Australia rugby sevens team make Olympic Games history in Paris after quarter final victory over Team USA
- Australia has reached the semi-finals of the Olympic Games
- It is the first time the men’s rugby sevens team has done this
- On Saturday they will play against Fiji for a place in the final
The Australian men’s rugby sevens team showed the Matildas how it’s done after making Olympic history with an 18-0 victory over Team USA in Paris.
Just hours after Tony Gustavsson’s soccer team were defeated in their opening match by Germany, the rugby team took on the challenge of their American rivals and secured a place in the semi-finals of this year’s competition.
It is the first time the Australian men’s team have reached the last four in Olympic history, and they will face Fiji on Saturday for a place in the final.
But the women still have a long way to go to reach the same level in their competition, as only the top two teams in their group qualify for the knockout stage.
The top two teams in third place also advance, but with the Matildas having a goal difference of -3, they will need to make up a big goal difference to stay in the race.
The men’s rugby team showed no signs of stage fright in front of 70,000 fans at the Stade de France in Paris, delivering an impressive performance and maintaining their unbeaten record in the competition.
Australia have reached the semi-finals of the men’s rugby sevens tournament at the Olympic Games
It is the first time that the men’s team has achieved this feat
Their success came just hours after the Matildas collapsed against Germany in Marseille
A tough test awaits them on Saturday in Fiji, where the reigning champions show their worth by beating Ireland 19-15 in the quarter-finals.
Elsewhere, South Africa surprised New Zealand with a masterful defence to secure a 14-7 victory.
In the other semi-final they will face host country France, after beating Argentina 26-14.