More than 60,000 rugby fans in the Stade de France – some old, many new – roared their delight as Japanese winger Marin Kajiki crossed in the last minute on Monday night to win against South Africa, the joyous applause going some way to make up for the empty stands in Tokyo three years ago.
Japan’s reward for victory was not a medal. Not a trophy. No extra prize money. Just the chance to finish ninth in their final match the following day. Kajiki’s teammate Sakura Mitani was beaming afterwards. “Such noisey sounds,’ she said.
The hosts lost all five matches at the 2021 Games, a missed opportunity both for Japan and women’s rugby. Sevens had debuted in Rio, the women alongside the men, but its momentum was stalled by the pandemic. In Paris, the maul is rolling again.
Maddi Levi is at the forefront of the game’s growth, as the most damaging player for the gold medal favourites, Australia. “I’m a bit biased, but I think the women’s game is growing, it’s becoming a lot more fun and a lot more fascinating,” she said.
After another hat-trick in the 40-7 drubbing of Ireland in Monday’s quarter-final, the 22-year-old has now scored 11 tries at Paris 2024, setting a record for an Olympic tournament. There are still two games to go. “Whether it be the Olympics, or the whole World Series this year, being able to put out big crowds and get the momentum rolling for women’s sport, I think it’s a huge breakaway,” she said.
The 66,000 who packed the stadium on Sunday set a new attendance record for women’s rugby, beating the previous one of 58,498 at Twickenham for England v France last year. A similar number returned on Monday. The same is expected for Tuesday’s medal matches, the stands full just as they were for Antoine Dupont’s crowning glory in the men’s sevens days earlier. And they were almost as loud on Monday night, bouncing around the ground in northern Paris but unable to will their side over line in a surprise 19-14 quarter-final loss to Canada.
Team GB captain Emma Uren was disappointed too, after a 17-7 quarter-final defeat against the USA, yet could still acknowledge the occasion. “Something I never thought I’d experience to be honest,” she said. “It’s special, and we have to remember we’re making history.”
Former Wallabies flanker and now Rugby Australia chief executive Phil Waugh said these Games represented a “significant moment for rugby”, demonstrating equivalent fan support for the both men’s and women’s competitions.
“The equality of crowds across the same venue, watching the same format of the game, and just as engaged as what they were for the men’s game just shows you just how far rugby’s come, and the enormous opportunity,” Waugh said.
After the gold medal is settled on Tuesday, the next big chance for the women’s game is the 15s World Cup in England next year. Uren said the Olympics, followed by the 2025 tournament, is a chance for women’s rugby to demonstrate its quality to broader audiences. “Hopefully we can showcase just how good our sport is, how talented players we have out there, some amazing athletes as well.” she said. “And actually, people start watching it and go, do I want to watch this more? And they’ll start following us, and we’re just going to grow from there.”
World Rugby is working to ensure the tournament is available on free-to-air television in the UK to support its growth, and complement the advocacy currently performed by players. The USA’s Ilona Maher is using her vast social media reach to take the game to new audiences. It was no surprise when Taylor Swift’s boyfriend’s brother – former NFL player Jason Kelce – was in Paris supporting the US team.
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The profile of many of the players in the Australian women’s sevens team is exceeding that of their male counterparts, in both the sevens and traditional formats, especially off the back of four dominant displays in this tournament.
Rugby Australia has run a specialist, full-time sevens program since before the sport’s 2016 debut in Rio, where the side won gold. But the women’s 15s side, the Wallaroos, have struggled to compete with the world’s best, and were humbled 41-5 in the quarter-finals of the 2021 World Cup by England.
Australia won the rights to host the 2029 Women’s World Cup as well as the 2027 men’s edition, and the country’s rugby administrators are hoping to tap into the strength of the sevens to replicate the success of the women’s football World Cup in Australia last year.
Waugh said Australia now wants to have the country’s best athletes playing both formats, with one eye on a memorable run at home in 2029. “Going deep in your own home World Cup is is critically important,” he said. “It’s certainly our intent to integrate the sevens and the 15s to to get our best athletes doubling up.”
Australia will meet Canada in one semi-final on Tuesday (midnight Wednesday AEST). New Zealand meet the US, before the final three hours later.