Australia’s women made history in France on Sunday when they became the first Australian Rugby team to win a World Rugby Sevens Series.
Canada (Photo: World Rugby)
After five rounds of the series, the girls in gold needed just a quarter-final win over Spain in Clermont to secure the title, after winning series rounds in Dubai, Sao Paulo and Atlanta this season.
However the double eluded Sharni Williams and her team, with Canada beating the series champions in a thrilling final in front of an incredibly passionate crowd in Stade Gabriel-Montpied in Clermont on Sunday.
Charlotte Caslick (Photo: World Rugby)
Speaking after the final, Australian captain Sharni Williams was disappointed with the loss to Canada but was delighted to finally get her hands on a sevens series trophy.
“For us it’s a massive boost. It’s fantastic. Women’s rugby is changing and evolving in Australia and we’re happy to be leading the charge.
“We put in all the preparation we could for the final but we weren’t the best team and credit to Canada, they were the best team on the day and we didn’t show up. But these things happen and it keeps us grounded.
“We can’t get complacent now and we have to aspire to be better going into the Olympics, but we’re going to enjoy tonight,” said Williams.
You can see all the results here.
The final round of the 2015-16 series was the last official tournament for many teams ahead of the Olympic Games and the matches were both tough and thrilling in equal measure. The Plate final was won by popular hosts France while Russia claimed the Bowl Final.
Canada’s Brittany Benn (Photo: World Rugby)
Semi-Finals
England were torn apart by Canada’s hat-trick hero Ghislaine Landry in their Cup semi-final clash, with Bianca Farella and Karen Paquin also on the scoresheet. Landry’s performance helped her to a spot on the Clemont Sevens Dream Team, along with her hard-hitting team mate Brittany Benn, who were too much for Simon Middleton’s England side, easily winning 31-10.
In the second Cup semi-final, another Trans-Tasman affair between Australia and New Zealand, the new series champions got the better of the previous series winners with a 5-14 victory. Captain Shannon Parry and Emily Cherry put Australia in the clear and, despite a late strike from Portia Woodman, Tim Walsh’s side progressed to their fourth Cup Final of the series.
Quarter-Finals
Natasha Hunt (Photo: World Rugby)
Earlier in the day, Australia sealed their first-ever series title and a spot in the Cup semi-finals against New Zealand with a seamless 35-0 destruction of Spain with double-delight from supreme try-scorer Emilee Cherry.
In the first quarter final in Clermont-Ferrand, England’s captain fantastic Emily Scarratt fired her side into a semi-final match-up with Canada as she reached the 100 points mark in sevens series rugby during her side’s 21-12 victory over USA.
The Canadians, meanwhile, were made to work hard for their 21-15 success at the Cup quarter-final stage by a valiant Fiji side, who were eventually undone by a double from the outstanding Landry.
Hosts France were punished by a quick-fire hat-trick from the lightning-quick Portia Woodman – her second trio of the weekend – but despite defeat Les Bleues battled hard with tries from Chloe Pelle and Camille Grassineau.
Next Season
Meanwhile, the top nine teams in the standings secured their spots on next year’s HSBC Women’s Sevens World Series. Click here to view the standings.
The final weekend in Clermont-Ferrand also means that the seedings have been confirmed for the Women’s repechage in Dublin on 25-26 June next, with Russia taking the top seed, Spain the second seed and hosts Ireland will occupy the third seeding for the last chance to qualify for the Olympic Games in Rio in August.
Report courtesy of World Rugby
