“Australia know it’s theirs, it’s their gold medal.”
Basked in glory, triumph and emotion, Australia’s Women’s Rugby Sevens team might’ve known they’d just won gold in Rio, but only a decade on can the players truly reflect on the impacts victory at the Olympics can have on generations to come.
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Their 24-17 victory over New Zealand in the gold medal match of the Rio Olympics on August 8, 2016 – the first time the sport was played at a Games – was a history-making moment for female athletes in Australia.
And 10 years to the day on Saturday, it’s only now they see the ripple effect it would have on all female contact sport in Australia and across the world.
“At the time we probably didn’t realise the impact we were going to make,” says Sevens legend Charlotte Caslick.
“In the moment you don’t realise the movement you’re creating, but now 10 years on, being able to look back and see everything that’s happened around women’s sport off the back of that win is really nice to reflect as a group.”
For 2016 coach Tim Walsh, who like Caslick has remained at Rugby Australia for the past decade and seen the impact the victory had on women’s rugby, including the current squad who are aspiring for a second gold medal at Los Angeles in 2028.
“It’s emotional, it was a big event in our lives,” Walsh said.
“They were moments that changed the face of women’s contact sport and I was incredibly proud to be a part of it.
“To learn and grow with this team and watch what they achieved and then what it did for the future.
“Rugby Australia and the girls should be wonderfully proud to leave that legacy. It’s inspired generations and has brought so much joy and health to everyone.
“It’s a long-term outcome of what you can launch off when you win. It’s visibility, you’ve got to see something and then you want to be it.”
Walsh and Caslick joined a host of the 2016 squad for a 10-year anniversary reunion at Allianz Stadium on Friday with many players coming together for the first time since the Rio achievements.
The pending mum-to-be is expecting her first child later this month – a common theme among the 2016 squad a decade on with the next generation of children running around on the field with their parents’ gold medals around their necks.
“It’s awesome, obviously a lot of players have moved on to do other things so it’s the first time a lot of us have been together again in one place and be able to catch up properly,” Caslick said.
“It’s just bringing back a lot of old memories of us all together.”
- Alicia Lucas (nee Quirk)
- Amy Turner
- Charlotte Caslick
- Chloe Dalton
- Ellia Green
- Emilee Barton (nee Cherry)
- Emma Verran (nee Tonegato)
- Evania Isa’ako (nee Pelite)
- Gemma Etheridge
- Nicole Beck
- Shannon Parry – co-captain
- Sharni Smale (nee Williams) – co-captain
