USA are still Olympic rugby champions and have been for a century

Yes, you read that right and no we are not talking about Sevens but 15s. Join us as we take a look at rugby union’s history at the Olympics.

1924

The most recent of four occasions rugby union featured in the Olympic Games which was played in Paris just as this year’s edition is. On the day the USA beat hosts France 17-3 to win the Gold medal, which remarkably still makes the country the reigning champions.

The Bronze medal was a certainty for Romania as only three teams entered the category that year.

1920

The USA did not only win the Olympic Gold in 1924 but once again beat France, 8-0 this time, in Antwerp to stand on the top of the podium.

On this occasion, those were the only two teams that entered the Games for the sport.

Hugo Keenan discovers Olympic Games fate as Team Ireland name squads

1908

Rugby union at the Olympics in the early 20th century followed the same pattern as the one before with only two teams entering. However, this time the USA would not be involved as an Australasian side beat Great Britain 32-3 in London to secure the Gold.

1900

The turn of the century was rugby’s debut at the Games hosted in Paris with France, Great Britain and Germany all entering. The hosts would go on to claim Gold after beating Great Britain 27-8 and Germany 27-17.

Exclusion

The 1924 final was followed by a violent crowd and subsequent pitch invasion after the game which did the sport’s place no favours. The same could be said about the lack of teams entering the Olympics for rugby so the sport was removed and has never returned, with Sevens looking like a far more suitable format for the Games.

READ MORE: Paris 2024: All the fixtures for Rugby Sevens at the Olympic Games for Men’s and Women’s