Great Britain Fail to Qualify for Men’s Sevens at Paris 2024 Olympics
In a surprising turn of events, the Great Britain men’s rugby sevens team has failed to secure a spot at the 2024 Paris Olympics, losing 14-5 to South Africa in the repechage final in Monaco. This marks the first time since the sport’s Olympic debut in 2016 that GB will not be represented in the men’s rugby sevens competition.
The Blitzboks, as the South African team is known, established a decisive nine-point lead at halftime after tries from Quewin Nortje and Shilton van Wyk. Despite their best efforts, the GB squad was unable to mount a comeback in the second half, ultimately falling short of the coveted qualification spot.
“This defeat means that South Africa will be the sole team to progress from the tournament, joining the 11 other nations that had already secured their places for the Paris Olympics.”
GB, who had previously won silver at the Rio 2016 Olympics and lost the bronze medal match to Argentina in Tokyo, will now have to watch the event from the sidelines.
Earlier in the competition, GB had topped their pool and defeated Tonga in the quarterfinals before overcoming Spain in the semifinals. However, their momentum was halted in the final against the resilient South African side.
In contrast, the GB women’s team has already secured their place at the Paris 2024 Olympics and recently announced their 12-player squad for the tournament. The women’s rugby sevens competition at the Games is scheduled to take place from July 24-30 at the Stade de France.
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