Canada back Keyara Wardley scores a try past Fiji back Maria Rokotuisiga during second half women rugby sevens action at the Paris Summer Olympics on July 28.Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press
Canada opened its Olympic women’s rugby sevens campaign with mixed results in Paris on Sunday, taking a win and a loss.
Keyara Wardles scored the decisive try in Canada’s first game, a 17-14 win over Fiji.
Florence Symonds and Charity Williams also touched, and Chloe Daniels was 1 for 3 on conversions.
The seventh-ranked Canadians had a 12-0 lead going into halftime, but No. 6 Fiji pushed in the second and added a try in extra time.
Later, top-ranked New Zealand routed Canada 33-7.
Williams had the lone try of the game for Canada and Asia Hogan-Rochester added the two extra points.
New Zealand finished the first day of competition atop Pool A with four points. China, the tournament’s 12th seed, sat in second, tied with Canada on points at four. Fiji was fourth with two points.
Canada closes out pool play against China on Monday.
The top two teams from each of the three pools and the best two teams that placed third in their pools will go through to the tournament’s quarterfinals on Tuesday. The medal games are scheduled for Tuesday night. the win.
Canada will face top-ranked New Zealand later on Sunday before closing out pool play against No. 12 China on Monday.
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