New Zealand’s men and women completed an historic rugby sevens golden double, bringing down the curtain on the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games in style.
Sevens has again proven to be a hit on the Commonwealth stage, capturing the imagination of the Gold Coast fans, who ensured all three competition days were sold-out.
The 27,000 fans who filled the Robina Stadium and a global broadcast and digital audience were treated to a high-quality climax on Sunday in temperatures upward of 30 degrees.
Reflecting the Gold Coast’s ‘Games of firsts’ mantra, reigning world champions New Zealand are the inaugural women’s sevens champions and have now won almost everything there is to win in the sevens game with only the Olympic title eluding them. They had to do it the hard way, winning 19-12 in sudden-death extra time, to cap an epic final that showcased everything that is so compelling about sevens.
The men were just as impressive, defeating Olympic champions and in-form Fiji 14-0 to add to the Rugby World Cup Sevens title they won in Moscow in 2013.
The bronze medals were won by England in both in the women’s and men’s competitions with the women beating Canada 24-19 and the men defeating current HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series leaders South Africa 21-14.
While the medals were the natural focus, rugby was the winner as sevens rocked Robina Stadium, providing a fitting finale to the Games.
After the final, World Rugby Chairman Bill Beaumont reflected on a superb sevens spectacle: “We have seen the very best of our sport at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games. Two exceptional finals capped a superb tournament of firsts – the first women’s competition and Jamaica and Zambia making their debuts in the men’s event.
“There is no doubt that the exploits of these tremendous players will have inspired a new generation of participants and fans across the Commonwealth. I would also like to say a big thank you to the Commonwealth Games Federation and the Gold Coast organising committee for their support in staging such a superb sevens competition, but most of all our thanks go to the teams, fans and volunteers who have made this a truly special Commonwealth Games sevens competition.”
Source: www.worldrugby.org
