How Australia won historic women's rugby sevens gold at 2016 Rio Olympics
The 2016 Olympic gold medal win by Australia's women's rugby sevens team is credited with inspiring a new generation of female athletes. Former co-captain Shannon Parry reflects on the legacy of the victory and its impact on the growth of women's rugby in Australia.
Why it matters
The article illustrates the long-term cultural impact of Olympic success on sports participation and gender equality in athletics.
How Australia won historic women's rugby sevens gold at 2016 Rio Olympics By Luke Pentony Topic: Rugby Union
Link copied Share Share article Shannon Parry was on a morning jog in Brisbane a few years back when she was stopped in her tracks.
Running past a primary school, she noticed a group of girls, aged no more than eight years old, playing rugby.
As the co-captain of Australia's victorious women's rugby sevens team at the 2016 Olympics , Parry was struck by the sight.
Parry didn't start playing rugby until she was 18 because the opportunities to do so weren't as readily available when she was younger.
To see primary school-aged girls tossing the ball around had a profound impact on Parry, as the significance of what she and her teammates achieved at the Rio Olympics hit home.
"I was like, 'Wow,'" Parry tells ABC Sport.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in