NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 23 – The national women’s rugby 7s team missed out on a third appearance at the Olympics after a 24-7 loss to China in the final of the World Rugby Repechage in Monaco on Sunday evening.
The Chinese drew first blood in the third minute through Chen Keyi before Gu Yaoyao’s conversion between the posts gave them a 7-0 lead.
Not to be undone though, Lionesses responded almost immediately courtesy of their top try scorer, Janet Okello, who latched onto a delightful offload from Grace Adhiambo to put the ball over the white chalk.
Adhiambo stepped up to convert successfully and restore parity.
However, Keyi ensured that the Chinese went into the breather in front when she burst through the left flank to score her second try.
Fortunately, though, Yaoyao could not convert and so the game went into the second half precariously poised.
The Asians picked up from where they left off in the first half with their third try via Sun Yue.
All hopes of a Lioness comeback evaporated when Yaoyao atoned for her poor conversions with a try of her own at the death.
She then dusted herself up to add the icing on the cake with a successful conversion between the posts and with that, drive the final nail into the coffin containing the remains of Lionesses’ Olympic dreams.
