Rugby: the French in silver at the Olympic Games in Tokyo 2021
The players of the French women's rugby sevens team celebrate their captain Fanny Horta, after winning silver at the Tokyo 2021 Olympic Games. REUTERS - SIPHIWE SIBEKO
Text by: David Kalfa Follow
3 min
The French women's rugby sevens team won the first Olympic medal in its history on July 31 at the Tokyo 2021 Games. The French were beaten 26-12 by the New Zealand women in the final and won silver .
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From our special correspondent in Tokyo,
The French women's rugby sevens team won the first tricolor Olympic medal in this discipline included in the program of the Games since 2016. Five years after 6th place in Rio, the French women finished second on July 31, 2021 at the Tokyo Stadium .
In the final, they were beaten 26-12 by the New Zealand women, double world champions who had crushed them 29-0 in the final of the 2018 World Cup. This time, there was no correction.
But the Oceanians were still above.
“
We managed to make them doubt, we responded present
, however believes Anne-Cécile Ciofani.
We have zero regrets because it is a very good team from New Zealand.
We were able to go into battle and we are very proud of ourselves
”.
Her teammate Camille Grassineau tempers, despite a huge smile and a beautiful silver medal around her neck: “
There is inevitably a little bit of disappointment not to have won the gold because we are not so far away. .
But, there, we will still savor the conclusion of this season.
"
"Putting a spotlight on rugby sevens"
“
It's a cycle that is coming to an end
,” continues Anne-Cécile Ciofani.
We had these Olympic Games as a short-term objective.
Now, the new page to write is the World Cup [in 2022 in South Africa, Editor's note].
There is this Mondial and Paris 2024 as well
”.
Until then, the Tokyo medalists are counting on their Olympic performances to be emulated in France.
"
We hope that it will put a spotlight on rugby 7
, launches Camille Grassineau.
It is true that, in France, historically, it is rugby union which predominates, which is normal.
Now our practice is younger and we hope to have made a lot of girls and boys want to go 7
”.
► Tokyo 2021: Calendar of events, results, medal table
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