The first day of the women's rugby sevens competition at the Paris Olympics saw a thrilling upset, with China defeating reigning bronze medallists Fiji 40-12. This victory sees them sit joint-second in Pool A alongside Canada, setting up an exciting clash between the two teams on Monday.
New Zealand, meanwhile, secured two convincing wins, topping Pool A and setting their sights on a clean sweep against Fiji.
Australia Impress in Pool B
Australia also impressed, topping Pool B after defeating South Africa 34-5 and Great Britain 36-5. The latter two teams are tied for second place on four points each.
France and the USA dominated Pool C, both teams securing two comfortable wins. The French defeated Brazil 26-0 and Japan 49-0, while the USA overcame Japan 36-7 and Brazil 24-5.
Record Crowd Witnesses Thrilling Action
The action at Stade de France was witnessed by a record crowd of 66,000 fans, a new record for women's rugby attendance. The excitement of the day also saw Australia, France, New Zealand, and the USA secure their quarter-final spots with a game to spare.
World Rugby Chairman Praises Historic Attendance
World Rugby Chairman Sir Bill Beaumont expressed his delight at the record attendance, highlighting the inspiring performances of the world's best women's sevens players.
"With the world's best women's sevens players shining brightly on sport's biggest stage, 66,000 fans were gripped by the action, while an unprecedented broadcast and digital audience will ensure that more young people in more nations and communities will be inspired by these awesome athletes, who are amongst the best in the world in sport," said Beaumont.
Action Continues on Monday
The pool stages conclude on Monday, with the final round of fixtures kicking off at 14:00 local time. The quarter-finals will follow at 20:00, setting the stage for a thrilling finals day on Tuesday.
Day One Results
Pool A
Fiji 14-17 Canada
New Zealand 43-5 China
Fiji 12-40 China
New Zealand 33-7 Canada
Pool B
Ireland 12-21 Great Britain
Australia 34-5 South Africa
Ireland 38-0 South Africa
Australia 36-5 Great Britain
Pool C
USA 36-7 Japan
France 26-0 Brazil
USA 24-5 Brazil
France 49-0 Japan
Pool Standings After Day One
Pool A
New Zealand 6 points
Canada 4 points
China 4 points
Fiji 2 points
Pool B
Australia 6 points
Ireland 4 points
Great Britain 4 points
South Africa 2 points
Pool C
France 6 points
USA 6 points
Japan 2 points
Brazil 2 points