double for any sevens national teams.\u201d

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VIEW POOLS AND FIXTURES >>

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The action gets under way on Saturday at 09:20 local time (GMT-7) when hosts USA take on South Africa in what promises to be one of the matches of the day as fans are encouraged to arrive early.

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Play begins on finals day on Sunday at 08:45 with the semi-finals at 14:09 and the gold medal final scheduled for 17:28, before the HSBC World Rugby Men\u2019s Sevens Series 2022 Awards take place on Sunday evening.

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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, You Tube and Facebook in countries where there is no national broadcaster covering the event.

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WHERE TO WATCH >>

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Australia won the women\u2019s Series which concluded in Toulouse in May. Australia were the dominant team throughout the 2022 Series, showing great consistency to win four gold, one silver and one bronze medals from the six rounds of the competition.

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The year 2022 is a huge one for rugby sevens, following the grand finale of the men\u2019s Series in Los Angeles, all eyes will turn to Cape Town, South Africa for what promises to be a spectacular and record-breaking Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 on 9-11 September.

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The men\u2019s 2023 Series begins in Hong Kong on 4-6 November 2022 while the women\u2019s teams kick off in a combined event in Dubai on 2-3 December 2022.

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Los Angeles will host the 2028 Olympic Games, which will see rugby sevens\u2019 fourth appearance at the Games since the sport\u2019s debut at the Rio 2016 Games.

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Remaining tickets for the HSBC LA Sevens are available at\u00a0https://lasevensrugby.com/tickets.

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Rights free images are available via\u00a0www.world.rugby/media-zone.

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The post Four teams aiming to win Sevens Series title in LA appeared first on Asia Rugby.

\n", "content_text": "The 16 team captains lined-up at the famous LA Memorial Coliseum ahead of the grand finale of the men\u2019s HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2022 on 27-28 August as four teams stand a chance to become Series champions – South Africa, Australia, Argentina and Fiji.\n\nHSBC LA Sevens takes place at Dignity Health Sports Park on 27-28 August\nSouth Africa (124 points), Australia (122), Argentina (118) and Fiji (104) have a chance to clinch the Series title\nSouth Africa will become 2022 Series champions if they reach the final in Los Angeles\nThe action kicks off on Saturday at 09:20 local time (GMT-7) when hosts USA take on South Africa\n\nThe 16 team captains lined-up at the famous LA Memorial Coliseum \u2013 scene of the 1984 Olympic Games – on Wednesday ahead of the grand finale of the men\u2019s HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2022 as the race to the title comes to a conclusion this weekend.\nFour captains have one hand on the Series trophy as South Africa, Australia, Argentina and Fiji are all in with a chance of clinching the Series title at the HSBC LA Sevens, which takes place at Dignity Health Sports Park on 27-28 August.\nVIEW SERIES STANDINGS >>\nWith a unique Series scoring system in place for the 2022 Series due to the impacts of the global pandemic, each team\u2019s end of season total is calculated by taking their best seven results from the nine Series events.\nThat means South Africa, who won the first four tournaments of the 2022 Series, currently lead the way on 124 points and would claim the Series title should they reach the final in LA, meanwhile Australia are two points behind and Argentina a further four adrift.\nFiji are fourth on 104 points but the system in place in 2022 ensures that they retain a shot at claiming a fifth men\u2019s Series crown despite missing the tournaments in Malaga and Seville at the start of the year.\nHOW TITLE CAN BE WON >>\nSouth Africa arrived in LA in confident mood, fresh from their victory at the recent Commonwealth Games in England. The Blitzboks face New Zealand, hosts USA and Canada in a tough looking Pool B.\nTheir closest title challengers Australia and Argentina are paired together in Pool A alongside Spain and Japan.\nDouble Olympic Champions Fiji are in Pool C against Ireland, France and Wales. Pool D is made up of Samoa, England, Scotland and Kenya.\nRead More –\n\n5 Teams from Asia chase promotion at World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series\nEverything you need to know about Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022\nWorld Rugby Sevens Challenger Series 2022: Semi-final line-ups confirmed\nEmirates and World Rugby to \u2018Fly Better\u2019 at Rugby World Cup 2023 and 2027\n\nSouth Africa captain Siviwe Soyizwapi said: \u201cWe have to keep our own standards and not worry about our opponents. We had an up and down season, but we learned from all those mishaps and came back stronger. This is one more go and another opportunity to finish the season the way we started it way back in Dubai. We know what the level is to win tournaments, it is now up to us to make sure we reach that this weekend.\u201d\n\u201cWe want to make sure the focus remains in the right areas as we have learned from mistakes made. There is a tough weekend awaiting us, but that is how we prefer it \u2013 we are at our best when things are tough.\u201d\n\u201cCanada have been playing good rugby all series, the USA will feed off the energy from their home crowd and will be pumped up, and New Zealand have always been a great rival, so all three pool matches will challenge us. We just need to\u00a0ensure we have the consistency from the start and the rest will follow.\u201d\nAustralia Sevens coach John Manenti said: \u201cThe Aussie men have never won the World Rugby Sevens Series \u2013 so this is a rare occasion for the squad.\n\u201cYou never know how many chances you will get in your career to achieve something like this, so everyone is determined to really go out there and take the opportunity.\n\u201cOn the back of the women\u2019s success in winning the World Series, the men are motivated and keen to emulate their performance and make it a rare double for any sevens national teams.\u201d\nVIEW POOLS AND FIXTURES >>\nThe action gets under way on Saturday at 09:20 local time (GMT-7) when hosts USA take on South Africa in what promises to be one of the matches of the day as fans are encouraged to arrive early.\nPlay begins on finals day on Sunday at 08:45 with the semi-finals at 14:09 and the gold medal final scheduled for 17:28, before the HSBC World Rugby Men\u2019s Sevens Series 2022 Awards take place on Sunday evening.\nRugby sevens fans around the world can watch the action via live stream on World Rugby digital platforms including\u00a0www.world.rugby, You Tube and Facebook in countries where there is no national broadcaster covering the event.\nWHERE TO WATCH >>\nAustralia won the women\u2019s Series which concluded in Toulouse in May. Australia were the dominant team throughout the 2022 Series, showing great consistency to win four gold, one silver and one bronze medals from the six rounds of the competition.\nThe year 2022 is a huge one for rugby sevens, following the grand finale of the men\u2019s Series in Los Angeles, all eyes will turn to Cape Town, South Africa for what promises to be a spectacular and record-breaking Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 on 9-11 September.\nThe men\u2019s 2023 Series begins in Hong Kong on 4-6 November 2022 while the women\u2019s teams kick off in a combined event in Dubai on 2-3 December 2022.\nLos Angeles will host the 2028 Olympic Games, which will see rugby sevens\u2019 fourth appearance at the Games since the sport\u2019s debut at the Rio 2016 Games.\nRemaining tickets for the HSBC LA Sevens are available at\u00a0https://lasevensrugby.com/tickets.\nRights free images are available via\u00a0www.world.rugby/media-zone.\nThe post Four teams aiming to win Sevens Series title in LA appeared first on Asia Rugby.", "date_published": "2022-08-26T11:42:17+08:00", "date_modified": "2022-08-26T11:42:17+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/Four-teams-aiming-to-win-Sevens-Series-title-in-LA.jpg", "tags": [ "Australia Rugby", "South Africa Rugby", "Fiji Rugby", "HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2022", "Argentina Rugby", "World Rugby Sevens", "HSBC World Rugby Sevens", "Featured", "News" ] }, { "id": "https://www.asiarugby.com/?p=8888", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/2022/07/31/australia-and-fiji-go-for-womens-rugby-sevens-gold-at-commonwealth-games/", "title": "Australia and Fiji go for women\u2019s rugby sevens gold at Commonwealth Games", "content_html": "

An action-packed second day of Commonwealth Games rugby sevens saw Australia and Fiji reach Sunday\u2019s women\u2019s gold medal match after a pair of pulsating semi-finals played in front of a vibrant atmosphere in a packed Coventry Stadium in England.

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An action-packed second day of Commonwealth Games rugby sevens saw Australia and Fiji reach Sunday\u2019s women\u2019s gold medal match after a pair of pulsating semi-finals played in front of a vibrant atmosphere in a packed Coventry Stadium in England.

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Meanwhile the semi-finallists of the men\u2019s competition were decided as Olympic champions Fiji and reigning World and Commonwealth champions New Zealand will go head to head in Sunday\u2019s first semi-final. Current HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series leaders South Africa will face Australia, winners of the last round of the World Series in London in May to complete an exciting semi-final line-up.

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VIEW RESULTS, POOLS AND MATCH SCHEDULE >>

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The first women\u2019s semi-final was a repeat of the 2018 Commonwealth Games final as arch rivals Australia and New Zealand battled it out for a place in the final in Coventry. This time it was Australia who came out on top, securing a thrilling 17-12 victory thanks to a hat-trick of tries from Maddison Levi. Levi also picked up a yellow card near the end but the Rio 2016 Olympic champions and current HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series winners held on for the victory to cue ecstatic scenes of celebration at the final whistle.

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Australia\u2019s match winner Levi said: “Getting over our neighbours is pretty exciting and to seal the deal with that last try was fantastic. I felt we were pretty much in control. We could match them for skill, so we knew it was effort that would get us over the line.”

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Olympic bronze medallists Fiji proved too strong for Canada in the second semi-final as they ran out 24-7 winners to book their place in what promises to be a high quality final against Australia on Sunday.

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Fiji women\u2019s coach Saiasi Fuli is looking ahead to the final: \u201cWe have to take the opportunity as it comes around only every four years. So we have to recover well, and come back tomorrow and play our best for Fiji. The past two years has been a big journey. Women\u2019s rugby in Fiji is growing fast and there is a lot of interest. Our role is to continue to develop and inspire girls to come and join our sport.\u201d

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Read –\u00a0

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In the first of the men\u2019s quarter-finals double Olympic champions Fiji turned on the style to beat a valiant Scotland 34-7, while current HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series leaders South Africa were too strong for Canada, claiming a 33-0 win.

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Reigning Commonwealth champions New Zealand made light work of Kenya with a 31-0 win to reach the semi-finals, while Australia had to dig deep to beat Samoa 7-0 courtesy of a single try scored by Matthew Gonzalez.

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Fiji\u2019s double Olympic gold medallist Jerry Tuwai said: \u201cI\u2019m excited, really excited and I\u2019m really happy for the boys and our effort in the quarter-final and now we are ready for the semi-final. We are ready, the boys are happy and everyone is mentally prepared.\u201d

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Earlier on Saturday the morning session saw the third and final round of pool matches and in the women\u2019s tournament New Zealand broke home fans hearts with a 38-7 victory over England, which saw the hosts fail to reach the semi-finals as Canada\u2019s 74-0 win over Sri Lanka saw them claim second spot in pool A and a place in the semi-finals.

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Olympic bronze medallists Fiji were too strong for Australia, winning a high quality match 19-12 to top pool B, with Australia finishing as runners-up and therefore meeting pool A winners New Zealand in the semi-finals.

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In men\u2019s competition it was New Zealand, South Africa and Fiji who maintained their perfect win records to top their pools.

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New Zealand\u2019s men also ended hosts England\u2019s medal hopes with a convincing 20-0 win, and the All Blacks Sevens were joined in the quarter-finals from pool A by Samoa who thrashed Sri Lanka 44-0.

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South Africa were too strong for Scotland in pool B, running out 34-0 winners as both teams progressed to the quarter-finals.

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Olympic champions Fiji overcame Wales 38-24 in an entertaining encounter in the final match of the morning session.

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Pool D was the most closely contested. After Friday\u2019s thrilling draw with impressive Uganda, Australia had to work hard to claim a 7-5 victory over Kenya, which was enough to see them top pool D, with Kenya in second place also through to the quarter-finals.

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England\u2019s men and women both bounced back with big victories in the evening session on Saturday, much to the delight of the 25,000 strong crowd. The women beat South Africa 36-0, while the men defeated Jamaica 45-7 and both host teams will play against home nations neighbours on Sunday with the men facing Wales at 11:14 BST and the women playing Scotland at 18:22 BST in the fifth place play-off.

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Finals day kicks off at 10:30 BST on Sunday with the women\u2019s gold medal match at 20:38 followed by men\u2019s final at 21:04 BST with a bumper crowd expected to be entertained by another showcase of world class rugby sevens.

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The post Australia and Fiji go for women\u2019s rugby sevens gold at Commonwealth Games appeared first on Asia Rugby.

\n", "content_text": "An action-packed second day of Commonwealth Games rugby sevens saw Australia and Fiji reach Sunday\u2019s women\u2019s gold medal match after a pair of pulsating semi-finals played in front of a vibrant atmosphere in a packed Coventry Stadium in England.\n\nAustralia face Fiji for women\u2019s gold medal, as New Zealand and Canada battle for bronze\nMen\u2019s semi-finals line up is New Zealand v Fiji and Australia v South Africa\nVibrant crowd of more than 25,000 fans create carnival atmosphere inside Coventry Stadium\nFinals day kicks off at 10:30 on Sunday with men\u2019s semi-finals at 12:42, the evening session sees the women\u2019s gold medal match at 20:38 followed by men\u2019s final at 21:04 (all times BST)\n\nAn action-packed second day of Commonwealth Games rugby sevens saw Australia and Fiji reach Sunday\u2019s women\u2019s gold medal match after a pair of pulsating semi-finals played in front of a vibrant atmosphere in a packed Coventry Stadium in England.\nMeanwhile the semi-finallists of the men\u2019s competition were decided as Olympic champions Fiji and reigning World and Commonwealth champions New Zealand will go head to head in Sunday\u2019s first semi-final. Current HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series leaders South Africa will face Australia, winners of the last round of the World Series in London in May to complete an exciting semi-final line-up.\nVIEW RESULTS, POOLS AND MATCH SCHEDULE >>\nThe first women\u2019s semi-final was a repeat of the 2018 Commonwealth Games final as arch rivals Australia and New Zealand battled it out for a place in the final in Coventry. This time it was Australia who came out on top, securing a thrilling 17-12 victory thanks to a hat-trick of tries from Maddison Levi. Levi also picked up a yellow card near the end but the Rio 2016 Olympic champions and current HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series winners held on for the victory to cue ecstatic scenes of celebration at the final whistle.\nAustralia\u2019s match winner Levi said: “Getting over our neighbours is pretty exciting and to seal the deal with that last try was fantastic. I felt we were pretty much in control. We could match them for skill, so we knew it was effort that would get us over the line.”\nOlympic bronze medallists Fiji proved too strong for Canada in the second semi-final as they ran out 24-7 winners to book their place in what promises to be a high quality final against Australia on Sunday.\nFiji women\u2019s coach Saiasi Fuli is looking ahead to the final: \u201cWe have to take the opportunity as it comes around only every four years. So we have to recover well, and come back tomorrow and play our best for Fiji. The past two years has been a big journey. Women\u2019s rugby in Fiji is growing fast and there is a lot of interest. Our role is to continue to develop and inspire girls to come and join our sport.\u201d\nRead –\u00a0\n\nRecords fall on first day of rugby sevens at Commonwealth Games\nRugby sevens ready for Commonwealth Games kick-off\nRugby Sevens match schedule confirmed for Commonwealth Games 2022\n\nIn the first of the men\u2019s quarter-finals double Olympic champions Fiji turned on the style to beat a valiant Scotland 34-7, while current HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series leaders South Africa were too strong for Canada, claiming a 33-0 win.\nReigning Commonwealth champions New Zealand made light work of Kenya with a 31-0 win to reach the semi-finals, while Australia had to dig deep to beat Samoa 7-0 courtesy of a single try scored by Matthew Gonzalez.\nFiji\u2019s double Olympic gold medallist Jerry Tuwai said: \u201cI\u2019m excited, really excited and I\u2019m really happy for the boys and our effort in the quarter-final and now we are ready for the semi-final. We are ready, the boys are happy and everyone is mentally prepared.\u201d\nEarlier on Saturday the morning session saw the third and final round of pool matches and in the women\u2019s tournament New Zealand broke home fans hearts with a 38-7 victory over England, which saw the hosts fail to reach the semi-finals as Canada\u2019s 74-0 win over Sri Lanka saw them claim second spot in pool A and a place in the semi-finals.\nOlympic bronze medallists Fiji were too strong for Australia, winning a high quality match 19-12 to top pool B, with Australia finishing as runners-up and therefore meeting pool A winners New Zealand in the semi-finals.\nIn men\u2019s competition it was New Zealand, South Africa and Fiji who maintained their perfect win records to top their pools.\nNew Zealand\u2019s men also ended hosts England\u2019s medal hopes with a convincing 20-0 win, and the All Blacks Sevens were joined in the quarter-finals from pool A by Samoa who thrashed Sri Lanka 44-0.\nSouth Africa were too strong for Scotland in pool B, running out 34-0 winners as both teams progressed to the quarter-finals.\nOlympic champions Fiji overcame Wales 38-24 in an entertaining encounter in the final match of the morning session.\nPool D was the most closely contested. After Friday\u2019s thrilling draw with impressive Uganda, Australia had to work hard to claim a 7-5 victory over Kenya, which was enough to see them top pool D, with Kenya in second place also through to the quarter-finals.\nEngland\u2019s men and women both bounced back with big victories in the evening session on Saturday, much to the delight of the 25,000 strong crowd. The women beat South Africa 36-0, while the men defeated Jamaica 45-7 and both host teams will play against home nations neighbours on Sunday with the men facing Wales at 11:14 BST and the women playing Scotland at 18:22 BST in the fifth place play-off.\nFinals day kicks off at 10:30 BST on Sunday with the women\u2019s gold medal match at 20:38 followed by men\u2019s final at 21:04 BST with a bumper crowd expected to be entertained by another showcase of world class rugby sevens.\nThe post Australia and Fiji go for women\u2019s rugby sevens gold at Commonwealth Games appeared first on Asia Rugby.", "date_published": "2022-07-31T10:13:18+08:00", "date_modified": "2022-07-31T10:13:18+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/2022/07/rugby-1.jpg", "tags": [ "Australia Rugby", "Commonwealth Games", "Fiji Rugby", "Commonwealth Games Rugby", "Featured", "News" ] } ] }