Teams of the Games: 2024 Paris Olympics Women's Rugby Sevens

New Zealand took on a gutsy Canadian side, who battled valiantly to surpass Australia in the semi-finals for the Gold Medal match. In what is being regarded as the shock of the tournament, the star-studded Wallaroos were unable to get on the medal podium, as the likes of the Maddison sisters and skipper Charlotte Caslick were left stunned by the United States in the Bronze Medal match.

We have already compiled our picks for the Men's team of the Games, as the likes of Antoine Dupont and two Ireland stars feature in our dream team. Now we look back upon the past three days of women's rugby sevens action, and compile our squad from the top performers across all 12 teams. Here is RUCK's Team of the Games, from the Women's rugby sevens at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

We kick off with one of the most talked about athletes from any sport, as Ilona Maher has taken social media by storm since Team USA arrived at the Olympics. The most followed rugby player on social media, Maher has accrued an additional 400,000 followers to her Instagram account, that now sits around the 1.4m mark. Regardless of her off-field status, Maher is a fearsome competitor on the pitch, and instills her mantra of 'Beast, Beaty, Brains' upon the battlefield. A key contributor to the United States bronze medal campaign, Maher scored three tries and left her mark on every opponent in her wake.

The evergreen of the Ireland squad, Eve Higgins is our next pick for this all-conquering sevens dream team. Ever at the epicentre of the Irish attack, Higgins could hardly be contained by her opposition, as she crossed over for four tries throughout the competition, and nailed an additional four shots at the sticks. Higgins was Ireland's top scorer, and the Leinster star will be eager to roll this momentum into her 15s game, as she gets set to light up the Irish interprovincial championship next month.

One way to describe Canada's Charity Williams is 'flipping brilliant', as the flyer was often seen capping off her tries with a rolling finish as she grounded the ball. Certainly a player who knows how to impose her own style upon the game of sevens, Williams' individuality and work ethic shone bright for the Maple Leaves, as she swept up her opposition with five tries, as Canada claimed silver medals from Paris. The North American's top try scorer, Charity Williams was the gift that kept giving at the Games, and was integral in the upset win over Australia.

The heartbeat of the South African side, Nadine Roos was also the hard-working lungs as well as the brain behind the entire squad. Roos entered the tournament having scored over half of South Africa's points from the previous HSBC Sevens Challenger Series, that saw the Blitz Bokke Women qualify for Paris. Roos was not afraid to go it alone on the biggest stage, and contributed five tries for her side, which again equalled half of their entire try tally. A brilliant player who would not look out of place in the Black Ferns or Australian set-up, Roos could only do so much in the French capital, but it's more than enough to make our squad.

Simply brilliant in every match she took part in, French finisher Stephanie Okemba was revered across the tournament upon her home soil. The scrum-cap wearing speedster crossed over for seven tries in five matches, with an impressive strike rate only surpassed by a soon to be discussed Australian. Okemba's top performance saw her score four tries in one match, as France decimated South Africa with a ruthless pool stage statement of intent. Phenomenal for France, Okemba was pivotal in the fifth placed finish with her arching runs around the outside of her opponents being quite the impressive feat.

Maddison Levi's stats speak for themselves, but we will do our part to once again wax lyrical for the Australian. Levi entered the semi-finals of the Olympic Games, with a try scoring rate of 50% of every touch she had made. These unbelievable accolades puts her up in the never before seen stratosphere, as the Australian ended the Olympics with a grand total of 14 tries, which was of course a new record for a single Games. We are watching a generational talent before our eyes, so be sure to keep tabs on Maddision, who will be out for revenge with her sister Teagan, after a fourth placed finish in Paris.

It could well have come down to a coin flip to determine which New Zealand wing started our dream team, as both Michaela Blyde and Stacey Waaka had stunning Olympic campaigns. We have opted for Blyde to take the seventh starting spot, as the Kiwi racked up a total of 10 tries in New Zealand's gold medal retaining campaign. With an explosive first step and the ability to evade tacklers in a phone box, Blyde's footwork was awe-inspiring in Paris, with a Gold Medal Final score against Canada starting the comeback for their back-to-back Olympic crowns.

It was a tough campaign for Team GB, as despite coming into the games with such promise and Red Roses talents to deploy, Great Britain were only able to accrue a seventh placed finish once all was said and done. With honourable mentions to the likes of Ellie Kildunne, Meg Jones and Heather Cowell, we have opted for Wales international Jasmine Joyce to take a spot amongst the replacements. Joyce becomes the first British rugby player to appear at three Olympic games, and the veteran made good on every appearence by contributing a total of four tries.

We are back with the silver medal winning Canadians, and we have a space on the bench for Piper Logan. Logan scored arguably the biggest try of her career, and in the history of Canadian rugby, as she dotted down with just one minute to go, to snatch the semi-final lead from Australia and guarantee a silver medal for her country. Logan was far from a one-moment wander, as the Calgary Hornet scored four tries in Paris, and put her body on the line with many well-timed tackles to boot.

The star of a Brazil side that continues to improve, the South American's attacking plan was often one-dimensional, with that dimension being 'give the ball to Thalia'. Sharing the pitch alongside her twin sister Thalita, Thalia Costa took a leading role with her sibling being a dutiful understudy. Thalia finished the tournament with two tries, with an honourable mention in store for Brazil's mohawk-sporting Raquel Kochhann, who overcame a bout with breast cancer to be her nation's top try scorer at the games.

Representing the People's Republic of China within this combined team, we have selected Liu Xiaoqian as the leading player from the 6th overall placed side. China shocked Team GB in the placing semi-final match, with a last minute winner exhibiting their never give up attitude, and the ability to capitalise on their opponents mistakes. Linking up well with the likes of Keyi Chen and Feifei Yang, Xiaoqian finished the Games on top of her team's try tally, as she dotted down for a total of four well taken scores.

Rounding off the team is Stacey Waaka, who became well known to fans throughout the competition thanks to her trademark post-try smile, which gives even fellow countryman Damian McKenzie a run for his money. Waaka stepped up off when Portia Woodman-Witcliffe ran out of steam, and actually outperformed the retiring Black Ferns legend as she had her Olympic swan-song. With seven tries to her campaign in an epic Olympic effort, Waaka was instrumental in New Zealand's successful title retention, and secured the crown with her match winning try in the Gold Medal Final. .