A U.S. rugby team hasn’t won an Olympic medal since 1924 and a U.S. women’s rugby side never reached a semifinal in a major international tournament until Tuesday.
The Olympic medal round at Stade de France ended with the clock running out on the second half of the bronze medal match with Australia. Team USA — which has six out LGBTQ players in Paris (four of who played against Australia) — trailed the defending Sevens World Cup champions 12-7. No matter what happened next, it would be this team’s best major tourney finish.
A 70-meter sprint for a try by Alex Sedrick in stoppage time, and punting the conversion true, gave the U.S. an amazing 14-12 walkoff win and an Olympic bronze medal.
The four out LGBTQ American players on the pitch against Australia were Lauren Doyle, Steph Rovetti, Alev Kelter and Kristi Kirshe. Nicole Heavirland and Kris Thomas were reserves who did not suit up. Sharni Smale suited up for Australia and is LGBTQ.
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The match capped off a day where Team USA faced two of rugby’s giants. They faced defending Olympic champion New Zealand, whose star Portia Woodman-Wickliffe is openly gay, in a morning semifinal and early looked primed for an upset. After winning possession with five minutes left in the first half Alev Kelter, one of six Eagles who are also on Team LGBTQ, split a seam and powered to the match’s first try and a 5-0 United States lead.
However the Black Ferns wouldn’t be upset. Stacey Wakka came back with a try for New Zealand to take the lead into the halftime break at 7-5. In the second half the Black Ferns tallied 17 unanswered points. A late try by Kristi Kirshe, also LGBTQ, restored some dignity for the Americans in a 24-12 loss.
A determined Australia team, upset by Canada in their semifinal, pounced on Team USA from the opening kick. Maddison Levi’s early try gave them a 7-0 advantage on the Americans.
With top offensive scorer Ilona Maher getting a lot of defensive attention, Kelter stepped to fore with 1:55 left. A powerful drive through Australian defenders from five meters out that led to a try and conversion that tied the score at half.
The second half was dominated by Australia’s defense forcing poor field position for Team USA. With 1:21 left Australia had the ball on the USA end and Levi charged in from eight meters for the try, a 12-7 lead and the bronze medal in sight.
USA looked to be pinned down on their own end of the pitch and it seemed that is where the match would end until Sedrick received the ball, broke a tackle and raced into U.S. rugby history.
In the gold medal match, New Zealand beat Canada 19-12. The teams have a combined four out LGBTQ players.
