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AUSTRALIA have qualified to contest the inaugural men’s rugby sevens gold medal at next year’s Olympic Games.
The Thunderbolts showed they would be a genuine gold medal contender by sweeping through the Oceania regional qualifying tournament in Auckland on Sunday.
They emphatically grabbed their cherished Rio berth by thrashing Tonga 50-0 in the final — running in eight tries.
Australia, ranked fifth in the world, had been expected to meet Samoa in the final but Tonga pulled off the upset of the weekend with a 41-5 thumping in their semi-final.
The Islanders were no match for Tim Walsh’s team however as the Australians romped to a 31-0 halftime lead as both captain Ed Jenkins and Pama Fou each scored a double.
The Thunderbolts’ triumph means both Australia’s men’s and women’s sides will play in Rio after the Pearls gained automatic qualification with third place in this year’s world series.
http://www.foxsports.com.au/rugby/au...ce=twitterfeed
It's good to see they qualified. But you just can't get away from the feeling it's a bit like the last place prize in a Cup sweep.
"The main difference between playing League and Union is that now I get my hangovers on Monday instead of Sunday - Tom David
When my baby smiles at me I go to Rio, well done lads![]()
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Saw some highlights this arvo, did they play this qualifying comp at a local park?
That would have been helpful. Probably would have got a good crowd if held in Samoa or Tonga.
Apparently it was free entry too, somewhere in Auckland I think
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......cry and you'll weaken your beer