Paris 2024 women’s rugby sevens: Canada ‘living in a dream’ after earning stunning silver medal
When the Canadian women’s rugby sevens team emerged out of the tunnel for the gold medal match, they had already won.
Of course, New Zealand went on to defend their Olympic title at the Stade de France, proving too strong as they ran out deserved 19-12 winners in the scorching Parisian sun to claim the nation’s first medal of the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
But while New Zealand seemed an assured bet to make the gold medal match, who would have envisioned Canada being their opponents?
The Canadians certainly did.
Canada’s strong team spirit guides them to silver
“These are the moments that you dream about when you’re in that dark place,” Asia Hogan-Rochester told Olympics.com with the silver medal around her neck. “When you’re grinding with your teammates on a hot Wednesday morning in the summertime, these are the moments that get you through.
“I feel like I’m living in a dream right now, but I’m just so proud of the girls. Although we came up short on paper, my heart is really full and I have a lot of pride for the girls.”
Hogan-Rochester was one of many standout performers on the final day of the rugby sevens competition at Paris 2024, scoring the equalising try en route to their superb victory over Australia in the semi-final a few hours earlier.
Canada came from 12-0 down to prevail 21-12 against the Australians, who had won the world series just two months ago. The Canadians also upset hosts France in the quarter-final, again fighting back from 14-7 down to end French hopes of a double medal display in rugby.
They had extra motivation in the final, up against the defending champions and a New Zealand side who recorded a commanding 33-7 win over them in the pool stage two days ago.
The Canadian women’s rugby sevens team walk out with pride ahead of the Paris 2024 gold medal match.
Canada’s women’s rugby sevens team inspiring the next generation
Despite going behind early in the final, Canada roared back to take a 12-7 lead going into the break. They had now come from behind against the well-supported hosts, recently crowned world series champions and the defending Olympic champions.
That is the fighting spirit of a Canada team who have fought so hard for so long.
Eight years ago, they won bronze in the sport’s Olympic debut at Rio 2016, and in Paris they have gone one better with the nation’s best-ever result in Olympic rugby sevens.
The player who best represents Canada’s rugby trajectory is Charity Williams, a bronze medallist in Rio and now adding silver in Paris. “When I was first starting to play rugby,” Hogan-Rochester explained, “I looked up to a lot of the people who were on the podium in Rio, Charity for one. It's surreal to be standing next to her.”
Williams is the only player to have been in both medal-winning squads, and she had a fine tournament at the Stade de France in what was her third Olympics appearance.
Olivia Apps leading by example
Then take captain Olivia Apps, who has been through a lot as she was diagnosed with alopecia two years ago. With LA 2028 just across the border in four years’ time, Apps already has her eyes set on then. “It is a tournament where we would like to be on top of the podium,” she told Olympics.com.
Apps led by example as the driving force of the team, powering through the New Zealand backline with every ounce of energy left to spur on her teammates. She was instrumental in Canada’s fightback from their early deficit, standing strong to everything that she faced up against on the pitch.
The path is lining up for a potentially historic tournament at LA 2028, and while that is still another four years away, Canada can dream of completing the set in rugby sevens.
On inspiring the next Canadian rugby players, Hogan-Rochester said: “That’s also a dream come true, that’s a huge part of my ‘why’. I wouldn’t be here without the support of those girls who paved the way, so being able to be that for somebody else, it’s really big, it’s an immense amount of pride and respect for the jersey.”
From the opening match to the medal ceremony, one thing was clear about the Canadian team. They are proud to be here competing in Paris, no matter the result.
Lucky for them, they will leave the City of Light with some silverware after all.