Impressive USA Sevens Secures Unbeaten Start To Olympic Campaign In Paris

Emillie Bydwell's USA women's rugby sevens team started its 2024 Olympics with two wins from two on Day 1 to secure a place in the quarterfinals.

Jul 28, 2024 by Philip Bendon

Impressive USA Sevens Secures Unbeaten Start To Olympic Campaign In Paris

Emilie Bydwell’s USA team got its 2024 Olympic rugby sevens campaign off to a perfect start with two comprehensive wins on Day 1 in Paris.

Facing Japan in its first match, the United States scored six tries through Kristi Kirshe (two), Sarah Levy, Alex Sedrick, Sammy Sullivan and Ilona Maher.

While the first match was smooth sailing for the United States, the second match with Brazil was far tighter, as Bydwell’s side struggled to shake off the South American rivals.

Scoring in overtime of the first half to take a 12-5 lead, the Eagles were far from safe as the second half got underway.

Clearly frustrated on the sidelines, Bydwell could be seen telling her team to up the tempo and run the ball.

Taking their coach's instructions on board, the Eagles started to probe the Brazilian line with a more direct approach, with the replacements having a major impact.

Getting her team some breathing space, Maher would race away for the Eagles' third try of the day midway through the half.

Now firmly in control, the United States would finish with a flourish, with replacement Sedrick being rewarded for her impact with a super try. She brushed off a would-be Brazilian defender.

Reflecting on the day, Sullivan said, “I’d say right now we feel like the job is done for Day 1 - we got the two wins in. It wasn’t the prettiest win against Brazil, but we’d be scared if every game looked pretty. It was good to get those first couple of shocks in and prove to ourselves that we can be resilient and fight those tough calls and tough mistakes. For tomorrow’s game, we’re feeling pumped. The crowd has been electric, we’ve all said we’re excited to play France in France, because of this amazing crowd. No matter the outcome, though, we’re ultimately making history.”

Next up for the United States is a top-of-the-table matchup with host France, which was dominant on Day 1, scoring a combined 75 points without conceding anything.

This final pool-round match will kick off at 14:30 local time (10:30 a.m. Eastern), with the quarterfinals getting underway at 20:00 local time (4 p.m. EDT).