JOYCE IN CALL FOR GB TO GO FULL-TIME AFTER BEING SO CLOSE TO GLORY

St Davids flyer in tears after team just miss out on medal

JASMINE Joyce was left in tears once again after missing out on Olympic bronze for a second consecutive Games. But the flying Welsh winger says she takes pride with Team GB putting the sevens programme “in a better place” and “inspiring the next generation”.

She believes it is now “essential” that they become a full-time squad.

“It’s really tough for us as three different nations coming together, we were literally together for five months,” she said.

“These squads here are together for years, they compete on the world stage as their country.

“I’m telling you if we had an extra month, we would have won gold, I guarantee that, we just didn’t have enough time. Full-time is absolutely massive.”

Joyce, the smallest player from Britain’s smallest city, St Davids, lit up the tournament with seven tries.

Her electric speed even got a mention from New Zealand’s gold medal winner Ruby Tui.

The home nation’s sevens programmes were hit hard financially by Covid-19, with England, Scotland and Wales having to combine to compete in the world series in the build-up to Tokyo.

Joyce admits she and her team mates have come a long way since then. “Six months ago all of us had nothing, we had no programme, we had no rugby,” she said.

“For us to come out here, three nations joining together to perform as Team GB, I think it’s phenomenal to come fourth.

“I can’t be prouder of the girls and we definitely put our programme in a better place, we can call ourselves Olympians again.

“The support and love we’ve had from people back home is unbelievable and I can’t thank you guys enough for that.”

Meanwhile coach Scott Forrest says he would “love nothing more” than to see the Great Britain women’s rugby sevens programme continue on the road to Paris 2024.

Significant cuts were made to British sevens programmes last year, creating bleak prospects in terms of Olympic ambitions.

Players even resorted to fund-raising efforts themselves until a commercial partnership was struck between the Rugby Football Union, Scottish Rugby Union, Welsh Rugby Union and the National Lottery promotional fund. The National Lottery deal runs until end of 2021, with GB set to play in some post-Olympics World Series tournaments later this year. But the future beyond that is unclear, although Home Unions are set to provide their own representative teams for the Birmingham Commonwealth Games next summer.

Forrest said: “The long-term future, I don’t know. Six months ago, we didn’t have this opportunity, so in terms of the National Lottery stepping in, it has been unbelievable.

“We know that it is going to be extended until the end of this year, so we will have World Series opportunities.

“Then from January 1 we go back into the Home Unions, then there is the Commonwealth Games, and who knows after that?

“It is hard to equate money to medals. We would all love the opportunity to compete as GB, but when it is three unions trying to come together, it is never easy for legitimate reasons. There is no grudge from us.

“I would love nothing more than to continue this programme and build towards another Olympics.

“This squad has finished fourth after just six months of training. The possibilities if we did get a full-time programme together would be very exciting.”