What happened in the 2013 Rugby Sevens World Cup? Our history of rugby continues with a look at what happened in Moscow!
Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow provided the focal point for RWC Sevens 2013 and served as a reminder of rugby’s increasing global popularity. It also produced some fantastic action on the pitch.
Hosts Russia provided the story of the women’s pool stages. They followed a win against Japan and a draw with France, with a dramatic 17-15 victory against England to top their pool. Russia would go on to taste defeat in the quarter-finals. They lost narrowly to a Canadian side, who themselves went on to reach the final with a win over surprise package Spain.
In the end, though, nobody would have an answer to New Zealand. The Black Ferns arrived in Moscow as the inaugural Women’s Sevens Series champions and ran out 29-12 winners in the final, with Kayla McAlister and Portia Woodman the standout players.
The men’s tournament went mostly to form. Wales provided the biggest shock across the six pools with victory over two-time champions Fiji, but their title defence came to an end against New Zealand in the quarter-finals. In the same half of the draw, Fiji edged past South Africa. In the bottom half, England beat Australia by a single score and Kenya needed extra time to win against France.
The first semi-final fell prey to a spectacular electrical storm, the lightning overhead forcing Fiji and New Zealand off the pitch on safety grounds with the All Blacks Sevens leading 17-0. The score remained that way once play was restarted.
England then overcame Kenya in the second semi-final 12-5. However, in the final England were trounced by an inspired New Zealand, 33 points to 0.
to be continued…
:focal(1254x286:1256x284)/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2019/08/17/2656691-54956130-2560-1440.jpg "Rugby: a Thug’s Game Played by Gentlemen? – Part VII – Rugby Sevens World Cups!")
