After beating Great Britain in the quarterfinals, the U.S. women’s rugby team will look to win the gold medal in their semifinal against New Zealand on Tuesday.
The U.S. beat Great Britain 17-7 in the quarterfinals on Monday after losing 31-14 to France in their final pool game.
In Olympic pool play, the United States defeated Brazil, 24-5, and Japan, 36-7.
The other semi-final matchup is yet to be decided as France, Canada, Australia and Ireland still have to play in the quarter-finals.
New Zealand are the defending champions, so Tuesday’s game won’t be easy, but the U.S. has had some impressive early performances in Paris. Australia and New Zealand are the gold medal favorites, but don’t take the Stars and Stripes lightly.
In Tokyo, the U.S. women’s team was undefeated in pool play but lost to Great Britain in the quarterfinals, finishing in sixth place at the 2020 Olympics. The U.S. got revenge on Monday against Great Britain.
How can I watch Tuesday’s USA Women’s Rugby Sevens?
The USA women’s rugby sevens semi-final against New Zealand will be played at 9:30 a.m. ET on Tuesday.
You can watch it on NBC, Peacock or at this nbcolympics.com link.
When are the Rugby Bronze and Gold Medal matches?
The women’s rugby final will air on Tuesday at 1pm on E! and will be rebroadcast on USA Network at 5pm, and can be streamed live at this link.
The women’s bronze medal game is Tuesday at 1 p.m. The women’s gold medal game is Tuesday at 1:45 p.m.
NBC New York sports anchor Bruce Beck interviewed rugby player, Olympian, and social media guru Ilona Maher at the Team USA Media Summit in New York.
Who will be on the U.S. women’s rugby team in Paris in 2024?
Meet the members of Team USA women’s rugby team.
- Alena Olsen (Caledonia, Michigan)
- Alev Kelter (Eagle River, Alaska)
- Ariana Ramsey (King of Prussia, Pennsylvania)
- Ilona Maher (Burlington, Vermont)
- Kayla Canet (Fallbrook, California)
- Christy Kirche (Franklin, Massachusetts)
- Lauren Doyle (Team Co-Captain – Boody, Illinois)
- Naya Tapper (Team Co-Captain – Charlotte, North Carolina)
- Sammy Sullivan (Fayetteville, North Carolina)
- Sarah Levy (San Diego, California)
- Alex “Spiff” Cedric, Herriman, Utah
- Steph Rovetti (Reno, NV)
Mobile reservists:
- Nicole Haverland (Whitefish, Montana)
- Chris Thomas (Philadelphia, PA)
Ilona Maher, 27, was a star at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut.
US rugby player Ilona Maher talks about her popular TikTok account.
When did women’s rugby become an Olympic sport?
Women’s rugby made its Olympic debut in Rio in 2016.
In 2016, Australia (gold), New Zealand (silver) and Canada (bronze) won medals. In 2020, New Zealand (gold), France (silver) and Fiji (bronze) completed the podium.
It will be the first medal for the U.S. women’s rugby team in Paris.
What are the rules for rugby at the Paris Olympics?
Rugby is a game similar to American football, played by two teams of seven against seven, with the aim of scoring more tries than the opposing team. A try (the equivalent of a touchdown) is worth five points, and any extra kicks from the try spot are worth an additional two points. Drop goals and penalties can also be scored, earning three points, but are less common.
Matches are divided into seven-minute halves, are fast-paced, players are only allowed to pass sideways or backwards to progress the ball, and also include tackling, scrums and kicking.
How are points scored in rugby?
Here’s how scoring works in rugby:
- 5 points – Try: scored when a player runs the ball over the goal line and touches the ground
- 7 points – Penalty try: scored when a try is prevented by a serious foul
- 2 points – Conversion: A point is scored when a player from the team that scored the try drop-kicks the ball through the goal post.
- 3 Points – Penalty: A team that commits a serious foul can choose to take a “Goal Kick” and if successful they will receive 3 points.
- 3 points – Drop Goal: Scored when a goal is scored from a drop kick in open play
What is the size of the rugby field at the Paris Olympics?
The dimensions of the field are essentially the same as for a standard rugby union match: the playing field is no more than 100 meters long and 70 meters wide, or 328 feet long and 229 feet wide.
