England secured a bronze medal in the Rugby World Cup with a win over Argentina [5f87cb78]. Despite allowing the Pumas to fight back in the second half, England held their nerve and sent scrum-half Ben Youngs into retirement with a bronze medal. The team has shown progress throughout the tournament, winning six out of seven games and losing only by one point to the current world champions. While the ultimate goal was to reach the final and win the gold medal, the experience of playing in finals games has been important for the squad. The players should be proud of their efforts and ability to overcome challenges. The match against Argentina was played in a hostile atmosphere, with most neutrals supporting the Pumas. However, the team was not surprised by this and accepted the difference in crowd behavior. While being in the bronze medal match is positive, the team acknowledges that excellence is still missing and it is difficult to find positives in losing the game [5f87cb78].
In other rugby news, Scotland Women secured their first victory in Italy this century with a 17-10 win in the Women's Six Nations [ddf2e68a]. Lana Skeldon, Emma Orr, and Chloe Rollie scored tries for Scotland, while Alyssa D'Inca scored Italy's only try. This historic victory marks Scotland's second win of the tournament. Italy will end their campaign against Wales, while Scotland will travel to play Ireland in Cork.
Meanwhile, the Canadian women's rugby team achieved a historic victory by defeating New Zealand in the Pacific Four Series [012b8178]. This win marked the first time Canada has beaten the Black Ferns in 18 meetings. The final score was 22-19 in favor of Canada. Fancy Bermudez scored two tries for Canada, while Katelyn Vahaakolo scored two tries for New Zealand. The Canadian women's team had previously lost all 17 previous matches against the Black Ferns, with the closest result being a 16-8 loss in 2014. The win moved Canada to the No. 2 spot in the world rankings, behind England. The Canadian women's team made 103 tackles in the first half, compared to 46 by New Zealand. The victory was seen as a significant achievement for Canadian rugby and a statement on the world stage. The Canadian prop DaLeaka Menin earned her 55th cap in the match. The win secured Canada's spot in the top division of the WXV tournament, which Vancouver is hosting in September-October. The Canadian coach Kevin Rouet improved his record to 17-7-0.
The final two qualification spots for the Paris Olympics will be decided on Sunday in Monaco. Canada and Chile will square off in the Quarter Finals of the Men’s draw, while Argentina and Paraguay will represent the Americas in the final eight of the Women’s Draw [3369a508]. Canada ended their losing streak with an opening day win over Uganda and followed it up with a strong win over China, but came up just short against Great Britain on Day Two. Chile were outmatched by tournament favorites South Africa after beating Tonga and Mexico. The tournament was hit by the withdrawal of Papua New Guinea from both the men’s and women’s draws, leaving the Brazil men with only two games. Whichever of Canada or Chile advances to the Semi Finals will have a difficult road to qualify. Barring significant upsets, they will almost certainly face the South Africans in the Semi Final with Great Britain and Spain the top seeds on the other side of the bracket. On the women’s side China emerged as heavy favorites to quality after breezing through their pool with only five points conceded in three games. Paraguay’s only win ended Jamaica’s hopes of pushing through to the knockouts, while Argentina defeated Samoa but were narrowly beaten by Kenya. There is a chance, however unlikely, that the two South American sides meet in the women’s draw final. Paraguay will have to first upset China before facing the winner of Poland vs Hong Kong. Argentina will rematch Kenya in their Quarter Final, with a victory earning a spot opposite Uganda or Czechia [3369a508].
Australia's women's and men's rugby sevens squads for the Paris Olympics have been confirmed [5453d0a3]. Charlotte Caslick, an Olympic champion, will lead the women's squad alongside Sharni Smale. Nick Malouf and Henry Hutchison will represent Australia in the men's squad. Caslick and Smale are set to become three-time Olympians, aiming to win their second gold medal in rugby sevens. The women's team enters Paris as the world series champions and will compete against Ireland, South Africa, and Britain in the 12-team Olympic tournament. The men's tournament kicks off the rugby sevens competition on July 24, with Australia in a group against Argentina, Samoa, and Kenya. The Australian squads are determined to perform well and bring home more Olympic success in rugby sevens.