China women earn place among rugby sevens elite, superstar Dupont inspires France success ahead of home Olympics
- Australia’s women claim championship after halting stunning New Zealand run in semi-final thriller
- Argentina fall short of men’s crown, as league winners fail to resist Dupont in Madrid final
China’s women stormed onto the global rugby sevens circuit following a comprehensive dismantling of Belgium at the HSBC SVNS Series grand finals in Madrid.
The Chinese won tight encounters with hosts Spain and rivals Japan before thumping Poland for a perfect pool campaign.
Their group clean sweep set up a playoff with Belgium for a spot in next year’s elite series.
First-half tries from Ma Xiaodan and Yang Feifei, both converted by Chen Keyi, put China in charge. Hu Yu crossed twice after half-time, and Sun Yue’s score emphasised the Asians’ superiority in a crushing 33-0 victory.
France, meanwhile, claimed the men’s championship crown to send an ominous warning to rivals hoping to prevent a home success at next month’s Paris Olympics.
The irrepressible Antoine Dupont took the final away from Argentina, after coming off the bench with France leading 7-5.
