This from our mates at rugbypass.com many thanks for his or her ongoing help.
Rugby Sevens consultants make their medal predictions for the Paris 2024 Olympics
- Australia and New Zealand named massive favourites within the males’s and ladies’s occasions.
- Argentina, France and Canada additionally tipped as medal contender.
- Ellie Kildunne (GB) and Marcos Moneta (Arg) earmarked as potential standout gamers
The Paris 2024 Olympics begins in only a matter of days, with the Rugby Sevens kicking off
proceedings on July twenty fourth, simply earlier than the official opening ceremony on the twenty sixth. Promote-out crowds are already anticipated for the boys’s and ladies’s occasions and there’s already an excessive amount of anticipation round which nations will find yourself within the medal tables.
Loads of eyes are mentioned to be on the likes of Australia and New Zealand within the battle for gold in each the boys’s and ladies’s video games. Nevertheless, the boys’s Fiji aspect will probably be seeking to make it three golds in a row, following their iconic successes in Rio in 2016 and Tokyo in 2021. Moreover, the Argentinian males’s staff are being touted as darkish horses and a few imagine the French sides might additionally capitalise on a house benefit.
That is based on the predictions for this yr’s Olympic Sevens from numerous consultants concerned within the sevens recreation – together with present and former gamers and coachesin an unique function with rugby web site, RugbyPass. Alongside this, a number of of these interviewed right here have touted a collection of gamers they imagine will probably be standout performers throughout the tournaments.
Gareth Baber and Mike Friday
Gareth Baber, the coach who famously guided the Fiji males’s aspect to their second gold medal in Tokyo 2020, and the present USA Males’s Sevens staff coach, Mike Friday, have each predicted that the respective sides the place they’ve robust allegiances are those who’re in with an opportunity of gold.
Gareth mentioned: “I do know folks will probably be anxious about Fiji, given their monitor report. There’s work to be completed there, however they actually can medal. The nation is steeped in sevens rugby they usually’ve constantly produced some gamers who can actually do one thing.”
Mike acknowledged: “I feel we’re [USA] going to be a bolt out of the blue – we have now the potential to trigger absolute havoc.”
Each went on to champion the antipodean and French sides too:
Gareth mentioned: “New Zealand will probably be positioning themselves as actual medal contenders too.
I’d additionally again France to do effectively, however their main problem is establishing a body to assist
their gamers do their greatest stuff in entrance of the house crowd.”
Mike defined: “France in each the boys’s and the ladies’s are contenders. However trying
simply on the girls’s, it’s going to be the likes of Australia and New Zealand which are
pushing for gold.”
Mike then singled out a number of gamers to look at from the boys’s and ladies’s occasions: “You’ve acquired the Levi sisters who’re implausible, Jorja Miller is an actual catalyst too for New Zealand, however they’ve additionally acquired Michaela Blyde and Portia Woodman – a core of wonderful gamers. On the boys’s aspect, Marcos Moneta for Argentina, Dupont – simply because it’s him – Terry Kennedy from Eire is only a correct baller and can make issues occur.”
Katy Daley-McLean MBE and Rachael Burford.
Former England and Group GB Girls’s Sevens stars, Katy Daley-McLean and Rachael Burford gave these medal predictions for the ladies’s occasions:
Katy mentioned: “Australia and New Zealand are massive favourites, however with their type of rugby, I feel Canada and France will probably be within the combine there as effectively.” Rachael commented: “France – though below a whole lot of stress – are at their greatest once they’re at residence…Australia and New Zealand are coming into the Olympics very robust and lots of people predict them to battle it out for the gold, but it surely’ll rely upon who stays match for them.”
Amongst their participant suggestions, in addition they suggested to be careful for Ellie Kildunne and Megan Jones of Group GB:
Katy defined: “I reckon if she [Ellie] smashes it within the Olympics and the following Rugby World Cup, she has the potential to turn into a family title.” Whereas Rachael believes: “Meg will probably be large for GB, her presence will remodel that staff. She alone will improve the flexibility of the entire squad.”
Tom Mitchell and Luke Treharne
Tom Mitchell, former England and Group GB Sevens captain, and Luke Treharne, former Group GB Sevens participant and present Hong Kong 7s expertise coach, supplied these views:
Tom acknowledged: “Taking a look at Argentina, Marcos Moneta who has come again from damage to make the squad is an absolute gun when totally firing…it’s additionally exhausting to look past Australia and New Zealand.”
Luke mentioned: “For the ladies, I’ve been toying between the 2 juggernauts of Australia and New Zealand, however I feel New Zealand will get the gold. France will get the bronze. As for the boys, I feel it’s going to go one thing like Argentina for gold, Fiji silver and Eire bronze.”
Naya Tapper and Jodie Ounsley.
RugbyPass additionally acquired the views of former England and Group GB Girls’s Sevens wing, Jodie Ounsley, in addition to present USA Girls’s Sevens captain, Naya Tapper.
Jodie understandably selected her former teammates to go all the way in which: “I’ve to again the GB girls’s aspect, however Australia and New Zealand are so robust and are positively groups to look out for.” Naya – who will probably be competing this summer season – additionally demonstrated some nationwide delight by backing her nation for Olympics success: “For the ladies’s and males’s aspect I manifest USA taking the gold. Let’s hope we are able to come again to this dialog and reward how nice I’m at predictions.”
Jodie was one other knowledgeable to specific admiration for Group GB’s Ellie Kildunne: “She’s coming again to sevens and she or he’s going to convey so many followers together with her and I do know she is going to make an important impression and be a storm on the Olympics. She is going to get folks speaking for certain.” Naya went on to focus on loads of names for the ladies’s occasions: “Ilona Maher, Maddi Levi, Teagan Levi, Michaela Blyde, Portia Woodman, Anne-Cécile Ciofani, Séraphine Okemba – with how a lot expertise we have now within the recreation throughout all groups I might go on and on.”
The schedule for the boys’s sevens runs from July 24 – twenty seventh – with a break within the center for the opening ceremony – and the ladies’s occasion begins on July twenty eighth and concludes on July thirtieth. If these predictions are to be believed, followers and neutrals alike may very well be set to see a hotly contested collection. For additional particulars, yow will discover the total collection of predictions and ‘ones to look at’ from these consultants right here: https://www.rugbypass.com/sevens/olympics/mens-and-womens-expert-
predictions/
