When the dust settles, rugby at the 2024 Paris Games, for winning and losing athletes alike, will never be forgotten. During the week of competition athletes played in France’s largest stadium in front of sold-out crowds of sizes never thought possible for the sport and will be something the athletes cherish for life.
Before the Games, World Rugby CEO Alan Gilpin said, "This is the coming-of-age moment really for [rugby] Sevens and we've always known the Olympic platform can be incredible," Gilpin said.
As the sun sets on the Games, it's clear — that moment — was achieved for the rugby. Gilpin revealed the final total attendance reached beyond what they had hoped, "It's been incredible, 550,000 spectators in six days."
"We had a humble beginning in Rio, a really challenging Tokyo and we've worked really hard on the SVNS Series over the last year to get to the point where the product is brilliant."
The Paris Games marked the third Olympics rugby sevens has been completed. Rugby officials campaigned for sevens to be added over the traditional union because of its appeal to the casual fan and that calculated gamble has paid off.
"We know that Sevens is a form of the game that excites new audiences, it's easier to understand, it brings people into the game and this next week is going to shine a light on it that we've never had before. It's a huge opportunity for us. We've seen it in previous Games. In places where rugby is not watched traditionally, we'll get some great audiences and we've got to work hard then as a sport to keep those people excited."
Rugby and TikTok star Ilona Maher has gone viral for her behind-the-scenes look at athlete life in Tokyo and Paris. Some fans grew critical of her posts, worry it was a distraction, but for Maher it’s all about growing the sport.
“It is really important to have a profile, and a profile for our sport. It’s about building the brand. We are female rugby players - we’re not getting million-dollar contracts, we’re not getting paid the money that we should be”, before adding, “Me and my friends are keen on getting the sport out there and getting us noticed. It’s important in the US where so much attention is on other sports.”
Australia’s Charlotte Caslick summed up why the large crowds and the visibility the Olympics bring are so important to growing the sport, especially for women.
“We don’t play a lot of games on TV and we play a lot overseas so it is hard for the Australian public to get to see us. You can’t be what you can’t see, I guess.”
The men’s tournament played out with a storybook ending. Rugby union star Antoine Dupont scored two tries as the host nation, France, dethroned back-to-back Olympic Champions Fiji for the gold medal, much to the chagrin of the pro-France crowd.
The large crowds didn’t stop with the men’s tournament. The first day of women’s rugby saw a strong 67,000 fans in attendance, a record for women’s rugby. For the quarterfinals, the crowd surged to 69,000. The record-setting crowds are being noticed by the players.
France’s Aaron Grandidier Nkanang put the large crowds into perspective.
“It’s not almost unheard of, it’s completely unheard of. I just want to thank everyone who came out because it made it 100% incredible."
He added just how rare crowds this size are for rugby athletes. “None of us have experienced anything like it. I really hope that with the amount of people we’ve brought to the stadium, that people now start to appreciate rugby sevens for what it is. It’s such an incredible discipline.”
The men’s semifinals day saw another attendance record broken with a single-day attendance record of 130,000 fans across the two competition sessions.
The large crowd even took France’s Seraphine Okemba by surprise. “It was just crazy. It’s crazy being here with all these crowds. We didn’t expect such a crowd for the first day. It’s unbelievable.”
It wasn’t just just the size of the crowd that was impressive at the Paris Games, it’s the knowledge of the fans too. Sevens scoring phenom Maddison Levi commented, “It’s really special. It’s kind of surreal walking out into a stadium in front of so many people. They seem to know the sport and are really respectful when needed. It’s awesome to see that, not only men’s, but women’s rugby sevens gets crowds like this.”
Even after a loss to the American women in the quarterfinals, Great Britain’s captain Emma Uren made sure to comment on the record-setting crowd. "I think it is special and we have to remember that we kind of made history. The result will go away, but hopefully we are inspiring young girls so that they can come to this level and can get a job out of it.
She added, “This just showcases sevens as a sport, and we can do it so bloody well. We train just as hard as any other athletes. We put our bodies on the line day by day.”
Canada silenced the crowd with their 19-14 upset to knock France out of medal contention, but even that was a memorable experience for Piper Logan.
“It’s really hard to describe. This crowd is incredible to play I front of, whether they were with us or against us. It was really incredible to play tonight.
American rookie Ariana Ramsey called the crowd sizes insane before adding, “I love this game. It’s so different and so inspiring to be here.”
New Zealand’s Tyla King said there was no comparison to the crowds at Stade de France. “There is nothing like this - at all. This crowd know how to turn up, cheering us on.”
Before the tournament started, Naya Tapper from the U.S. women’s team put into perspective what playing in front of such a large crowd in person and on such a big stage via broadcast can mean, “It is really inspiring to be playing on such a big platform. It relates to our philosophy that women can be a source of inspiration for anyone watching, young boys and young girls, fans and new publics, being somebody they want to follow behind and strive to be like and trying to be a role model on and off the field.”
After the U.S. women’s team won bronze, Tapper concluded “It was the most incredible way to leave the sport, especially feeling like I've accomplished all the things I've wanted to accomplish with my rugby career.
“One of the big things was leaving a legacy and leaving the organization better than I found it. I feel like I've been able to do that and more with the support of my teammates, the staff and the organization. I couldn't ask for a better, a better send off than what they've given me.”
A sign of that legacy? A packed stadium and LA 2028 on the horizon.
