Team South Africa secured their first medal at the Olympic Games in spectacular fashion. The SA rugby sevens team triumphed over Australia, winning 26-19 in a heart-pounding bronze medal match. This victory marks a high note at the end of their challenging season.
The Blitzboks had faced disappointment earlier in the day, losing 19-5 to hosts France in the semi-final. However, they quickly regrouped and rallied to defeat their fierce rivals, Australia, just hours later. This resilience and determination were key in securing the bronze medal.
Remarkably, this isn’t the first time South Africa’s men’s rugby sevens team has won bronze at the Olympics; they also claimed the bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Games.
Meanwhile, France, captained by Antoine Dupont, clinched the gold medal in front of an enthusiastic 60,000-strong crowd. Despite wet and overcast conditions, the French team came from 7-0 down to upset Fiji with a final score of 28-7.
South Africa’s journey to the Olympics was anything but easy. They entered the tournament as the final qualifier after winning the repechage tournament in Monaco less than a month ago.
Now, all eyes are on South Africa’s women’s sevens team as they prepare to take on Australia and Ireland in Paris on Sunday.
