On day three of the Olympic Games, Australia, New Zealand and Canada
scored the first-ever medals in women’s rugby sevens becoming
respectively the first-ever Olympic champions, silver and bronze
medallists. “It’s been an unbelievable experience. […] To walk away with
a gold medal is phenomenal”, enthused Australian player Gemma Etheridge
with her golden medal proudly around her neck. “We’ve worked very hard
for the last four years preparing for this, so it’s a great feeling to
be on the world’s stage to show what rugby has to offer.”
A global stage for female athletes to defy gender stereotypes
It may have been a return to the Olympic Games for men’s rugby after a
92-year absence (1924 was the last time the sport was in the Olympic
Games), but it was a historical debut for their female counterparts.
Twenty-nine-year-old Etheridge hopes this global exposure will promote
her sport and trigger new vocations in the next generation.
She says: "We've had so many messages of support from back home, of
young girls saying they've stayed up late at night to watch us and of
daughters that have been watching the TV intently and can't wait to play
rugby sevens. So I think the more exposure there is, the growth of the
game is just going to continue. I really hope that it does fill that
desire and I hope we inspire a lot of young girls to try and take up
sport and achieve what we have."
In just a few days of competitions, women have been setting the
example, defying gender stereotypes and becoming national heroes for
their great successes on the field of play.
On day three of the Olympic Games, Australia, New Zealand and Canada
scored the first-ever medals in women’s rugby sevens becoming
respectively the first-ever Olympic champions, silver and bronze
medallists. “It’s been an unbelievable experience. […] To walk away with
a gold medal is phenomenal”, enthused Australian player Gemma Etheridge
with her golden medal proudly around her neck. “We’ve worked very hard
for the last four years preparing for this, so it’s a great feeling to
be on the world’s stage to show what rugby has to offer.”
A global stage for female athletes to defy gender stereotypes
It may have been a return to the Olympic Games for men’s rugby after a
92-year absence (1924 was the last time the sport was in the Olympic
Games), but it was a historical debut for their female counterparts.
Twenty-nine-year-old Etheridge hopes this global exposure will promote
her sport and trigger new vocations in the next generation.
She says: "We've had so many messages of support from back home, of
young girls saying they've stayed up late at night to watch us and of
daughters that have been watching the TV intently and can't wait to play
rugby sevens. So I think the more exposure there is, the growth of the
game is just going to continue. I really hope that it does fill that
desire and I hope we inspire a lot of young girls to try and take up
sport and achieve what we have."
In just a few days of competitions, women have been setting the
example, defying gender stereotypes and becoming national heroes for
their great successes on the field of play.
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