Tokyo 2020 - Team GB blow 21-0 to lead to New Zealand on opening day of women’s rugby sevens

ByRichard Newman

Updated 29/07/2021 at 10:30 GMT

Britain sit third in Pool A after a 14-12 win over the Russian Olympic Committee and 26-21 defeat to the Black Ferns. Just like the men’s side, the squad has been assembled on the back of funding chaos last year. You want it? We have it. Stream every Olympic event live on discovery+.

Team GB’s women sit third in Pool A after the first day of the Olympic rugby sevens at Tokyo 2020, but they had a mixed day - including a defeat to World Rugby Sevens champions New Zealand having built a convincing lead.

Britain’s squad, which was only assembled on the back of having their funding cut by the Rugby Football Union and then reinstated via a coalition of partners for the rest of the Games cycle, started the day with a tight 14-12 win over the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC).

Holly Aitchison scored GB’s first try, with the winning score coming once the clock had already run out for the end of the second half from captain Abbie Brown.

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Later in the evening, GB got off to a surprise flier against the Black Ferns, racing to a 21-0 lead courtesy of tries from Aitchison, Jasmine Joyce, Megan Jones and Helena Rowland.

But the world champions came back strongly with just over a minute to go until the break, and scored 26 points without reply to finish the day with two wins from two, following their 29-7 victory over Kenya earlier in the day.

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In the final Pool A game of the day, the ROC beat Kenya 35-12.

Team GB will go for a place in the quarter-finals tomorrow when they take on Kenya, knowing victory will send them through if ROC cannot beat New Zealand.

Elsewhere, France and Australia sit top of pools B and C respectively, after the countries won both of their opening matches.

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