Brazil strike gold at South American Games
Brazil beat Argentina 40-0 in the final to win the CONSUR South American sevens championship for the 10th time last weekend. Played in Chile as part of the South American Games, Brazil - who have never lost a single game in the 10-year history of the tournament - conceded only a single try in their seven games.
Published by John Birch, March 10th, 2014
3 minute read
The win was Brazil's first title under New Zealand coach Chris Neill and confirmed their supremacy in South America.
This was the first time the tournament had been played as part of the South American Games, adding the extra shine of gold medals to the title.The win also qualified Brazil for the Pan American Games in Toronto in 2015.
São Paulo's Paula Ishibashi has appeared in all 10 Brazilian wins. Paula began playing rugby 14 yeara ago at the age of 15, and saw her first appearence at the South American Games as something very special. "You can already get a taste of what will be in Rio in 2016," she said, smiling. "The contact with other athletes at the hotel gym, from beach volleyball, swimming, among others, was too much. It gave us even more energy. You can only imagine what the Olympic Games will be like, with the Olympic Village and athletes from around the world ... "
The leading player in final against Argentina, and creator of the first four trys, was Julia Sarda, a member of the Brazilian national team since 2004. She added "Here we felt part of an Olympic sport for the first time," he said.
For coach Chris Neill added that the Brazilian team has huge potential and, with improved investment, there was a agood chance that Brazil could be surprise team of Rio 2016.
Today, with the backing of the Sports Ministry and the Brazilian Confederation of Rugby, 14 players live in Sao Paulo as full-time members of the Brazilian team. "Now we have a centralized work with daily training," said Paula Ishibashi. "Because of that, our performances have improved. The professional format is essential, with the Olympics getting closer."
With the mission accomplished in Santiago, the next target is the Pan American Games Toronto 2015, followed by the Rio Olympics in 2016, the dream now is to make rugby a more widely known sport in the country. "I believe that we can show Brazil what rugby is in 2016 and at the same time show the world that Brazil can play quality rugby," said Julia Sarda.
3rd Place Match
Final