Rugby is on a roll during the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
Following a record during the men’s rugby sevens competition, the women’s rugby team stepped-up, also marking the highest attendance record for the sport. During the first day of the competition in the Stade de France, the sport brought-in 66,000 fans, breaking the previous record of 58,498 at Twickenham Stadium during the match between England and France in the 2023 Women’s Six National Championship.
World Rugby chairman Sir Bill Beaumont said that “after a scintillating men’s competition at these special of age Games for the Rugby Sevens, it is fitting that yet another record has been smashed.”
“With the world’s best women’s sevens players shining brightly on sport’s biggest stage, 66,000 fans were gripped by the action, while an unprecedented broadcast and digital audience will ensure that more young people in more nations and communities will be inspired by these awesome athletes, who are amongst the best in the world in sport,” Beaumont said.
During the event, the USA, France, and New Zealand teams placed in the knockout rounds, while Australia beat South Africa and Great Britain to secure a spot in the quarter-finals. The women’s sevens tournament continues on Monday with Medal matches on Tuesday.
This follows news of unprecedented turnout for the rugby sevens last Wednesday, which saw a crowd of approximately 69,000 fans — the largest single-day attendance in rugby sevens history.
Despite the record-breaking attendance for the rugby sevens, concerns about unsold tickets for other events are still evident. Last week, Paris 2024 president Tony Estanguet admitted that many tickets are on sale now due to “contingency,” noting that organizers had planned to release these at a later date.
