Women’s Rugby Sevens legends reveal how the Olympics could inspire the next generation of young girls all over the world. The Paris 2024 Olympics has now kicked off with the men’s events, but the highly anticipated Women’s event will be getting underway on the 28th.
The Games give the sport a chance to shine on the international stage once more and reach new audiences. But also importantly, it can provide an excellent opportunity to inspire girls across the world to get into the sport and follow in the footsteps of their rugby idols.
Speaking exclusively to the rugby news site, RugbyPass, several ex-Team GB stars and Team USA’s captain for the 2024 games discussed the importance of the tournament and why showcasing the sport on one of the biggest global stages will play a massive role in inspiring a generation of girls.
Firstly, Rachael Burford, a former England and Team GB Sevens player, explains how Sevens itself can help get girls into the sport: “It’s a lot easier to follow if you’re new to the game than other sports and you get more magical moments than you do with XVs.
“If I think back, I remember so many stories of people referring to an Olympian they saw when they were young as someone who got them into a particular sport or inspired them – I’m talking about players especially – which just shows the power the Olympics can have here.”
For girls taking the plunge and starting playing, she adds: “The biggest thing is to let yourself be a beginner. By that I mean accept you won’t have all the skills at the start and it takes time – so enjoy this development process and have fun with it. Having this attitude is really important. You also shouldn’t be scared to ask questions or get things wrong, be a sponge!”
England legend and former Team GB fly-half, Kate Daley-McLean MBE, who represented her country in the 2016 Olympics in Rio, highlights how sevens is a stepping stone into rugby and a great starting point for girls to get involved and head down to their local rugby clubs.
She says: “As a game, sevens is also a nicer and simpler version of the sport, and even if you don’t know anything about rugby, you essentially get all the best bits, compared to sitting down for over 80 minutes with the XVs. Purists will disagree with me here, but I’ve no doubt sevens can lead more people into the sport and with the exposure you get from the Olympics, it’ll definitely drive more interest.
“We have to move with the times as well; younger people enjoy the exciting, fast-paced nature of the sevens. So they [younger generations] may see this game at the Olympics and think ‘I want to get down to my local rugby club’. That said, in the UK we are lacking in local sevens opportunities, so there’s something that needs to be improved – especially if we’re talking about accessibility.”
The Paris Games is the third consecutive appearance of Women’s Rugby Sevens in the Olympics. Gold medal holders, New Zealand are tipped to win once again but will face stiff opposition from arch-rivals, Australia.
Another former women’s rugby star and England and Team GB sevens winger, Jodie Ounsely, speaks of the feel-good factor of the Olympics and how this translates to inspiring others: “People probably don’t see this side of it as well, but there’s such a good feeling in the camps and that level of support translated at amateur and grassroots levels would help more people get involved, not just sevens, but in rugby in general.”
Finally, USA Women’s Rugby Sevens captain, Naya Tapper, who is vying for gold in the Paris games speaks of the impact the sport has made for her: “I would say that this sport has been life changing for me on so many different levels and it has exposed me to so many amazing people and places. It has allowed me to accomplish many great things I didn’t know I was capable of accomplishing. I mean, I’m getting ready for my second Olympics and I never imagined a first!
“My advice, come into the sport open-minded; ready to be challenged; ready to be supported by a huge community and also ready to have some fun, because it is such an exciting sport with incredible fans.”
The schedule for the Men’s Olympic Sevens runs from July 24 – 27th – with a break in the middle for the opening ceremony – and the women’s event begins on July 28th and concludes on July 30th.
