![\"\"](\"https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/20220812_070-e1660442862529.jpg\")
The 16 captains gathered on Thursday ahead of the highly anticipated HSBC Los Angeles Sevens on 25-26 February, which sees the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series return to Dignity Health Sports Park for the second time in less than six months.
\nFor the second time in less than six months, the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series returns to Los Angeles this weekend with a two-day event from 25-26 February as the race for Series glory and the all-important Olympic qualification heats up.
\nThe 16 men\u2019s team captains who will do battle for the highly coveted HSBC Los Angeles Sevens crown gathered outside Dignity Sports Health Park on Thursday afternoon alongside participants from HSBC\u2019s World of Opportunity Programme.
\nRelated Link:\u00a0Back to Full Schedule, Enthralling Year of Rugby in the Offering: Asia Rugby Releases 2023 Calendar
\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 nine different teams reach the Cup Semi-Final stage, with all nine nations medaling across the first five tournaments. There have been five different gold medal winners (Australia, Samoa, South Africa, Argentina and New Zealand), four different silver medalists (Fiji, South Africa, Ireland and New Zealand twice) and four bronze medalists (France, New Zealand, Fiji and USA twice).
\nNew Zealand currently sit atop the Series standings with 85 points, followed by South Africa at 76 points and five nations (Samoa, France, Fiji, Argentina and USA) are separated by just two points between 68 and 66 in the race for the final two spots for Paris 2024.
\n\nThe USA will look to use their home field advantage and passionate fans as an added boost when they continue their quest of qualifying for Paris 2024 next year. The Americans have tasted victory twice in front of their home supporters, having won back-to-back cup titles in 2018 and 2019 in Las Vegas before the event moved back to California.
\nCurrently in seventh place on the Series standings, the Eagles have won two bronze medals this year in Cape Town and Hamilton and sit just two points back of a tie for third place in the race for qualification.
\nUSA men\u2019s captain Kevon Williams said: \u201cThe season is at stake this weekend. We\u2019re three points behind third place with the top four qualifying for Paris so this weekend is a real big weekend for us as far as staying in contention for qualifying for the Olympics.
\n\u201cWe\u2019ve been known in the history that this tournament is our best tournament. Whether it\u2019s been in Las Vegas or Los Angeles we\u2019ve always played well at home. The USA has three cup wins and two of them are on home soil so we play big when it comes here.\u201d
\nThe men\u2019s pool draw for Los Angeles sees Sydney champions New Zealand take their place in Pool A alongside Cape Town champions Samoa, hosts USA and invitational team Chile.
\nNew Zealand men\u2019s captain Sam Dickson said: \u201cWe know how fast the points situation can change. We started in ninth after Hong Kong so we\u2019ve done well to bounce back and get out front but with six tournaments left anything can happen so we\u2019ll be giving it our best this weekend to stay on top.\u201d
\nDubai champions South Africa slot into Pool B alongside Ireland, Uruguay and Canada.
\nSydney bronze medal winners Fiji lead Pool C and will face off against Hong Kong champions Australia, Kenya and Japan.
\nFrance, who currently sit fourth in the Series standings, are joined by Great Britain, Hamilton champions Argentina and Spain in Pool D.
\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.
\nCanada captain Phil Berna said: \u201cOne good tournament is all you need to get some momentum going and we\u2019ve been telling ourselves not to stress too much about the end of the season so we\u2019ll take it one game and one tournament at a time. We have a job to do here this weekend and we know the better we do this weekend the better position we put ourselves in Vancouver at our home tournament so our focus is on LA.\u201d
\n\nThe action gets under way on Saturday at 09:15 local time (GMT-8) when Great Britain takes on Argentina and the final match of day one kicks off at 19:03 with South Africa facing off against Ireland.
\nPlay begins on finals day on Sunday at 08:55 with the 9th\u00a0place quarter-finals and the gold medal final scheduled for 17:28.
\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.
\n\nAs part of the captains\u2019 photo, the captains were interviewed by participants from HSBC\u2019s World of Opportunity Programme, a global initiative from HSBC that gives young people with an interest in working in sport the opportunity to get invaluable insight into sporting careers that lie beyond the field.
\nThe young adults taking part in the programme are all from the LA area and were sourced in partnership with the Todd Clever Foundation. HSBC ambassador and former USA Rugby Sevens international Todd Clever supports communities across America by providing opportunities for athletes, coaches, and teams while instilling the values of the sport. The participants took part in a series of sessions hosted by Clever, HSBC ambassador and USA Rugby Sevens international Abby Gustaitis and World Rugby.
\nAs part of the partnership with the Todd Clever Foundation, there will also be a Donation Wall at the Dignity Health Sports Park, where kit, funds and equipment will be donated towards supporting local rugby clubs and organizations.
\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.
\nThe post HSBC Los Angeles Sevens ready for action appeared first on Asia Rugby.
\n", "content_text": "The 16 captains gathered on Thursday ahead of the highly anticipated HSBC Los Angeles Sevens on 25-26 February, which sees the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series return to Dignity Health Sports Park for the second time in less than six months.\nFor the second time in less than six months, the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series returns to Los Angeles this weekend with a two-day event from 25-26 February as the race for Series glory and the all-important Olympic qualification heats up.\nThe 16 men\u2019s team captains who will do battle for the highly coveted HSBC Los Angeles Sevens crown gathered outside Dignity Sports Health Park on Thursday afternoon alongside participants from HSBC\u2019s World of Opportunity Programme.\nRelated Link:\u00a0Back to Full Schedule, Enthralling Year of Rugby in the Offering: Asia Rugby Releases 2023 Calendar\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 nine different teams reach the Cup Semi-Final stage, with all nine nations medaling across the first five tournaments. There have been five different gold medal winners (Australia, Samoa, South Africa, Argentina and New Zealand), four different silver medalists (Fiji, South Africa, Ireland and New Zealand twice) and four bronze medalists (France, New Zealand, Fiji and USA twice).\nNew Zealand currently sit atop the Series standings with 85 points, followed by South Africa at 76 points and five nations (Samoa, France, Fiji, Argentina and USA) are separated by just two points between 68 and 66 in the race for the final two spots for Paris 2024.\nVIEW SERIES STANDINGS >>\nThe USA will look to use their home field advantage and passionate fans as an added boost when they continue their quest of qualifying for Paris 2024 next year. The Americans have tasted victory twice in front of their home supporters, having won back-to-back cup titles in 2018 and 2019 in Las Vegas before the event moved back to California.\nCurrently in seventh place on the Series standings, the Eagles have won two bronze medals this year in Cape Town and Hamilton and sit just two points back of a tie for third place in the race for qualification.\nUSA men\u2019s captain Kevon Williams said: \u201cThe season is at stake this weekend. We\u2019re three points behind third place with the top four qualifying for Paris so this weekend is a real big weekend for us as far as staying in contention for qualifying for the Olympics.\n\u201cWe\u2019ve been known in the history that this tournament is our best tournament. Whether it\u2019s been in Las Vegas or Los Angeles we\u2019ve always played well at home. The USA has three cup wins and two of them are on home soil so we play big when it comes here.\u201d\nThe men\u2019s pool draw for Los Angeles sees Sydney champions New Zealand take their place in Pool A alongside Cape Town champions Samoa, hosts USA and invitational team Chile.\nNew Zealand men\u2019s captain Sam Dickson said: \u201cWe know how fast the points situation can change. We started in ninth after Hong Kong so we\u2019ve done well to bounce back and get out front but with six tournaments left anything can happen so we\u2019ll be giving it our best this weekend to stay on top.\u201d\nDubai champions South Africa slot into Pool B alongside Ireland, Uruguay and Canada.\nSydney bronze medal winners Fiji lead Pool C and will face off against Hong Kong champions Australia, Kenya and Japan.\nFrance, who currently sit fourth in the Series standings, are joined by Great Britain, Hamilton champions Argentina and Spain in Pool D.\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.\nCanada captain Phil Berna said: \u201cOne good tournament is all you need to get some momentum going and we\u2019ve been telling ourselves not to stress too much about the end of the season so we\u2019ll take it one game and one tournament at a time. We have a job to do here this weekend and we know the better we do this weekend the better position we put ourselves in Vancouver at our home tournament so our focus is on LA.\u201d\nVIEW POOLS AND FIXTURES >>\nThe action gets under way on Saturday at 09:15 local time (GMT-8) when Great Britain takes on Argentina and the final match of day one kicks off at 19:03 with South Africa facing off against Ireland.\nPlay begins on finals day on Sunday at 08:55 with the 9th\u00a0place quarter-finals and the gold medal final scheduled for 17:28.\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 >>\nAs part of the captains\u2019 photo, the captains were interviewed by participants from HSBC\u2019s World of Opportunity Programme, a global initiative from HSBC that gives young people with an interest in working in sport the opportunity to get invaluable insight into sporting careers that lie beyond the field.\nThe young adults taking part in the programme are all from the LA area and were sourced in partnership with the Todd Clever Foundation. HSBC ambassador and former USA Rugby Sevens international Todd Clever supports communities across America by providing opportunities for athletes, coaches, and teams while instilling the values of the sport. The participants took part in a series of sessions hosted by Clever, HSBC ambassador and USA Rugby Sevens international Abby Gustaitis and World Rugby.\nAs part of the partnership with the Todd Clever Foundation, there will also be a Donation Wall at the Dignity Health Sports Park, where kit, funds and equipment will be donated towards supporting local rugby clubs and organizations.\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.\nThe post HSBC Los Angeles Sevens ready for action appeared first on Asia Rugby.", "date_published": "2023-02-24T14:04:53+08:00", "date_modified": "2023-02-24T14:04:53+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/05I2263-e1677217917121.webp", "tags": [ "Japan", "Featured", "World Rugby" ] }, { "id": "https://www.asiarugby.com/?p=9254", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/2023/01/27/world-rugby-u20-tournaments/", "title": "World Rugby U20 tournaments return in 2023", "content_html": "After three cancelled editions (2020-22) on the back of the pandemic, rugby\u2019s two biggest men’s U20 tournaments are returning in 2023 and will feature the world\u2019s best young talents in the sport\u2019s bicentenary year.
\nhttps://www.asiarugby.com/results/asia-rugby-u19-championships/u19-mens-championship-2022/
\nSouth Africa will host the World Rugby U20 Championship for the next two years (2023 and 2024). The 2023 edition will be the second time that South Africa welcomes the future stars of the game after 2012 when the Junior Springboks won on home soil. The age-grade tournament will be held from 24 June-14 July. Played over five match days in the Western Cape Wineland regions of Stellenbosch, Paarl and Wellington, the world\u2019s best 12 nations have been placed into three pools and will all hope to clinch the coveted title and succeed two-time defending champions France. The team finishing last will be relegated to the World Rugby U20 Trophy next year.
\nThe World Rugby U20 Championship 2023 participating teams are: Argentina, Australia, England, Fiji, France, Georgia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, South Africa and Wales.
\nFollowing the U20 Championship\u2019s conclusion, Kenya will host the\u00a0World Rugby U20 Trophy 2023 for the second time from 15-30 July, having previous staged the tournament in 2009. It will be the third time the tournament has been played in Africa with Zimbabwe having acted as hosts in 2016. Eight teams will battle over four match days at the Nyayo National Stadium with the eventual winner being promoted the U20 Championship in 2024.
\nThe World Rugby U20 Trophy 2023 participating teams are: Scotland (relegated from the U20 Championship in 2019), Kenya (hosts), Hong Kong (Asia), Samoa (Oceania), Spain (Europe), Uruguay (South America) and two teams still to qualify through regional competition from North America and Africa.
\nThe two age-grade tournaments are a key part of the international federation\u2019s investment in increasing the competitiveness of global rugby by providing a meaningful pathway to the elite level for talented young players. The showpiece tournaments, first held in 2008, have seen almost 1,500 players go on to make their test debut after playing on this stage, including 28 Rugby World Cup winners.
\nWorld Rugby Chairman, Sir Bill Beaumont said: \u201cWe are thrilled to unveil our two exciting hosts for the World Rugby U20 Championship and U20 Trophy taking place later this year. South Africa and Kenya will provide the perfect stage for the return of our flagship U20 competitions that play such a crucial role in the development of young talents within our unions.
\n\u201cThe U20 Championship and Trophy have been hugely popular since their inception 15 years ago and have proven successful with countless stars moving on to play test rugby and shine on the biggest stage and many of them will be on display when Rugby World Cup 2023 kicks off in September.
\n\u201cAfrica is a significant growth region for rugby and I would like to thank our friends in Kenya and South Africa respectively for hosting in rugby\u2019s bicentenary year. We look forward to seeing the 20 teams inspiring the African continent with breath-taking action.\u201d
\nSA Rugby President Mark Alexander added:\u00a0\u201cSouth Africa have a proud tradition and excellent track record of hosting world-class events and we are ready to welcome the next generations of rugby\u2019s future to our shores in July, and again next year.
\n\u201cWe have the infrastructure and proven expertise to deliver excellent rugby events and, combined with fantastic backing from our passionate supporters, I have no doubt we will deliver two more very successful World Rugby U20 Championships.\u201d
\n
\nWORLD RUGBY U20 CHAMPIONSHIP 2023
\n24 June-14 July | Cape Town and Western Cape, South Africa
| POOL A | \nPOOL B | \nPOOL C | \n
| France (1) | \nAustralia (2) | \nSouth Africa (3) | \n
| Wales (6) | \nEngland (5) | \nArgentina (4) | \n
| New Zealand (7) | \nIreland (8) | \nItaly (9) | \n
| Japan (12) | \nFiji (11) | \nGeorgia (10) | \n
World Rugby U20 Championship: The story so far >>
\n\n
WORLD RUGBY U20 TROPHY 2023
\n15-30 July | Nyayo National Stadium, Kenya
| POOL A | \nPOOL B | \n
| Scotland | \nSpain | \n
| Uruguay | \nSamoa | \n
| Canada or USA | \nKenya | \n
| Africa 2 | \nHong Kong | \n
\n\n
World Rugby U20 Trophy: the story so far >>
\nThe post World Rugby U20 tournaments return in 2023 appeared first on Asia Rugby.
\n", "content_text": "World Rugby U20 tournaments return for the first time since 2019\nPools and\u00a0match schedules\u00a0have been unveiled for both tournaments\nAfrican continent to host two influential men\u2019s age-grade competitions\nThe U20 Championship, featuring the best 12 U20 nations in the world, will take place in Cape Town and the Western Cape (South Africa) from 24 June-14 July\nSouth Africa will host the U20 Championship two years in a row (2023 and 2024)\nThe U20 Trophy will be contested by eight teams in Nairobi (Kenya) from 15-30 July\nWorld Rugby continues its U20 investment to increase rugby\u2019s competitiveness globally\n\nAfter three cancelled editions (2020-22) on the back of the pandemic, rugby\u2019s two biggest men’s U20 tournaments are returning in 2023 and will feature the world\u2019s best young talents in the sport\u2019s bicentenary year.\nhttps://www.asiarugby.com/results/asia-rugby-u19-championships/u19-mens-championship-2022/\nSouth Africa will host the World Rugby U20 Championship for the next two years (2023 and 2024). The 2023 edition will be the second time that South Africa welcomes the future stars of the game after 2012 when the Junior Springboks won on home soil. The age-grade tournament will be held from 24 June-14 July. Played over five match days in the Western Cape Wineland regions of Stellenbosch, Paarl and Wellington, the world\u2019s best 12 nations have been placed into three pools and will all hope to clinch the coveted title and succeed two-time defending champions France. The team finishing last will be relegated to the World Rugby U20 Trophy next year.\nThe World Rugby U20 Championship 2023 participating teams are: Argentina, Australia, England, Fiji, France, Georgia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, South Africa and Wales.\nFollowing the U20 Championship\u2019s conclusion, Kenya will host the\u00a0World Rugby U20 Trophy 2023 for the second time from 15-30 July, having previous staged the tournament in 2009. It will be the third time the tournament has been played in Africa with Zimbabwe having acted as hosts in 2016. Eight teams will battle over four match days at the Nyayo National Stadium with the eventual winner being promoted the U20 Championship in 2024.\nThe World Rugby U20 Trophy 2023 participating teams are: Scotland (relegated from the U20 Championship in 2019), Kenya (hosts), Hong Kong (Asia), Samoa (Oceania), Spain (Europe), Uruguay (South America) and two teams still to qualify through regional competition from North America and Africa.\nThe two age-grade tournaments are a key part of the international federation\u2019s investment in increasing the competitiveness of global rugby by providing a meaningful pathway to the elite level for talented young players. The showpiece tournaments, first held in 2008, have seen almost 1,500 players go on to make their test debut after playing on this stage, including 28 Rugby World Cup winners.\nWorld Rugby Chairman, Sir Bill Beaumont said: \u201cWe are thrilled to unveil our two exciting hosts for the World Rugby U20 Championship and U20 Trophy taking place later this year. South Africa and Kenya will provide the perfect stage for the return of our flagship U20 competitions that play such a crucial role in the development of young talents within our unions.\n\u201cThe U20 Championship and Trophy have been hugely popular since their inception 15 years ago and have proven successful with countless stars moving on to play test rugby and shine on the biggest stage and many of them will be on display when Rugby World Cup 2023 kicks off in September.\n\u201cAfrica is a significant growth region for rugby and I would like to thank our friends in Kenya and South Africa respectively for hosting in rugby\u2019s bicentenary year. We look forward to seeing the 20 teams inspiring the African continent with breath-taking action.\u201d\nSA Rugby President Mark Alexander added:\u00a0\u201cSouth Africa have a proud tradition and excellent track record of hosting world-class events and we are ready to welcome the next generations of rugby\u2019s future to our shores in July, and again next year.\n\u201cWe have the infrastructure and proven expertise to deliver excellent rugby events and, combined with fantastic backing from our passionate supporters, I have no doubt we will deliver two more very successful World Rugby U20 Championships.\u201d\n\n\nWORLD RUGBY U20 CHAMPIONSHIP 2023\n24 June-14 July | Cape Town and Western Cape, South Africa\n\n\n\nPOOL A\nPOOL B\nPOOL C\n\n\nFrance (1)\nAustralia (2)\nSouth Africa (3)\n\n\nWales (6)\nEngland (5)\nArgentina (4)\n\n\nNew Zealand (7)\nIreland (8)\nItaly (9)\n\n\nJapan (12)\nFiji (11)\nGeorgia (10)\n\n\n\n\nPool matches\n\nMatch day 1: Saturday 24 June\nMatch day 2: Thursday 29 June\nMatch day 3: Tuesday 4 July\n\n\nKnock-out matches\n\nMatch day 4: Sunday 9 July\nMatch day 5 (final): Friday 14 July\n\n\n\nFull match schedule here\nWorld Rugby U20 Championship: The story so far >>\n \nWORLD RUGBY U20 TROPHY 2023\n15-30 July | Nyayo National Stadium, Kenya\n\n\n\nPOOL A\nPOOL B\n\n\nScotland\nSpain\n\n\nUruguay\nSamoa\n\n\nCanada or USA\nKenya\n\n\nAfrica 2\nHong Kong\n\n\n\n\nPool matches\n\nMatch day 1: Saturday 15 July\nMatch day 2: Thursday 20 July\nMatch day 3: Tuesday 25 July\n\n\nFinal and ranking matches\n\nMatch day 4: Sunday 30 July\n\n\n\n \nFull match schedule here\nWorld Rugby U20 Trophy: the story so far >>\nThe post World Rugby U20 tournaments return in 2023 appeared first on Asia Rugby.", "date_published": "2023-01-27T00:16:07+08:00", "date_modified": "2023-01-27T00:16:07+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/PSX_20221212_153525-1.jpg", "tags": [ "Hong Kong", "Japan", "Featured" ] }, { "id": "https://www.asiarugby.com/?p=8941", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/2022/09/08/rugby-world-cup-sevens-2022-3/", "title": "Cape Town set for landmark Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022", "content_html": "All 40 international team captains lined up in front of majestic Table Mountain in Cape Town on Wednesday as excitement reaches fever pitch ahead of the highly anticipated Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022, which takes place from 9-11 September at Cape Town Stadium.
\nRelated Article :\u00a0Four Asian teams book their berths at Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 in Cape Town
\nWith an anticipated record-breaking crowd of more than 150,000 fans set to create an unforgettable atmosphere in an iconic venue, Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 aims to set new standards in innovation, fan-engagement and sporting excitement to reinforce rugby sevens as one of the fastest growing Olympic sports and continue to attract new fans from an increasing global audience.
\nThe unique \u2018winner takes all\u2019 knock-out competition format first introduced at Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018 in San Francisco means every match counts as teams will need to win every time they enter the pitch in order to become world champions.
\nVIEW COMPETITION FORMAT VIDEO >>
\nThe 24-team men\u2019s competition kicks off the action on day one with a qualification round involving teams seeded from nine to 24. The winners of the qualification round will progress to the round of 16 where they will take on the top eight seeded teams, while the losers will go into the Bowl competition which will decide positions 17 to 24.
\n\nThere will be some hard fought matches in the qualification round as ninth-seeds Ireland, who have been in outstanding form on the World Series this year, play Portugal, who overcame core Series team Spain in the European qualifier to claim their place in Cape Town.
\nGermany and Chile who have both impressed as invitational teams on the World Series come face-to-face in the qualification round where fireworks can be expected with survival at stake.
\nHosts South Africa are top seeds in men\u2019s tournament following a remarkable 36-match winning streak which saw them win six rounds of the World Series in a row across 2021-2022. However they will face stiff competition with Australia seeded second and double Olympic champions Fiji seeded third. New Zealand are the reigning men\u2019s champions and are seeded fifth coming in to the event.
\nThe 16-team women\u2019s tournament also begins on Friday with the round of 16 knock out matches based on seedings on the first day of competition, meaning fans will be kept on the edge of their seats from the very first kick to the last.
\nWomen\u2019s Olympic champions and reigning RWC Sevens winners New Zealand play Colombia, top seeds Australia take on debutants Madagascar, and hosts South Africa face Olympic silver medallists France.
\nWomen\u2019s teams qualified either via finishing in the top four at the last RWC Sevens in 2018, and through regional qualification tournaments. Men\u2019s teams qualified by finishing in the top eight at the last RWC Sevens in 2018, and via regional qualification tournaments. Madagascar and Poland women are making their Rugby World Cup Sevens debuts.
\nThe seedings for both men\u2019s and women\u2019s competitions were based on points accrued during the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series in 2020 and 2022, while teams who do not participate on the Series were seeded using their rankings gained at World Rugby Sevens events and regional ranking positions ending in July 2022.
\nThe eighth men\u2019s and fourth women\u2019s edition of Rugby World Cup Sevens represents the first Rugby World Cup of any kind since the famous 1995 Rugby World Cup when South Africa were victorious on home soil as President Nelson Mandela handed the Webb Ellis Cup to Francois Pienaar to inspire the Rainbow Nation.
\nSiviwe Soyizwapi, captain of South Africa men said: \u201cFor us as a team we\u2019re just chasing perfection.\u00a0This is a standalone tournament, a massive tournament in front of our home crowd and we\u2019re really excited for that.
\n\u201cThe fact that it is a knockout tournament doesn\u2019t change the mindset for us.\u00a0 We are focused on getting the perfect game and we focus on ourselves as a team and the standards that we uphold.\u00a0 We are chasing that perfect game from game one.
\n\u201cTo be double would champions [alongside South Africa Men XV] would be massive.\u00a0 It would be great for the nation. We all know what rugby can do for our country.\u00a0This our first home sevens rugby since 2019 here in Cape Town so as players and a team, the whole system is excited to run out there this weekend and represent our country.\u00a0 We know how the crowd can get behind us and the fans will really make this tournament. As a team we are really excited.\u201d
\nSarah Hirini, captain of New Zealand women said: \u201cI\u2019m really excited as it is my first time here in Cape Town and for a Rugby World Cup too, it is a pretty cool place to play.\u00a0 I know there are a lot of kiwi supporters in Cape Town so we\u2019re looking forward to the fans coming out and cheering us on.
\n\u201cCompeting in Rugby World Cup Sevens means a lot.\u00a0 Watching it and you see how this tournament is the pinnacle for so many rugby players and you can see that in the way the game will be played at the weekend.\u00a0 I\u2019m really looking forward to how special this is going to be this weekend
\n\u201cWith the knock out competition it can be hard to look beyond the next game but we hope we\u2019ll do well.\u00a0 When you come to a pinnacle event you want to go all the way, we\u2019ve done that a few times and it was pretty special for New Zealand.\u201d
\nAustralia\u2019s men arrive in Cape Town full of confidence having claimed the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2022 title in Los Angeles last month, captain Nick Malouf said: \u201cCape Town is a magical city and this is one of the pinnacles of our game, the Rugby World Cup with so much history. It\u2019s going to be a super exciting weekend.
\n\u201cIt will be a fantastic competition for the spectators, there are so many good teams here. Plus it\u2019s a really interesting and exciting knockout format. You can\u2019t really keep anything in the locker, you\u2019ve got to fire all your shots from the start. I\u2019m expecting lots of good games of rugby.
\n\u201cThere is no more expectation here than what we put on ourselves as a team. After the success of the World Series we really don\u2019t want to let ourselves down with a poor performance here. We take all the confidence from doing well throughout the World Series and now it\u2019s up to us to make sure that we go out there and get a good result.\u201d
\nSam Dickson, reigning champions New Zealand captain said: \u201cIt is great to be back in Cape Town and we have a lot of good memories from here over the years.
\n\u201cWe\u2019ve won Rugby World Cup Sevens a few times over the last few years so we\u2019ll be expecting to do exactly the same but we take it game by game.\u00a0 With the format of straight knock out it can be pretty ruthless so we\u2019ve got to be on our game from the first kick off.
\n\u201cIt is always an honour to play in Rugby World Cup and always special to represent New Zealand in any format of rugby and wear the black jersey.\u201d
\nThe action kicks off at 08:45 (GMT+2) local time on Friday when Ireland and Portugal take to the pitch in the men\u2019s competition. The women\u2019s tournament gets under way when Australia face Madagascar at 12:11 on Friday.
\nAustralia\u2019s women are the top ranked team after dominating the 2022 Series and captain Demi Hayes said: \u201cIt is really cool to be in Cape Town.\u00a0 We\u2019ve been here before and we know how big the crowd here is.\u00a0 It is really exciting to be here and we\u2019ll make the most of the next few days leading into the competition on Friday.
\n\u201cOff the back of the World Series and the Commonwealth Games, we definitely want to do well again and stay consistent. We\u2019ve spoken about consistency the entire season and this would top off our whole season.\u00a0 Our group has trained so hard since the Commonwealth Games and we\u2019re really excited to get going.
\nWorld Rugby Chairman Sir Bill Beaumont said: \u201cRugby World Cup in South Africa created one of the most iconic images the game has ever known.\u00a0 Now for the first time since that unforgettable day in 1995, we are delighted to be staging another Rugby World Cup back in the rainbow nation as rugby sevens comes to Cape Town with 40 teams from all corners of the world in action.
\n\u201cFans can expect to see the best men\u2019s and women\u2019s players, playing exciting, highly skilled, fast paced rugby sevens with all the jeopardy of the knockout format, where every game counts.\u00a0 This weekend players and supporters will create memories that once again shape our sport for years to come.
\n\u201cSince gaining Olympic status rugby sevens continues to grow and entertain new fans around the globe. Played in a full, iconic stadium with a festive atmosphere, Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 will be the perfect showcase for everything this vibrant sport has to offer.\u201d
\nA world class entertainment programme and Fan Village will entertain spectators during the three day feast of rugby sevens. Rugby sevens fans around the world can watch the action via live stream on\u00a0www.rwcsevens.com\u00a0in countries where there is no national broadcaster covering the event.
\n\nThe last few remaining tickets are available from\u00a0https://www.ticketmaster.co.za/feature/RWCSevens/
\nThe post Cape Town set for landmark Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 appeared first on Asia Rugby.
\n", "content_text": "Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 takes place from 9-11 September in iconic Cape Town\nUnique \u2018knock-out\u2019 competition format means every match counts with 40 teams – 24 men\u2019s and 16 women\u2019s \u2013 from all six World Rugby regions competing\nNew Zealand are reigning men\u2019s and women\u2019s world champions, while Australia women and South Africa men are top seeds\nA record breaking 150,000 fans expected in Cape Town Stadium over the three day event\nThe action kicks off at 08:45 (GMT+2) on Friday, find out where to watch\u00a0here\n\nAll 40 international team captains lined up in front of majestic Table Mountain in Cape Town on Wednesday as excitement reaches fever pitch ahead of the highly anticipated Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022, which takes place from 9-11 September at Cape Town Stadium.\nRelated Article :\u00a0Four Asian teams book their berths at Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 in Cape Town\nWith an anticipated record-breaking crowd of more than 150,000 fans set to create an unforgettable atmosphere in an iconic venue, Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 aims to set new standards in innovation, fan-engagement and sporting excitement to reinforce rugby sevens as one of the fastest growing Olympic sports and continue to attract new fans from an increasing global audience.\nThe unique \u2018winner takes all\u2019 knock-out competition format first introduced at Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018 in San Francisco means every match counts as teams will need to win every time they enter the pitch in order to become world champions.\nVIEW COMPETITION FORMAT VIDEO >>\nThe 24-team men\u2019s competition kicks off the action on day one with a qualification round involving teams seeded from nine to 24. The winners of the qualification round will progress to the round of 16 where they will take on the top eight seeded teams, while the losers will go into the Bowl competition which will decide positions 17 to 24.\nVIEW MATCH SCHEDULE >>\nThere will be some hard fought matches in the qualification round as ninth-seeds Ireland, who have been in outstanding form on the World Series this year, play Portugal, who overcame core Series team Spain in the European qualifier to claim their place in Cape Town.\nGermany and Chile who have both impressed as invitational teams on the World Series come face-to-face in the qualification round where fireworks can be expected with survival at stake.\nHosts South Africa are top seeds in men\u2019s tournament following a remarkable 36-match winning streak which saw them win six rounds of the World Series in a row across 2021-2022. However they will face stiff competition with Australia seeded second and double Olympic champions Fiji seeded third. New Zealand are the reigning men\u2019s champions and are seeded fifth coming in to the event.\nThe 16-team women\u2019s tournament also begins on Friday with the round of 16 knock out matches based on seedings on the first day of competition, meaning fans will be kept on the edge of their seats from the very first kick to the last.\nWomen\u2019s Olympic champions and reigning RWC Sevens winners New Zealand play Colombia, top seeds Australia take on debutants Madagascar, and hosts South Africa face Olympic silver medallists France.\nWomen\u2019s teams qualified either via finishing in the top four at the last RWC Sevens in 2018, and through regional qualification tournaments. Men\u2019s teams qualified by finishing in the top eight at the last RWC Sevens in 2018, and via regional qualification tournaments. Madagascar and Poland women are making their Rugby World Cup Sevens debuts.\nThe seedings for both men\u2019s and women\u2019s competitions were based on points accrued during the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series in 2020 and 2022, while teams who do not participate on the Series were seeded using their rankings gained at World Rugby Sevens events and regional ranking positions ending in July 2022.\nThe eighth men\u2019s and fourth women\u2019s edition of Rugby World Cup Sevens represents the first Rugby World Cup of any kind since the famous 1995 Rugby World Cup when South Africa were victorious on home soil as President Nelson Mandela handed the Webb Ellis Cup to Francois Pienaar to inspire the Rainbow Nation.\nSiviwe Soyizwapi, captain of South Africa men said: \u201cFor us as a team we\u2019re just chasing perfection.\u00a0This is a standalone tournament, a massive tournament in front of our home crowd and we\u2019re really excited for that.\n\u201cThe fact that it is a knockout tournament doesn\u2019t change the mindset for us.\u00a0 We are focused on getting the perfect game and we focus on ourselves as a team and the standards that we uphold.\u00a0 We are chasing that perfect game from game one.\n\u201cTo be double would champions [alongside South Africa Men XV] would be massive.\u00a0 It would be great for the nation. We all know what rugby can do for our country.\u00a0This our first home sevens rugby since 2019 here in Cape Town so as players and a team, the whole system is excited to run out there this weekend and represent our country.\u00a0 We know how the crowd can get behind us and the fans will really make this tournament. As a team we are really excited.\u201d\nSarah Hirini, captain of New Zealand women said: \u201cI\u2019m really excited as it is my first time here in Cape Town and for a Rugby World Cup too, it is a pretty cool place to play.\u00a0 I know there are a lot of kiwi supporters in Cape Town so we\u2019re looking forward to the fans coming out and cheering us on.\n\u201cCompeting in Rugby World Cup Sevens means a lot.\u00a0 Watching it and you see how this tournament is the pinnacle for so many rugby players and you can see that in the way the game will be played at the weekend.\u00a0 I\u2019m really looking forward to how special this is going to be this weekend\n\u201cWith the knock out competition it can be hard to look beyond the next game but we hope we\u2019ll do well.\u00a0 When you come to a pinnacle event you want to go all the way, we\u2019ve done that a few times and it was pretty special for New Zealand.\u201d\nAustralia\u2019s men arrive in Cape Town full of confidence having claimed the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2022 title in Los Angeles last month, captain Nick Malouf said: \u201cCape Town is a magical city and this is one of the pinnacles of our game, the Rugby World Cup with so much history. It\u2019s going to be a super exciting weekend.\n\u201cIt will be a fantastic competition for the spectators, there are so many good teams here. Plus it\u2019s a really interesting and exciting knockout format. You can\u2019t really keep anything in the locker, you\u2019ve got to fire all your shots from the start. I\u2019m expecting lots of good games of rugby.\n\u201cThere is no more expectation here than what we put on ourselves as a team. After the success of the World Series we really don\u2019t want to let ourselves down with a poor performance here. We take all the confidence from doing well throughout the World Series and now it\u2019s up to us to make sure that we go out there and get a good result.\u201d\nSam Dickson, reigning champions New Zealand captain said: \u201cIt is great to be back in Cape Town and we have a lot of good memories from here over the years.\n\u201cWe\u2019ve won Rugby World Cup Sevens a few times over the last few years so we\u2019ll be expecting to do exactly the same but we take it game by game.\u00a0 With the format of straight knock out it can be pretty ruthless so we\u2019ve got to be on our game from the first kick off.\n\u201cIt is always an honour to play in Rugby World Cup and always special to represent New Zealand in any format of rugby and wear the black jersey.\u201d\nThe action kicks off at 08:45 (GMT+2) local time on Friday when Ireland and Portugal take to the pitch in the men\u2019s competition. The women\u2019s tournament gets under way when Australia face Madagascar at 12:11 on Friday.\nAustralia\u2019s women are the top ranked team after dominating the 2022 Series and captain Demi Hayes said: \u201cIt is really cool to be in Cape Town.\u00a0 We\u2019ve been here before and we know how big the crowd here is.\u00a0 It is really exciting to be here and we\u2019ll make the most of the next few days leading into the competition on Friday.\n\u201cOff the back of the World Series and the Commonwealth Games, we definitely want to do well again and stay consistent. We\u2019ve spoken about consistency the entire season and this would top off our whole season.\u00a0 Our group has trained so hard since the Commonwealth Games and we\u2019re really excited to get going.\nWorld Rugby Chairman Sir Bill Beaumont said: \u201cRugby World Cup in South Africa created one of the most iconic images the game has ever known.\u00a0 Now for the first time since that unforgettable day in 1995, we are delighted to be staging another Rugby World Cup back in the rainbow nation as rugby sevens comes to Cape Town with 40 teams from all corners of the world in action.\n\u201cFans can expect to see the best men\u2019s and women\u2019s players, playing exciting, highly skilled, fast paced rugby sevens with all the jeopardy of the knockout format, where every game counts.\u00a0 This weekend players and supporters will create memories that once again shape our sport for years to come.\n\u201cSince gaining Olympic status rugby sevens continues to grow and entertain new fans around the globe. Played in a full, iconic stadium with a festive atmosphere, Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 will be the perfect showcase for everything this vibrant sport has to offer.\u201d\nA world class entertainment programme and Fan Village will entertain spectators during the three day feast of rugby sevens. Rugby sevens fans around the world can watch the action via live stream on\u00a0www.rwcsevens.com\u00a0in countries where there is no national broadcaster covering the event.\nWHERE TO WATCH >>\nThe last few remaining tickets are available from\u00a0https://www.ticketmaster.co.za/feature/RWCSevens/\nThe post Cape Town set for landmark Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 appeared first on Asia Rugby.", "date_published": "2022-09-08T08:39:53+08:00", "date_modified": "2022-09-08T08:39:53+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TM8_3702.jpg", "tags": [ "Hong Kong", "Japan", "Korea", "China", "RWC7s", "Rugby World Cup Sevens", "Featured" ] }, { "id": "https://www.asiarugby.com/?p=8912", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/2022/08/14/challenger-series-2022-semi-final-line-ups/", "title": "World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series 2022: Semi-final line-ups confirmed", "content_html": "Eight teams remain in the hunt for glory at the World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series 2022 following an action-packed second day in Santiago, Chile.
\nThe winners of the men\u2019s and women\u2019s tournaments at Estadio Santa Laura will book their place as a core team on the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2023 and the contenders in each were whittled down to the final four on Saturday.
\nPoland, China, Kenya and Japan will compete the women\u2019s semi-finals on Sunday, with the winner of those two ties playing for core status.
\nIn the men\u2019s tournament, meanwhile, Georgia will take on hosts Chile for a place in the final, before Germany meet Uruguay for the chance to face them in the showpiece match.
\nThe first of those semi-finals will get underway at 11:23 local time (GMT -4) when China play Rugby Europe Women\u2019s Sevens Championship 2022 winners Poland in Santiago.
\nColombia kicked off day two in style, running in four converted tries to beat Mexico 28-7, a result that ultimately secured their passage to the quarter-finals. Japan also crossed the whitewash four times in a 26-5 defeat of Kazakhstan that ensured they finished top of Pool F.
\nIn Pool E, Argentina made sure of second place with a 34-7 defeat of Papua New Guinea before Poland rubber-stamped top spot in both the pool and seeding for the quarter-finals with a 36-12 win against Belgium. Despite defeat, the Belgians would advance to the last eight.
\nKenya continued their fine from day one against hosts Chile, meanwhile, Janet Okello scoring twice in a 15-5 win for the Lionesses. In the final match of the pool stage, South Africa needed to beat China to advance to the quarter-finals but came up short despite taking a 7-5 lead in the second half, going on to lose 17-7.
\nChina maintained that form in their quarter-final against Kazakhstan, tries from Chen Keyi, Xu Xiaoyan and Wang Xiao securing a 21-7 win and their place in the last four.
\n5 Teams from Asia chase promotion at World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series
\nThey will play Poland for a place in the final after the European side emerged comfortable winners, 36-0, against Colombia in the final women\u2019s quarter-final. Anna Klichowska and Katarzyna Paszczyk each scored two of their side\u2019s six tries.
\nThe second women\u2019s semi-final, which is scheduled to kick-off at 11:58 local time (GMT -4) on Sunday, will pit Japan against Kenya.
\nChristabel Lindo scored two of the Lionesses four tries to help Kenya past Argentina in the quarter-finals, while Japan impressed as they crossed the whitewash five times during their 31-0 win against Belgium.
\nThe winners of those two semi-finals will go on to contest the women\u2019s final, which will kick-off at 18:47 local time on Sunday. Whoever triumphs in that tie will become a core Series team.
\nDay two of the men\u2019s tournament started with a bang as Uganda ran in four tries to beat Lithuania 26-19 before Pool C rivals Germany edged Uruguay 17-14, thanks to a late Tim Lichtenberg try and even later Niklas Koch penalty. Despite the agonising defeat, Uruguay still took their place in the last eight.
\nZimbabwe joined Uruguay in the quarter-finals as the other best third-placed finisher, following their 36-5 defeat of Pool B rivals Jamaica. That result edged Papua New Guinea, who lost their final Pool A match 31-19 to Georgia, out of the quarter-final picture.
\n![\"\"](\"https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/20220812_152-e1660442995928.jpg\")
Second-half tries from John Tapueluelu and Amanaki Veamatahau then gave Tonga a 12-5 win against Hong Kong, and with it top spot in Pool B. Benjamin De Vidts was the hero for Chile in the final pool match of day two, meanwhile, scoring a hat-trick as the hosts beat Korea 43-0 to finish their Pool A campaign with three wins from three.
\nThe men\u2019s quarter-finals did not disappoint as Georgia edged into the last four with a 19-14 win against Hong Kong, which was secured via Teimuraz Kokhodze\u2019s second try of the match early in the second half.
\nGeorgia will play Chile for a place in the final after Los Condores wowed the home crowd with a 24-0 win against Zimbabwe in the quarter-finals. The impressive Julio Blanc, Joaquin Huici, Cristobal Game and Clemente Armstrong scored the hosts\u2019 tries.
\nFor the second time in the men\u2019s tournament in Santiago Germany edged Uganda 17-14, to book their place in the last four. Uganda had built a 14-0 lead at half-time but their European opponents stormed back in the second half and secured a slender win with tries from Lichtenberg, Niklas Koch and Carlos Soteras Merz.
\nGermany will now play Uruguay in the semi-finals on Sunday, the match scheduled to kick-off at 12:48 local time (GMT -4). Uruguay beat Tonga in dramatic fashion in the quarter-finals, Marcos Pastore\u2019s last-minute try securing a 17-12 victory.
\nThe winners of the two men\u2019s semi-finals will meet in the final at 19:20 local time. Whoever comes out on top in the showpiece match will earn core status for the 2023 Series.
\nThe post World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series 2022: Semi-final line-ups confirmed appeared first on Asia Rugby.
\n", "content_text": "Eight teams remain in the hunt for glory at the World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series 2022 following an action-packed second day in Santiago, Chile.\nThe winners of the men\u2019s and women\u2019s tournaments at Estadio Santa Laura will book their place as a core team on the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2023 and the contenders in each were whittled down to the final four on Saturday.\n\u00a0Photo credit: Mike Lee – KLC fotos for World Rugby\nPoland, China, Kenya and Japan will compete the women\u2019s semi-finals on Sunday, with the winner of those two ties playing for core status.\nIn the men\u2019s tournament, meanwhile, Georgia will take on hosts Chile for a place in the final, before Germany meet Uruguay for the chance to face them in the showpiece match.\nThe first of those semi-finals will get underway at 11:23 local time (GMT -4) when China play Rugby Europe Women\u2019s Sevens Championship 2022 winners Poland in Santiago.\nWOMEN\u2019S RECAP\nColombia kicked off day two in style, running in four converted tries to beat Mexico 28-7, a result that ultimately secured their passage to the quarter-finals. Japan also crossed the whitewash four times in a 26-5 defeat of Kazakhstan that ensured they finished top of Pool F.\nIn Pool E, Argentina made sure of second place with a 34-7 defeat of Papua New Guinea before Poland rubber-stamped top spot in both the pool and seeding for the quarter-finals with a 36-12 win against Belgium. Despite defeat, the Belgians would advance to the last eight.\nKenya continued their fine from day one against hosts Chile, meanwhile, Janet Okello scoring twice in a 15-5 win for the Lionesses. In the final match of the pool stage, South Africa needed to beat China to advance to the quarter-finals but came up short despite taking a 7-5 lead in the second half, going on to lose 17-7.\nChina maintained that form in their quarter-final against Kazakhstan, tries from Chen Keyi, Xu Xiaoyan and Wang Xiao securing a 21-7 win and their place in the last four.\n5 Teams from Asia chase promotion at World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series\nThey will play Poland for a place in the final after the European side emerged comfortable winners, 36-0, against Colombia in the final women\u2019s quarter-final. Anna Klichowska and Katarzyna Paszczyk each scored two of their side\u2019s six tries.\nThe second women\u2019s semi-final, which is scheduled to kick-off at 11:58 local time (GMT -4) on Sunday, will pit Japan against Kenya.\nChristabel Lindo scored two of the Lionesses four tries to help Kenya past Argentina in the quarter-finals, while Japan impressed as they crossed the whitewash five times during their 31-0 win against Belgium.\nThe winners of those two semi-finals will go on to contest the women\u2019s final, which will kick-off at 18:47 local time on Sunday. Whoever triumphs in that tie will become a core Series team.\nMEN\u2019S RECAP\nDay two of the men\u2019s tournament started with a bang as Uganda ran in four tries to beat Lithuania 26-19 before Pool C rivals Germany edged Uruguay 17-14, thanks to a late Tim Lichtenberg try and even later Niklas Koch penalty. Despite the agonising defeat, Uruguay still took their place in the last eight.\nZimbabwe joined Uruguay in the quarter-finals as the other best third-placed finisher, following their 36-5 defeat of Pool B rivals Jamaica. That result edged Papua New Guinea, who lost their final Pool A match 31-19 to Georgia, out of the quarter-final picture.\n\u00a0Photo credit: Mike Lee – KLC fotos for World Rugby\nSecond-half tries from John Tapueluelu and Amanaki Veamatahau then gave Tonga a 12-5 win against Hong Kong, and with it top spot in Pool B. Benjamin De Vidts was the hero for Chile in the final pool match of day two, meanwhile, scoring a hat-trick as the hosts beat Korea 43-0 to finish their Pool A campaign with three wins from three.\nThe men\u2019s quarter-finals did not disappoint as Georgia edged into the last four with a 19-14 win against Hong Kong, which was secured via Teimuraz Kokhodze\u2019s second try of the match early in the second half.\nGeorgia will play Chile for a place in the final after Los Condores wowed the home crowd with a 24-0 win against Zimbabwe in the quarter-finals. The impressive Julio Blanc, Joaquin Huici, Cristobal Game and Clemente Armstrong scored the hosts\u2019 tries.\nFor the second time in the men\u2019s tournament in Santiago Germany edged Uganda 17-14, to book their place in the last four. Uganda had built a 14-0 lead at half-time but their European opponents stormed back in the second half and secured a slender win with tries from Lichtenberg, Niklas Koch and Carlos Soteras Merz.\nGermany will now play Uruguay in the semi-finals on Sunday, the match scheduled to kick-off at 12:48 local time (GMT -4). Uruguay beat Tonga in dramatic fashion in the quarter-finals, Marcos Pastore\u2019s last-minute try securing a 17-12 victory.\nThe winners of the two men\u2019s semi-finals will meet in the final at 19:20 local time. Whoever comes out on top in the showpiece match will earn core status for the 2023 Series.\nThe post World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series 2022: Semi-final line-ups confirmed appeared first on Asia Rugby.", "date_published": "2022-08-14T10:36:13+08:00", "date_modified": "2022-08-14T10:36:13+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/2022/08/01-head-chalanger-.jpg", "tags": [ "Korea", "Kazakhstan", "China", "Hong Kong", "Japan", "Featured" ] }, { "id": "https://www.asiarugby.com/?p=8910", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/2022/08/13/world-rugby-sevens-challenger-series-2/", "title": "Thrilling opening day of World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series", "content_html": "There was no shortage of drama, determination and scintillating skill on day one of the World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series 2022 in Santiago, Chile.
\nWith the prize of promotion to the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2023 at stake, the 24 competing teams played with passion and commitment on the opening day of the three day competition at Estadio Santa Laura in view of the majestic Andes mountain range.
\nKAZAKHSTAN V COLOMBIA \u2013 Rugby World Cup Qualifier
\nIn the women\u2019s tournament Kenya, Japan, Poland and Kazakhstan secured a pair of victories and will be looking ahead to Saturday\u2019s quarter-finals.
\nKazakhstan were impressive throughout, convincingly beating Colombia 22-5, and Mexico 24-5. Japan, who are looking to return to the World Series as a core team, beat Mexico 44-5 and Colombia 21-12.
\nPoland were the day\u2019s top scorers with a 71-0 thrashing of Papua New Guinea in Pool E, which followed their earlier 36-5 victory over Argentina, who bounced back to beat Belgium 15-10 to keep their quarter-final hopes alive.
\nKenya took charge of Pool D with a hard fought 17-15 win over China, followed by a 31-5 defeat of South Africa. China \u00a0and will face South Africa in a crucial final pool match on Saturday morning.
\n![\"\"](\"https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Head-China-600x300.jpg\")
The men\u2019s competition saw Tonga and Hong Kong secure their progress to Saturday\u2019s quarter-finals by winning both of their matches against Jamaica and Zimbabwe in Pool B.
\nGermany are in pole position in Pool C with a perfect win record after beating Lithuania and overcoming Uganda 17-14 in a pulsating encounter thanks to a hattrick of tries from Jack Hunt.
\nHosts Chile were cheered to a 24-7 victory over Papua New Guinea in the last match of the day to build upon their earlier 19-14 win over Georgia as they look sure to progress to the quarter-finals.
\nChile men\u2019s captain Joaquin Huici said: \u201cThe first game was a tough one against Georgia and it was the same against Papua New Guinea, although we managed to control the game. Tomorrow we face Korea in our last pool match, we will get some rest and focus on them.\u201d
\n\nPlay begins on Saturday 13 August at 09:28 local time (GMT-4) when Colombia and Mexico take to the pitch to kick-off an action-packed day of international rugby sevens, with the quarter-finals set to take place from 17:00 to 20:58. The all-important finals will take place on Sunday with the women at 18:47, followed by the men at 19:20.
\n\nThe Challenger Series was introduced in 2020 to boost rugby sevens\u2019 development across the globe and provide a pathway for promotion to the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series.
\nThe global event sees teams from all six World Rugby regions represented in a competition format that replicates the Olympic Games with three pools of four teams.
\nThe top two from each pool along with the two best third-placed teams will qualify for the quarter-finals, before the semi-finals and final will decide the tournament winners on Sunday.
\nThere is plenty of top class experience in the line-up as nine men\u2019s teams have appeared on the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series previously as invitational teams. Meanwhile China and Japan have both been core teams on the women\u2019s Series, while another eight women\u2019s teams have played at least once in the Series.
\nFive of the women\u2019s teams and nine men\u2019s teams competing in Chile have also qualified for Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 where they will play in front of an anticipated crowd of 165,000 fans across three days in Cape Town on 9-11 September.
\nFans around the world can watch every match of the World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series live on\u00a0www.world.rugby, while in South America the action will be live streamed on ESPN\u2019s Star+ platform.
\nThe post Thrilling opening day of World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series appeared first on Asia Rugby.
\n", "content_text": "Thrilling first day at World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series in Santiago, Chile\nTournament winners will gain promotion to the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2023\nKazakhstan, Kenya, Japan and Poland claim perfect win records in women\u2019s competition ahead of the quarter-finals on Saturday\nHosts Chile, along with Germany, Hong Kong and Tonga win both opening matches in men\u2019s tournament\nDay two action begins at 09:30 (GMT-4) on Saturday 13 August, with the finals on Sunday 14 August\n\nThere was no shortage of drama, determination and scintillating skill on day one of the World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series 2022 in Santiago, Chile.\nWith the prize of promotion to the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2023 at stake, the 24 competing teams played with passion and commitment on the opening day of the three day competition at Estadio Santa Laura in view of the majestic Andes mountain range.\nKAZAKHSTAN V COLOMBIA \u2013 Rugby World Cup Qualifier\nIn the women\u2019s tournament Kenya, Japan, Poland and Kazakhstan secured a pair of victories and will be looking ahead to Saturday\u2019s quarter-finals.\nKazakhstan were impressive throughout, convincingly beating Colombia 22-5, and Mexico 24-5. Japan, who are looking to return to the World Series as a core team, beat Mexico 44-5 and Colombia 21-12.\nPoland were the day\u2019s top scorers with a 71-0 thrashing of Papua New Guinea in Pool E, which followed their earlier 36-5 victory over Argentina, who bounced back to beat Belgium 15-10 to keep their quarter-final hopes alive.\nKenya took charge of Pool D with a hard fought 17-15 win over China, followed by a 31-5 defeat of South Africa. China \u00a0and will face South Africa in a crucial final pool match on Saturday morning.\n\nThe men\u2019s competition saw Tonga and Hong Kong secure their progress to Saturday\u2019s quarter-finals by winning both of their matches against Jamaica and Zimbabwe in Pool B.\nGermany are in pole position in Pool C with a perfect win record after beating Lithuania and overcoming Uganda 17-14 in a pulsating encounter thanks to a hattrick of tries from Jack Hunt.\nHosts Chile were cheered to a 24-7 victory over Papua New Guinea in the last match of the day to build upon their earlier 19-14 win over Georgia as they look sure to progress to the quarter-finals.\nChile men\u2019s captain Joaquin Huici said: \u201cThe first game was a tough one against Georgia and it was the same against Papua New Guinea, although we managed to control the game. Tomorrow we face Korea in our last pool match, we will get some rest and focus on them.\u201d\nVIEW FULL DAY ONE REPORT >>\nPlay begins on Saturday 13 August at 09:28 local time (GMT-4) when Colombia and Mexico take to the pitch to kick-off an action-packed day of international rugby sevens, with the quarter-finals set to take place from 17:00 to 20:58. The all-important finals will take place on Sunday with the women at 18:47, followed by the men at 19:20.\nVIEW RESULTS AND FIXTURES >>\nThe Challenger Series was introduced in 2020 to boost rugby sevens\u2019 development across the globe and provide a pathway for promotion to the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series.\nThe global event sees teams from all six World Rugby regions represented in a competition format that replicates the Olympic Games with three pools of four teams.\nThe top two from each pool along with the two best third-placed teams will qualify for the quarter-finals, before the semi-finals and final will decide the tournament winners on Sunday.\nThere is plenty of top class experience in the line-up as nine men\u2019s teams have appeared on the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series previously as invitational teams. Meanwhile China and Japan have both been core teams on the women\u2019s Series, while another eight women\u2019s teams have played at least once in the Series.\nFive of the women\u2019s teams and nine men\u2019s teams competing in Chile have also qualified for Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 where they will play in front of an anticipated crowd of 165,000 fans across three days in Cape Town on 9-11 September.\nFans around the world can watch every match of the World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series live on\u00a0www.world.rugby, while in South America the action will be live streamed on ESPN\u2019s Star+ platform.\nThe post Thrilling opening day of World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series appeared first on Asia Rugby.", "date_published": "2022-08-13T14:54:54+08:00", "date_modified": "2022-08-13T14:54:54+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/2022/08/20220812_006.jpg", "tags": [ "Hong Kong", "Japan", "Korea", "Kazakhstan", "HSBC 7s", "Featured", "World Rugby" ] }, { "id": "https://www.asiarugby.com/?p=8560", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/2022/03/28/athletes-committee/", "title": "Asia Rugby continues to strive for Equality, Transparency and Accountability via Athletes Committee\u00a0", "content_html": "The Regional Association announced changes and additions to the committees giving even more members a voice in Asia Rugby matters in an unprecedented stance of 34 federations out of 35 national federations having members on various committees.
\n![\"Asia](\"https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Infogrpahics-AR-Commitees-v2-1024x576.jpg\")
In December 2021,\u00a0Asia Rugby Council approved the Executive Committee\u2019s (EXCO) recommendation of changing the nomenclature of its Women\u2019s Advisory Committee renaming it the Gender Equity Committee, whilst also endorsing\u00a0the inclusion of individuals of both genders on this committee, chaired by Iranian Nahid Biyarjomandi who has taken over the Gender Equity Committee.
\nRelated Article:\u00a0Asia Rugby Transforms to Gender Equity\u00a0
\nIn line with the same spirit, the committee now includes both genders, some of the previously assigned female \u2018observers\u2019 have been given full membership status with complete voting rights on other committees.
\nEven with the decrease in the number of women in the Gender Equity Committee, other appointments of women in key committee has led to an overall\u00a033% female representation, moving ever closer\u00a0to the Asia Rugby\u00a0target of 40% to be achieved by 2024.
\n![\"Asia](\"https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/qais-e1599577409729-300x300.jpg\")
Asia Rugby President Qais Al Dhalai commented \u201cWith a unanimous support of the EXCO and Council, I am satisfied with the impressive female participation percentage in Asia Rugby Committees increasing by 32% from the time the new Executive Committee was elected in November 2019 until now; we are now at 33% female representation in all Asia Rugby Committees.\u201d
He further added \u201cthe current committees feature solid accountability by all Asian national federations with 97% being represented in the committees, increasing by 24% since November 2019. \u201c
\nAt the Asia Rugby Annual Awards ceremony held in Dubai on 1st of December 2021, Michael Leitch the former captain of the Japan national team was announced as the first-ever Asia Rugby Players Ambassador and was also appointed as the Chair of the Athletes Committee.
\nRelated Article : Asia Rugby Honors Distinguished Characters
\nThe\u00a0Asia Rugby Athletes Committee was set up to provide a platform for players to be part of the decision-making\u00a0process in the Regional Association. National federations were requested to send nominations to serve on the committee with the final composition being approved as follows:
\n.
\nChairperson\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Michael Leitch (Japan)
\nFirst Deputy\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 Rozliana Mohd Ridwan\u00a0 (Malaysia)
\nSecond Deputy\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Andre Jin\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 (Korea)
Member \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Kashif Khawaja \u00a0(Pakistan)
\nMember \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Sol Mokdad \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0(Lebanon)
\nMember \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Butsaya Bunrak \u00a0(Thailand)
\nMember \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Karina Sazontova \u00a0(Kazakhstan)
![\"\"](\"https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/01-head-japan-600x300.jpg\")
Asia Rugby Social Media
\nFacebook\u00a0 | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube
\nThe post Asia Rugby continues to strive for Equality, Transparency and Accountability via Athletes Committee\u00a0 appeared first on Asia Rugby.
\n", "content_text": "The Regional Association announced changes and additions to the committees giving even more members a voice in Asia Rugby matters in an unprecedented stance of 34 federations out of 35 national federations having members on various committees.\n\nIn December 2021,\u00a0Asia Rugby Council approved the Executive Committee\u2019s (EXCO) recommendation of changing the nomenclature of its Women\u2019s Advisory Committee renaming it the Gender Equity Committee, whilst also endorsing\u00a0the inclusion of individuals of both genders on this committee, chaired by Iranian Nahid Biyarjomandi who has taken over the Gender Equity Committee.\nRelated Article:\u00a0Asia Rugby Transforms to Gender Equity\u00a0\nIn line with the same spirit, the committee now includes both genders, some of the previously assigned female \u2018observers\u2019 have been given full membership status with complete voting rights on other committees.\nEven with the decrease in the number of women in the Gender Equity Committee, other appointments of women in key committee has led to an overall\u00a033% female representation, moving ever closer\u00a0to the Asia Rugby\u00a0target of 40% to be achieved by 2024.\nAsia Rugby President Qais Al Dhalai commented \u201cWith a unanimous support of the EXCO and Council, I am satisfied with the impressive female participation percentage in Asia Rugby Committees increasing by 32% from the time the new Executive Committee was elected in November 2019 until now; we are now at 33% female representation in all Asia Rugby Committees.\u201d\nHe further added \u201cthe current committees feature solid accountability by all Asian national federations with 97% being represented in the committees, increasing by 24% since November 2019. \u201c\nAt the Asia Rugby Annual Awards ceremony held in Dubai on 1st of December 2021, Michael Leitch the former captain of the Japan national team was announced as the first-ever Asia Rugby Players Ambassador and was also appointed as the Chair of the Athletes Committee.\nRelated Article : Asia Rugby Honors Distinguished Characters\nThe\u00a0Asia Rugby Athletes Committee was set up to provide a platform for players to be part of the decision-making\u00a0process in the Regional Association. National federations were requested to send nominations to serve on the committee with the final composition being approved as follows:\n.\nChairperson\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Michael Leitch (Japan)\nFirst Deputy\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 Rozliana Mohd Ridwan\u00a0 (Malaysia)\nSecond Deputy\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Andre Jin\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 (Korea)\nMember \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Kashif Khawaja \u00a0(Pakistan)\nMember \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Sol Mokdad \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0(Lebanon)\nMember \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Butsaya Bunrak \u00a0(Thailand)\nMember \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Karina Sazontova \u00a0(Kazakhstan)\n\nAsia Rugby Social Media\nFacebook\u00a0 | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube\nThe post Asia Rugby continues to strive for Equality, Transparency and Accountability via Athletes Committee\u00a0 appeared first on Asia Rugby.", "date_published": "2022-03-28T15:40:41+08:00", "date_modified": "2022-03-29T02:43:23+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/2022/03/aTHLETES-cOMMITEE.jpg", "tags": [ "Athletes Committee", "Japan", "Gender Equity Committee", "Featured", "Qais Al-Dhalai", "News" ] }, { "id": "https://www.asiarugby.com/?p=8185", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/2021/07/27/tokyo-olympics-mens-rugby-sevens-day-one-recap/", "title": "Tokyo Olympics men\u2019s rugby sevens day one recap", "content_html": "Tokyo Olympics men\u2019s rugby sevens day one recap
\nDefending champions Fiji\u00a0were one of five teams that finished day one of the men\u2019s\u00a0Olympic sevens tournament\u00a0at Tokyo Stadium unbeaten.
\nFiji came from behind to beat\u00a0Japan\u00a0in their opening match before winning another tight encounter against\u00a0Canada\u00a0to secure their place in Tuesday\u2019s quarter-finals.
\nPool B rivals\u00a0Great Britain, meanwhile, will join them in the last eight having scored 58 unanswered points to record back-to-back victories as sevens\u2019 second appearance at the Games began in style.
\nIn Pool A,\u00a0New Zealand\u00a0booked a quarter-final spot with wins over the\u00a0Republic of Korea\u00a0and\u00a0Argentina, while\u00a0South Africa\u00a0and the\u00a0USA\u00a0lead the way in Pool C having also made a perfect start to the tournament.
\nrelated Link: Where can i watch the Olympics in Asia?
\n![\"rugby](\"https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/JapanMen_A5I8142-e1627334001723.jpg\")
It took Fiji just 20 seconds to open the scoring in the opening match of the men\u2019s tournament, as Jiuta Wainiqolo crossed the whitewash.
\nJapan captain Chihito Matsui hit back within two minutes, and after Iosefo Masikau Baleiwairiki had scored an unconverted try for the Fijians, Lote Tuqiri touched down as the hooter sounded to help give the home side a 14-12 half-time lead.
\nJapan stretched their advantage early in the second period as Kameli Raravou Latianara Soejima powered down the left wing to score.
\nSoejima\u2019s intervention meant Fiji trailed by seven points, but the\u00a0Rio 2016 gold medallists\u00a0turned the tables with two tries in as many minutes from Waisea Nacuqu to win the match 24-19.
\nGareth Baber\u2019s side followed up that victory with a second against Canada in the afternoon session, but the defending champions were made to work hard for it.
\nFiji built a 14-0 lead through tries from Napolioni Bolaca and Wainiqolo, but Nathan Hirayama finished a flowing Canadian move on the stroke of halt-time to score his country\u2019s first Olympic try.
\nCanada spent much of the second half inside opposition territory, but Justin Douglas\u2019 try was sandwiched between break away efforts for Aminiasi Tuimaba and Asaeli Tuivuaka which sealed a 28-14 win for Fiji.
\nIt was a second defeat in two matches for Canada, who started their campaign with a 24-0 loss to Great Britain. Dan Norton opened the scoring at the end of a cagey first half of that match, and then added a second within seconds of the start of the second period.
\n<
\nTries from Ross McCann and Robbie Fergusson in the final two minutes of the match put some gloss on the win for Great Britain.
Harry Glover was the star of Great Britain\u2019s second match of day one, as Tony Roques\u2019 side recorded their biggest ever Olympic win, 34-0 against hosts Japan.
\nGlover set up his side\u2019s opening two tries, scored by Dan Bibby and Tom Mitchell, and then crossed for the third himself.
\nHe again provided the assist as Ben Harris scored Great Britain\u2019s fourth try before Ethan Waddleton and Alex Davis put the seal on another impressive win.
\n![\"rugby](\"https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/NZLvKOR-2-e1627334118874.jpg\")
In Pool A,\u00a0Rugby World Cup Sevens\u00a0and\u00a0World Rugby Sevens Series\u00a0champions New Zealand got their Tokyo 2020 campaign off to a winning start, beating the Republic of Korea 50-5.
\nAndrew Knewstubb got the All Blacks Sevens on the scoreboard with a converted try before Jeong Yeon Sik found space down the right wing to score and cut the Korean deficit to two points.
\nTim Mikkelson got his first try of the Games at the end of the first half, and shortly after the restart Scott Curry was called on to deny another powerful run by Jeong.
\nNew Zealand were awarded a penalty try when Yong Heung Chang was sent to the sin-bin for a deliberate knock-on and went on to cross the whitewash another five times before the end as Mikkelson, William Warbrick (twice), Etene Nanai-Seturo and Ngarohi McGarvey-Black all touched down.
\nThe All Blacks Sevens made it two out of two in the afternoon session, holding off swathes of Argentine pressure to win 35-14.
\nYouth Olympic Games gold medallist Marcos Moneta scored an early try to give Argentina a 7-0 lead, before New Zealand hit back through McGarvey-Black and Sione Molia.
\nArgentina again struck early in the second period as Luciano Gonzalez crossed the whitewash to help level the score at 14-14.
\nBut, that was as good as it got for the South Americans as Joe Webber, Mikkelson and Warbrick all touched down. No Kiwi has scored more Olympic tries than co-captain Mikkelson\u2019s four.
\nEarlier on Monday, Argentina secured an impressive 29-19 defeat of\u00a0Australia. The South Americans raced into a 24-0 half-time lead at Tokyo Stadium as Lucio Cinti, Mat\u00edas Osadczuk, Moneta and Ignacio Mendy all breached the Australian defence.
\nTim Walsh\u2019s side hit back in the second period, narrowing the deficit to five points as Josh Turner (twice) and Samu Kerevi crossed the whitewash.
\nBut, as Australia went in search of a potentially match-winning try, the ball broke to Lautaro Bazan Velez and he raced away to put the seal on an Argentine victory.
\nSouth Africa, meanwhile, scored five tries to beat\u00a0Ireland\u00a033-14 and kick-off their Pool C campaign with victory on day one.
\nZain Davids opened the scoring for the Blitzboks before Impi Visser added a second try with less than six minutes gone.
\nGavin Mullin got Ireland on the board before the break, but it was South Africa who struck first in the second half as Justin Geldud rose highest to claim a cross-field kick and dot down.
\nTerry Kennedy grabbed his first Olympic try to give Ireland hope of a comeback, but the Blitzboks made sure of victory with an expertly-taken Chris Dry effort and a late score from Stedman Gans.
\nThe Blitzboks raced into a 14-0 lead in the final match of the day, against\u00a0Kenya, but were made to withstand serious pressure in the second period to hold on to the win.
\nCollins Injera scored for Kenya on the stroke of half-time but despite their best efforts in the second period, they were unable to breach the South African defence again and lost 14-5.
\nDefeat was Kenya\u2019s second of the day after they slipped to an agonising 19-14 loss against the USA.
\nTries from Carlin Isles and Martin Iosefo had given the USA a 12-0 advantage, but Kenya hit back to lead by two points after Collins Injera and Jeff Oluoch touched down.
\nVeteran Willy Ambaka thought he had put a seal on a Kenyan win, but he was judged to have lost the ball forward and the USA went up the other end to win a pulsating match 19-14 as captain Madison Hughes scored.
\nHughes was again on the scoresheet as the USA secured a second win of day one in the penultimate match of the afternoon session, beating Ireland 19-17.
\nThe USA captain won the race to his own kick through to score his side\u2019s second try of the match and put them 12-0 in front.
\nIreland replied with tries either side of the half-time break, scored by Hugo Lennox and Harry McNulty, but their hopes of victory appeared to be ended when Steve Tomasin went over for the USA. There was still time, however, for Foster Horan to score but it proved too late to prevent defeat.
\nThe post Tokyo Olympics men\u2019s rugby sevens day one recap appeared first on Asia Rugby.
\n", "content_text": "Tokyo Olympics men\u2019s rugby sevens day one recap\nDefending champions Fiji\u00a0were one of five teams that finished day one of the men\u2019s\u00a0Olympic sevens tournament\u00a0at Tokyo Stadium unbeaten.\nFiji came from behind to beat\u00a0Japan\u00a0in their opening match before winning another tight encounter against\u00a0Canada\u00a0to secure their place in Tuesday\u2019s quarter-finals.\nPool B rivals\u00a0Great Britain, meanwhile, will join them in the last eight having scored 58 unanswered points to record back-to-back victories as sevens\u2019 second appearance at the Games began in style.\nIn Pool A,\u00a0New Zealand\u00a0booked a quarter-final spot with wins over the\u00a0Republic of Korea\u00a0and\u00a0Argentina, while\u00a0South Africa\u00a0and the\u00a0USA\u00a0lead the way in Pool C having also made a perfect start to the tournament.\nrelated Link: Where can i watch the Olympics in Asia?\non day 1 of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Tokyo Stadium on 26 July, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. Photo credit: Mike Lee – KLC fotos for World Rugby\nFIJI AND GREAT BRITAIN LEAD POOL B\nIt took Fiji just 20 seconds to open the scoring in the opening match of the men\u2019s tournament, as Jiuta Wainiqolo crossed the whitewash.\nJapan captain Chihito Matsui hit back within two minutes, and after Iosefo Masikau Baleiwairiki had scored an unconverted try for the Fijians, Lote Tuqiri touched down as the hooter sounded to help give the home side a 14-12 half-time lead.\nJapan stretched their advantage early in the second period as Kameli Raravou Latianara Soejima powered down the left wing to score.\nSoejima\u2019s intervention meant Fiji trailed by seven points, but the\u00a0Rio 2016 gold medallists\u00a0turned the tables with two tries in as many minutes from Waisea Nacuqu to win the match 24-19.\nGareth Baber\u2019s side followed up that victory with a second against Canada in the afternoon session, but the defending champions were made to work hard for it.\nFiji built a 14-0 lead through tries from Napolioni Bolaca and Wainiqolo, but Nathan Hirayama finished a flowing Canadian move on the stroke of halt-time to score his country\u2019s first Olympic try.\nCanada spent much of the second half inside opposition territory, but Justin Douglas\u2019 try was sandwiched between break away efforts for Aminiasi Tuimaba and Asaeli Tuivuaka which sealed a 28-14 win for Fiji.\nIt was a second defeat in two matches for Canada, who started their campaign with a 24-0 loss to Great Britain. Dan Norton opened the scoring at the end of a cagey first half of that match, and then added a second within seconds of the start of the second period.\n<\nTries from Ross McCann and Robbie Fergusson in the final two minutes of the match put some gloss on the win for Great Britain.\nHarry Glover was the star of Great Britain\u2019s second match of day one, as Tony Roques\u2019 side recorded their biggest ever Olympic win, 34-0 against hosts Japan.\nGlover set up his side\u2019s opening two tries, scored by Dan Bibby and Tom Mitchell, and then crossed for the third himself.\nHe again provided the assist as Ben Harris scored Great Britain\u2019s fourth try before Ethan Waddleton and Alex Davis put the seal on another impressive win.\non day 1 of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Tokyo Stadium on 26 July, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. Photo credit: Mike Lee – KLC fotos for World Rugby\nNEW ZEALAND IMPRESS IN POOL A\nIn Pool A,\u00a0Rugby World Cup Sevens\u00a0and\u00a0World Rugby Sevens Series\u00a0champions New Zealand got their Tokyo 2020 campaign off to a winning start, beating the Republic of Korea 50-5.\nAndrew Knewstubb got the All Blacks Sevens on the scoreboard with a converted try before Jeong Yeon Sik found space down the right wing to score and cut the Korean deficit to two points.\nTim Mikkelson got his first try of the Games at the end of the first half, and shortly after the restart Scott Curry was called on to deny another powerful run by Jeong.\nNew Zealand were awarded a penalty try when Yong Heung Chang was sent to the sin-bin for a deliberate knock-on and went on to cross the whitewash another five times before the end as Mikkelson, William Warbrick (twice), Etene Nanai-Seturo and Ngarohi McGarvey-Black all touched down.\nThe All Blacks Sevens made it two out of two in the afternoon session, holding off swathes of Argentine pressure to win 35-14.\nYouth Olympic Games gold medallist Marcos Moneta scored an early try to give Argentina a 7-0 lead, before New Zealand hit back through McGarvey-Black and Sione Molia.\nArgentina again struck early in the second period as Luciano Gonzalez crossed the whitewash to help level the score at 14-14.\nBut, that was as good as it got for the South Americans as Joe Webber, Mikkelson and Warbrick all touched down. No Kiwi has scored more Olympic tries than co-captain Mikkelson\u2019s four.\nEarlier on Monday, Argentina secured an impressive 29-19 defeat of\u00a0Australia. The South Americans raced into a 24-0 half-time lead at Tokyo Stadium as Lucio Cinti, Mat\u00edas Osadczuk, Moneta and Ignacio Mendy all breached the Australian defence.\nTim Walsh\u2019s side hit back in the second period, narrowing the deficit to five points as Josh Turner (twice) and Samu Kerevi crossed the whitewash.\nBut, as Australia went in search of a potentially match-winning try, the ball broke to Lautaro Bazan Velez and he raced away to put the seal on an Argentine victory.\nSOUTH AFRICA AND USA UNBEATEN IN POOL C\nSouth Africa, meanwhile, scored five tries to beat\u00a0Ireland\u00a033-14 and kick-off their Pool C campaign with victory on day one.\nZain Davids opened the scoring for the Blitzboks before Impi Visser added a second try with less than six minutes gone.\nGavin Mullin got Ireland on the board before the break, but it was South Africa who struck first in the second half as Justin Geldud rose highest to claim a cross-field kick and dot down.\nTerry Kennedy grabbed his first Olympic try to give Ireland hope of a comeback, but the Blitzboks made sure of victory with an expertly-taken Chris Dry effort and a late score from Stedman Gans.\nThe Blitzboks raced into a 14-0 lead in the final match of the day, against\u00a0Kenya, but were made to withstand serious pressure in the second period to hold on to the win.\nCollins Injera scored for Kenya on the stroke of half-time but despite their best efforts in the second period, they were unable to breach the South African defence again and lost 14-5.\nDefeat was Kenya\u2019s second of the day after they slipped to an agonising 19-14 loss against the USA.\nTries from Carlin Isles and Martin Iosefo had given the USA a 12-0 advantage, but Kenya hit back to lead by two points after Collins Injera and Jeff Oluoch touched down.\nVeteran Willy Ambaka thought he had put a seal on a Kenyan win, but he was judged to have lost the ball forward and the USA went up the other end to win a pulsating match 19-14 as captain Madison Hughes scored.\nHughes was again on the scoresheet as the USA secured a second win of day one in the penultimate match of the afternoon session, beating Ireland 19-17.\nThe USA captain won the race to his own kick through to score his side\u2019s second try of the match and put them 12-0 in front.\nIreland replied with tries either side of the half-time break, scored by Hugo Lennox and Harry McNulty, but their hopes of victory appeared to be ended when Steve Tomasin went over for the USA. There was still time, however, for Foster Horan to score but it proved too late to prevent defeat.\nThe post Tokyo Olympics men\u2019s rugby sevens day one recap appeared first on Asia Rugby.", "date_published": "2021-07-27T05:35:28+08:00", "date_modified": "2021-07-27T05:35:28+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/2021/07/JapanMen_L7I6033.jpg", "tags": [ "Japan", "Korea", "Olympics", "Featured" ] }, { "id": "https://www.asiarugby.com/?p=8162", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/2021/07/16/mens-sevens-squad-for-tokyo-2020/", "title": "Men\u2019s Sevens Squads for Tokyo 2020 from Asia", "content_html": "Asia Rugby’s Men’s Sevens Squads for Tokyo 2020,\u00a0 Tokyo Olympic Games\u00a0is billed to bring yet another feast for the senses as rugby\u2019s sevens stars make their long-awaited return to the international stage at Tokyo Stadium (26-31 July).
\n![\"\"](\"https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/ENG_Sevens_Mens_POOL-A-1x1-1-1024x1024.jpg\"){kind=spacer}
Korea are in Pool A along with New Zeland , Asutralia and Argentina
\nOne of the Korean players hoping to stand out from the crowd in Tokyo is former University of Berkeley student Andre Jin, who has an American father and a Korean mother. Any physical advantage is crucial in rugby, and Kim certainly has an edge as he stands at 1.95m tall.
Yongheung Chang, the hero of Korea’s golden-point victory over Hong Kong in the Asia Olympic qualifier in November 2019, is another player looking to catch the eye for the Olympic debutants.
\nYongheung Chang, Jeongmin Jang, Yeonsik Jeong, Hyunsoo Kim, Kunkyu Han, Namuk Kim, Seongbae Lee, Wanyong Park (Capt.), Jinkyu Lee, Andre Jin, Seongmin Jang, Seongdeok Choi, Gwongmin Kim
\n\n
Korea Men’s 7s\u00a0 Pool A
\nMonday 26th July
\n10:00\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Korea Vs New Zealand
\n18:00\u00a0 \u00a0 Korea vs Australia
Tuesday 27 th July
\n10:00 Korea v Argentina
![\"Men's](\"https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/ENG_Sevens_Mens_POOL-B-1x1-1-1024x1024.jpg\")
Chihito Matsui has been named captain of the Japan Men’s Sevens for this year\u2019s home tournament as Lote Tuqiri,Kazushi Hano and Masakatsu Hiko all make returns to the national sevens Olympics squad after helping Japan to the semi-finals at Rio 2016.
\nAfter their men\u2019s 15s team stunned the rugby world at Rugby World Cup 2015 by beating South Africa in the pool stages, Japan\u2019s sevens outfit pulled off a similar shock win at the Deodoro Stadium in Rio de Janeiro by defeating New Zealand 14-12 in their opening group game less than a year later.
\nJapan went on to secure fourth place after losing 54-14 against South Africa in the bronze medal match. Tuqiri dotted down to help Japan defeat France 12-7 in the quarter-finals before they lost to the eventual gold medal winners Fiji 20-5 in the semi-finals.
\n![\"Men's](\"https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/japan-men-234-1024x512.jpg\")
Kippei Ishida, Ryota Kano, Jose Seru, Kameli Raravou Latianara Soejima, Lote Tuqiri, Kazushi Hano, Masakatsu Hikosaka, Yoshikazu Fujita, Brackin Henry, Colin Raijin Bourke, Chihito Matsui (captain), Naoki Motomura
\nJapan Men’s 7s\u00a0 Pool B
\nMonday 26th July
\n9:00 Japan v Fiji
\n16:30 Japan v GB
Tuesday 27 th July
\n9:00 Japan v Canada
\n
The post Men’s Sevens Squads for Tokyo 2020 from Asia appeared first on Asia Rugby.
\n", "content_text": "Asia Rugby’s Men’s Sevens Squads for Tokyo 2020,\u00a0 Tokyo Olympic Games\u00a0is billed to bring yet another feast for the senses as rugby\u2019s sevens stars make their long-awaited return to the international stage at Tokyo Stadium (26-31 July).\nKorea Men\nKorea are in Pool A along with New Zeland , Asutralia and Argentina\nOne of the Korean players hoping to stand out from the crowd in Tokyo is former University of Berkeley student Andre Jin, who has an American father and a Korean mother. Any physical advantage is crucial in rugby, and Kim certainly has an edge as he stands at 1.95m tall.\nYongheung Chang, the hero of Korea’s golden-point victory over Hong Kong in the Asia Olympic qualifier in November 2019, is another player looking to catch the eye for the Olympic debutants.\nKorea Men’s Sevens Squad\u00a0\nYongheung Chang, Jeongmin Jang, Yeonsik Jeong, Hyunsoo Kim, Kunkyu Han, Namuk Kim, Seongbae Lee, Wanyong Park (Capt.), Jinkyu Lee, Andre Jin, Seongmin Jang, Seongdeok Choi, Gwongmin Kim\n \nKorea Men’s 7s\u00a0 Pool A\nMonday 26th July\n10:00\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Korea Vs New Zealand\n18:00\u00a0 \u00a0 Korea vs Australia\nTuesday 27 th July\n10:00 Korea v Argentina\nJapan Men\n\nChihito Matsui has been named captain of the Japan Men’s Sevens for this year\u2019s home tournament as Lote Tuqiri,Kazushi Hano and Masakatsu Hiko all make returns to the national sevens Olympics squad after helping Japan to the semi-finals at Rio 2016.\nAfter their men\u2019s 15s team stunned the rugby world at Rugby World Cup 2015 by beating South Africa in the pool stages, Japan\u2019s sevens outfit pulled off a similar shock win at the Deodoro Stadium in Rio de Janeiro by defeating New Zealand 14-12 in their opening group game less than a year later.\nJapan went on to secure fourth place after losing 54-14 against South Africa in the bronze medal match. Tuqiri dotted down to help Japan defeat France 12-7 in the quarter-finals before they lost to the eventual gold medal winners Fiji 20-5 in the semi-finals.\n\nJapan Men’s Sevens Squad\u00a0\nKippei Ishida, Ryota Kano, Jose Seru, Kameli Raravou Latianara Soejima, Lote Tuqiri, Kazushi Hano, Masakatsu Hikosaka, Yoshikazu Fujita, Brackin Henry, Colin Raijin Bourke, Chihito Matsui (captain), Naoki Motomura\nJapan Men’s 7s\u00a0 Pool B\nMonday 26th July\n9:00 Japan v Fiji\n16:30 Japan v GB\nTuesday 27 th July\n9:00 Japan v Canada\nWomen’s Sevens Squads\u00a0\n \nThe post Men’s Sevens Squads for Tokyo 2020 from Asia appeared first on Asia Rugby.", "date_published": "2021-07-16T09:22:26+08:00", "date_modified": "2021-07-16T09:22:26+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/2021/07/HEad-Japan.jpg", "tags": [ "Japan", "Korea", "Featured", "Olympics", "Hong Kong", "News" ] }, { "id": "https://www.asiarugby.com/?p=8169", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/2021/07/15/asia-rugbys-womens-sevens-squads/", "title": "Women\u2019s Sevens Squads for Tokyo 2020 from Asia", "content_html": "Asia Rugby’s Women’s Sevens Squads for Tokyo 2020, The return of rugby sevens to the\u00a0Olympic stage will put the women\u2019s game under the spotlight once again with some of the world\u2019s top players set to shine at this year\u2019s global gathering.
\nAsia two Women’s teams China and Japan are both in pool C along with Australia and the USA.
\nChina Women’s Sevens Squad
\nNew head coach Euan Mackintosh has included three of the players \u2013 Yan Meiling, Yang Feifei and Liu Xiaoqian \u2013![\"Women's](\"https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/ENG_Sevens_Womens_POOL-C-1x1-1-1024x1024.png\")
who helped China win the bronze medal at the Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing in 2014.
Meiling captained the side at Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018 but, on this occasion, it is Yan Min who gets the armband. Min, 26, made her World Series debut for China in Atlanta in 2014. Yu Xiaoming and Yu Liping pre-date her in that regard, having first appeared on the World Series in Dubai a couple of years before.
\nChen Keyi, meanwhile, is a veteran of two Rugby World Cup Sevens campaigns and has proven to be a top performer for the team over a number of years.
\nSquad: Tang Minglin, Ruan Hongting, Wu Juan, Wang Wanyu, Liu Xiaoqian, Yan Meiling, Xu Xiaoyan, Yu Xiaoming, Yu Liping, Yang Min (captain), Chen Keyi, Yang Feifei, Gu Yaoyao
\n\n
Co-captains Mayu Shimizu and Bativakalolo Raichelmiyo will lead Japan at this year\u2019s home Games as the Sakura Sevens look to make a bigger impact than they did during their Olympics debut at Rio 2016.
\nAs the women\u2019s game continues to make ground in Japan, they will be hoping to show steady improvements, having finished bottom of their group following defeats to Canada, Great Britain and Brazil five years ago, before going on to lose to the hosts Brazil again in the ninth-place final.
\nAyaka Suzuki and Mio Yamanaka, who formed part of Japan\u2019s playing squad in Rio de Janeiro, are also selected among four reserves for this year\u2019s Olympics.
\nSquad: Mei Ohtani, Marin Kajiki, Mifuyu Koide, Mayu Shimizu (co-captain), Miyu Shirako, Honoka Tsutsumi, Hana Nagata, Bativakalolo Raichelmiyo (co-captain), Wakaba Hara, Yume Hirano, Haruka Hirotsu, Rinka Matsuda
\n\n\nThe post Women’s Sevens Squads for Tokyo 2020 from Asia appeared first on Asia Rugby.
\n", "content_text": "Asia Rugby’s Women’s Sevens Squads for Tokyo 2020, The return of rugby sevens to the\u00a0Olympic stage will put the women\u2019s game under the spotlight once again with some of the world\u2019s top players set to shine at this year\u2019s global gathering.\nAsia two Women’s teams China and Japan are both in pool C along with Australia and the USA.\nChina Women’s Sevens Squad\nNew head coach Euan Mackintosh has included three of the players \u2013 Yan Meiling, Yang Feifei and Liu Xiaoqian \u2013 who helped China win the bronze medal at the Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing in 2014.\nMeiling captained the side at Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018 but, on this occasion, it is Yan Min who gets the armband. Min, 26, made her World Series debut for China in Atlanta in 2014. Yu Xiaoming and Yu Liping pre-date her in that regard, having first appeared on the World Series in Dubai a couple of years before.\nChen Keyi, meanwhile, is a veteran of two Rugby World Cup Sevens campaigns and has proven to be a top performer for the team over a number of years.\nSquad: Tang Minglin, Ruan Hongting, Wu Juan, Wang Wanyu, Liu Xiaoqian, Yan Meiling, Xu Xiaoyan, Yu Xiaoming, Yu Liping, Yang Min (captain), Chen Keyi, Yang Feifei, Gu Yaoyao\n \nJapan Women’s Sevens Squad\nCo-captains Mayu Shimizu and Bativakalolo Raichelmiyo will lead Japan at this year\u2019s home Games as the Sakura Sevens look to make a bigger impact than they did during their Olympics debut at Rio 2016.\nAs the women\u2019s game continues to make ground in Japan, they will be hoping to show steady improvements, having finished bottom of their group following defeats to Canada, Great Britain and Brazil five years ago, before going on to lose to the hosts Brazil again in the ninth-place final.\nAyaka Suzuki and Mio Yamanaka, who formed part of Japan\u2019s playing squad in Rio de Janeiro, are also selected among four reserves for this year\u2019s Olympics.\nSquad: Mei Ohtani, Marin Kajiki, Mifuyu Koide, Mayu Shimizu (co-captain), Miyu Shirako, Honoka Tsutsumi, Hana Nagata, Bativakalolo Raichelmiyo (co-captain), Wakaba Hara, Yume Hirano, Haruka Hirotsu, Rinka Matsuda\n\nMen’s Sevens Squad\nThe post Women’s Sevens Squads for Tokyo 2020 from Asia appeared first on Asia Rugby.", "date_published": "2021-07-15T18:28:09+08:00", "date_modified": "2021-07-15T18:28:09+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/2021/07/cHINA-wOMEN.jpg", "tags": [ "Japan", "China", "Olympics", "Featured", "Tokyo 2020", "News" ] }, { "id": "https://www.asiarugby.com/?p=8129", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/2021/07/10/chiharu-nakamura/", "title": "Japan sevens icon sees Tokyo Olympics as perfect opportunity to grow women\u2019s game", "content_html": "After the success of the men\u2019s teams at recent Rugby World Cups and Olympic Games, women\u2019s sevens great Chiharu Nakamura is looking forward to the women\u2019s game being in the spotlight at the Tokyo Games.
\nA nation hopes that next month\u2019s rugby sevens showpiece at the\u00a0Tokyo Olympics, coming off the back of an historic run by the Brave Blossoms to the quarter-finals of the men\u2019s Rugby World Cup in 2019, further raises the profile of the sport in the country, and women\u2019s rugby in particular.
\nChiharu Nakamura, who captained the Sakura Sevens at Rio 2016, sees the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to bring greater exposure to Japanese women\u2019s rugby.
\n![\"Chiharu](\"https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Japan-women-2-1024x689.jpg\")
Related News :\u00a0Leitch: Olympic sevens can be further boost for Japanese rugby
\n\u201cBecause we are the host country, it is a very good opportunity for us to make women\u2019s rugby more recognised and to make it one of the biggest sports here (in Japan),\u201d Nakamura told World Rugby.
\nJapan\u2019s women took part when rugby sevens made its Olympic debut at Rio 2016, but managed to win only one match, 24-0 against Kenya, on the way to finishing 10th.
\nThis time Nakamura, who was a surprise omission from the squad that will compete on home soil next month, is demanding a better showing in front of the home crowd at Tokyo Stadium.
\n\u201cIt was the first time for us to stand on the Olympic stage in Rio, but as it was the first time we had no expectations going in. I don\u2019t think we understood the full scale of the Olympics,\u201d she admitted.
\n\u201cWe have to get a better result than before.\u201d
\nThe pressure to achieve a better result will fall on Nakamura\u2019s successors, co-captains Mayu Shimizu and Raichelmiyo Bativakalolo.
\nChiharu Nakamura, who also recently became the player/coach of newly-formed women\u2019s side Nanairo Prism Fukuoka, is well aware of the responsibility on her shoulders to help build the women\u2019s game.
\nShe welcomed the recently launched\u00a0World Rugby Women in Rugby global marketing campaign, Team Powered, which aims to accelerate the growth of women\u2019s rugby worldwide.
\n\u201cI believe that we have the responsibility,\u201d she stressed.
\n\u201cIn 2019, through the Rugby World Cup, people understood the culture of rugby and the values of the game. This time in Tokyo, it is a great opportunity to showcase the characteristics and core values of rugby to people in Japan.
\n\u201cIt is a privilege to be a role model to younger players in this country, but we shouldn\u2019t forget about the female players in the past who have made such great efforts for the sport in this country. I always tell younger players we need to keep this going.\u201d
\nCurrently, there are a little over 5,000 registered female rugby players in Japan, but the Japan Rugby Football Union have seen a significant increase in numbers since Rugby World Cup 2019 and are hoping for a further impact after the Olympics.
\nThe Olympic men\u2019s sevens competition will take place from 26-28 July, with the women\u2019s tournament following on 29-31 July and the gold medal match happening on \u2018Super Saturday\u2019.
\nAll the action will take place at Tokyo Stadium, which was the venue for the opening match of Rugby World Cup 2019.
\nTo commemorate Olympic Day on 23 June the International Olympic Committee released a special video as part of its #StrongerTogether campaign as excitement builds around the globe for the Olympic Games in Tokyo.
\n| Name | \nBirthday | \nHeight | \nWeight | \nCaps | \n
| Mei Ohtani | \n5/28/2000 | \n162 | \n61 | \n\u2015 | \n
| Marin Kajiki | \n9/20/1999 | \n164 | \n68 | \n\u2015 | \n
| Mifuyu Koide | \n12/21/1995 | \n165 | \n58 | \n19 | \n
| Mayu SHIMIZU | \n1/19/1998 | \n164 | \n62 | \n6 | \n
| Miyu SHIRAKO | \n7/22/1995 | \n173 | \n68 | \n\u2015 | \n
| Honoka TSUTSUMI | \n6/19/1997 | \n154 | \n56 | \n16 | \n
| Hana NAGATA | \n5/19/2000 | \n168 | \n60 | \n8 | \n
| Wakaba HARA | \n1/6/2000 | \n156 | \n56 | \n6 | \n
| Raichelmiyo BATIVAKALOLO | \n9/18/1997 | \n160 | \n60 | \n21 | \n
| Yume HIRANO | \n3/15/2000 | \n160 | \n60 | \n22 | \n
| Haruka HIROTSU | \n10/29/2000 | \n169 | \n68 | \n2 | \n
| Rinka MATSUDA | \n12/5/2001 | \n170 | \n74 | \n2 | \n
The post Japan sevens icon sees Tokyo Olympics as perfect opportunity to grow women\u2019s game appeared first on Asia Rugby.
\n", "content_text": "After the success of the men\u2019s teams at recent Rugby World Cups and Olympic Games, women\u2019s sevens great Chiharu Nakamura is looking forward to the women\u2019s game being in the spotlight at the Tokyo Games.\nA nation hopes that next month\u2019s rugby sevens showpiece at the\u00a0Tokyo Olympics, coming off the back of an historic run by the Brave Blossoms to the quarter-finals of the men\u2019s Rugby World Cup in 2019, further raises the profile of the sport in the country, and women\u2019s rugby in particular.\nChiharu Nakamura, who captained the Sakura Sevens at Rio 2016, sees the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to bring greater exposure to Japanese women\u2019s rugby.\n\nRelated News :\u00a0Leitch: Olympic sevens can be further boost for Japanese rugby\n\u201cBecause we are the host country, it is a very good opportunity for us to make women\u2019s rugby more recognised and to make it one of the biggest sports here (in Japan),\u201d Nakamura told World Rugby.\nJapan\u2019s women took part when rugby sevens made its Olympic debut at Rio 2016, but managed to win only one match, 24-0 against Kenya, on the way to finishing 10th.\nThis time Nakamura, who was a surprise omission from the squad that will compete on home soil next month, is demanding a better showing in front of the home crowd at Tokyo Stadium.\n\u201cIt was the first time for us to stand on the Olympic stage in Rio, but as it was the first time we had no expectations going in. I don\u2019t think we understood the full scale of the Olympics,\u201d she admitted.\n\u201cWe have to get a better result than before.\u201d\nThe pressure to achieve a better result will fall on Nakamura\u2019s successors, co-captains Mayu Shimizu and Raichelmiyo Bativakalolo.\nChiharu Nakamura, who also recently became the player/coach of newly-formed women\u2019s side Nanairo Prism Fukuoka, is well aware of the responsibility on her shoulders to help build the women\u2019s game.\nShe welcomed the recently launched\u00a0World Rugby Women in Rugby global marketing campaign, Team Powered, which aims to accelerate the growth of women\u2019s rugby worldwide.\n\u201cI believe that we have the responsibility,\u201d she stressed.\n\u201cIn 2019, through the Rugby World Cup, people understood the culture of rugby and the values of the game. This time in Tokyo, it is a great opportunity to showcase the characteristics and core values of rugby to people in Japan.\n\u201cIt is a privilege to be a role model to younger players in this country, but we shouldn\u2019t forget about the female players in the past who have made such great efforts for the sport in this country. I always tell younger players we need to keep this going.\u201d\nCurrently, there are a little over 5,000 registered female rugby players in Japan, but the Japan Rugby Football Union have seen a significant increase in numbers since Rugby World Cup 2019 and are hoping for a further impact after the Olympics.\nThe Olympic men\u2019s sevens competition will take place from 26-28 July, with the women\u2019s tournament following on 29-31 July and the gold medal match happening on \u2018Super Saturday\u2019.\nAll the action will take place at Tokyo Stadium, which was the venue for the opening match of Rugby World Cup 2019.\nTo commemorate Olympic Day on 23 June the International Olympic Committee released a special video as part of its #StrongerTogether campaign as excitement builds around the globe for the Olympic Games in Tokyo.\nJapan Women\u2019s Sevens National Team\n\n\n\n\nName\nBirthday\nHeight\nWeight\nCaps\n\n\nMei Ohtani\n5/28/2000\n162\n61\n\u2015\n\n\nMarin Kajiki\n9/20/1999\n164\n68\n\u2015\n\n\nMifuyu Koide\n12/21/1995\n165\n58\n19\n\n\nMayu SHIMIZU\n1/19/1998\n164\n62\n6\n\n\nMiyu SHIRAKO\n7/22/1995\n173\n68\n\u2015\n\n\nHonoka TSUTSUMI\n6/19/1997\n154\n56\n16\n\n\nHana NAGATA\n5/19/2000\n168\n60\n8\n\n\nWakaba HARA\n1/6/2000\n156\n56\n6\n\n\nRaichelmiyo BATIVAKALOLO\n9/18/1997\n160\n60\n21\n\n\nYume HIRANO\n3/15/2000\n160\n60\n22\n\n\nHaruka HIROTSU\n10/29/2000\n169\n68\n2\n\n\nRinka MATSUDA\n12/5/2001\n170\n74\n2\n\n\n\n\nThe post Japan sevens icon sees Tokyo Olympics as perfect opportunity to grow women\u2019s game appeared first on Asia Rugby.", "date_published": "2021-07-10T10:02:24+08:00", "date_modified": "2021-07-10T10:02:24+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/2019/09/Head-Japan-women.jpg", "tags": [ "Japan", "Featured", "Olympics", "News" ] } ] }