The Australian Women’s Rugby 7’s team has grabbed our 4th Gold at the Rio Olympics, beating New Zealand 24-17.
They go down in history as winning the first ever Olympic Gold in the inaugural event, with Emma Tonegato, Evania Pelite, Ellia Green and Charlotte Caslick all scoring tries to take a strong lead against their trans-Tasman rival.
When NZ coach Sean Horan described the Australian team as not liking “pressure” nor the “physical side” of the game, the Australian coach Tim Walsh used the sledge as motivation for the team, writing it on the team whiteboard before the final, according to Fairfax reports.
Walsh has previously commended the skills of his players, and said Caslick is redefining women’s rugby. Just 21 years old, she’s been described as the best player on the planet. She describes herself as a “girly girl”, who grew up playing hockey and touch football and is said to be a great mentor to newcomers.
The Australian and New Zealand teams have dominated women’s rugby as it’s developed in the last few years. Australia won the inaugural Women’s Sevens World Cup in 2009 and were world champions in 2015-16.
Congratulations to the Pearls!
And that’s four gold medals for Australia – three to women and one to the men.
