Upset at Perth Sevens: Underdog Rugby Team Achieves Historic Victory Against Kiwis

Uruguay marked a historic milestone in their rugby journey on Friday during the Perth Sevens, pulling off two remarkable upsets.

In a stunning comeback, Uruguay recovered from a 17-0 deficit to defeat the dominant Fiji side 24-17 in the second match of this three-day World Series tournament.

This victory is especially significant, as Fiji had previously dismantled Uruguay 70-7 just last month in Cape Town.

The blue-clad team continued their fairy tale run by making history and defeating New Zealand for the first time in sevens.

Ignacio Rodriguez opened the scoring with a try just 10 seconds into their 17-12 victory, securing a place in the top eight.

“Incredible! It’s hard to believe what we have achieved here,” said Uruguay captain Diego Ardao.

“This is more than just two games; it’s about who we faced and demonstrating that we can overcome them. This is a massive boost for us as we prepare for the challenges ahead. We leave everything on the field for our team and for one another,” Ardao added.

Uruguay’s 30-27 victory against Fiji at the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan remains a memorable achievement, but day one in Perth may have surpassed that moment.

Meanwhile, Australia’s women’s team had an undefeated start on the opening day, while the men’s team faced unfortunate defeats.

The women convincingly defeated China 31-7 and Spain 43-0, gearing up to play against France in their final pool match on Saturday at 7.09pm AEDT.

“The first day was hot, humid, and exhausting, but the team maintained composure regardless of the conditions, allowing us to secure two wins,” said Australia’s Faith Nathan.

“France will be a challenging opponent; they are very physical.”

On the other hand, the Australian men’s team is now faced with a must-win situation against the United States at 4.28pm AEDT on Saturday.

Liam Barry’s squad came close but ultimately lost to Argentina 31-26 and South Africa 10-7.

“It’s tough going. We approached this tournament with several areas to improve on, and while we’re addressing two or three objectives each time, we aren’t quite hitting all of them,” noted Australia’s Sid Harvey.

“It’s painful to lose by just three points and in extra time; those consecutive minor errors are where we’ve struggled, and ensuring we rectify these is essential, as we hope for favourable results,” he added.