The Springbok Sevens of South Africa lost to Ireland 10-5 in the first batch of rugby sevens pool Olympic games which kicked off at the Stade de France on Wednesday.
James Topping’s Irish side delivered a possession-dominant performance in Saint-Denis, with Jordan Conroy and Terry Kennedy scoring tries in each half. This opening win puts Ireland in a strong position in Pool A as they head into their second game against Japan later this evening at 8 pm Irish time. Japan had suffered a defeat to New Zealand in the other Pool A clash earlier in the day.
Although the Olympics opening ceremony is scheduled for Friday, soccer and rugby sevens preliminary rounds began early for logistical reasons in Paris and across the country. The shorter, faster rugby sevens format allows teams to play multiple matches in a day, with medals in the men’s and women’s tournaments being decided before the 81,000-capacity stadium hosts athletics events from August 1st.
Meanwhile, in the other match, Kenya lost to Argentina 31-12 despite the winning team facing a hostile reception from the crowd . Despite being booed by the crowd, Argentina held on to win.
