The United States women’s rugby team will have a chance to make some history on Tuesday in Paris, but they’ll face a tough road if they want to bring home a medal in the competition.
The Americans took a big step toward that goal on Monday with their win over Great Britain, but things won’t get easier on Tuesday on the final day of the tournament.
The reason the Americans could make history is simple. This the third time rugby sevens has been contested at the Olympics, but the United States has yet to win a medal in either the men’s or women’s competitions.
Great Britain, who has finished in fourth place in each of the last two Olympics, posed a formidable challenge to the American squad, but the U.S. pulled off an impressive 17-7 victory to set up a semifinal matchup against New Zealand.
Needless to say, things won’t get any easier. New Zealand is the reigning gold medal winner and captured a silver medal in 2016, and they’re hoping to continue that run of dominance in Paris this week. They certainly did that in the quarterfinals against China, racking up a staggering 55-5 win on Monday.
Even if the Americans can somehow advance past New Zealand, they’ll either face Australia, who won the 2016 Olympic tournament, or Canada, who won the bronze medal that year.
Tuesday’s semifinal will get started at 8:30 a.m. CT, and will air on USA and Peacock. The championship match will take place at approximately 12:45 p.m. CT, and will air on E! and Peacock.
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