Paris 2024: Ellie Kildunne and Team GB women's sevens team with work to do to keep medal hopes alive

Ellie Kildunne and the Great Britain women’s rugby sevens team face a do-or-die pool game with South Africa today after splitting their first two games at the Stade de France.

Less than 24 hours after a France team inspired by Antoine Dupont inflicted a first ever Olympics defeat on two-time defending champions Fiji in an emotional men’s final, Team GB’s women’s team took their first steps towards reaching tomorrow night’s medal round with a win and a loss.

On a sun-kissed afternoon in Paris after two days of incessant rain, Team GB came from behind to beat Ireland 21-12 in their first game, after the Irish led 12-7 at the interval as Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe showed her paceand strength out wide to score twice.

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Team GB were second best for most of the first half, although Isla Norman-Bell did sprint over from halfway and added the extras.

Great Britain's Jade Shekells breaks through the Irish defence during the women's Pool B Rugby Sevens match between Ireland and Great Britain at the 2024 Summer Olympics, in the Stade de France (AP Photo/Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi)Great Britain's Jade Shekells breaks through the Irish defence during the women's Pool B Rugby Sevens match between Ireland and Great Britain at the 2024 Summer Olympics, in the Stade de France (AP Photo/Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi)
Great Britain's Jade Shekells breaks through the Irish defence during the women's Pool B Rugby Sevens match between Ireland and Great Britain at the 2024 Summer Olympics, in the Stade de France (AP Photo/Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi)

The second half was a different story as Ireland struggled for possession and were breached on two occasions through Welsh wing Jasmine Joyce and Emma Uren.

But they were unable to build on it as proceedings on day one of the three-day tournament came to a close, beaten 36-5 by Australia in the second game.

It means Team GB must beat South Africa – who lost both their games yesterday – this afternoon to be sure of a place in the quarter-finals in the evening.

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Keighley-born Kildunne is traditionally a XVs player and was voted player of the tournament as England won the recent Women’s Six Nations, but – like French star Dupont – has switched to Sevens in a bid to help GB win an Olympic medal after two fourth-placed finishes in Rio and Tokyo.

“We knew it would be a tough game,” said Kildunne. “The first few minutes we went at them and it felt even at that point.

"There are loads of exciting things out there and I’m looking forward to watching it back and learning from it going into the games tomorrow. There were a lot of good things in that despite the score.

“It’s only day one and sevens can change very quickly.

"You have to go in full of confidence and we wouldn’t be here if we didn’t believe we could get a medal."

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