Tonegato stars as Australian women open sevens gold medal defence

The rugby sevens side claimed a convincing 48-0 victory over Japan, running in eight tries to zero.

Wollongong's Emma Tonegato was in the thick of the action, scoring three tries and setting up another.

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The dominance started from the opening whistle, Australia leading 24-0 at half-time.

The victory marks a positive start for a side that endured a patchy lead in to the Games, the Australian women beset by injuries and uneven form.

COVID-19 has also impacted the squad, with the world series shut down since March last year.

Australian co-captain Sharni Williams said the performance was the perfect way to open their campaign after a challenging 18 months.

"It's an awesome way to get those nerves out," Williams told Channel 7. "We haven't played a lot of games, to come out there and get that first win is really awesome.

"Sevens is an amazing game. It's very fast, it's quick, if you miss a tackle it could be a try. Whoever shows up on the day is going to win."

Tonegato was racing the clock to be fit for the Olympics, having undergone a shoulder operation in February.

Her performance on Thursday morning, however, shows she is at full fitness and ready to play a key role in Australia's search for gold.

New Zealand entered the competition as heavy favourites, having dominated the world sevens scene in the past five years.

Australia will return to the field for a clash with China at 6.30 on Thursday night before a showdown with America on Friday morning.

China will not be an easy assignment, the side pushing the USA before ultimately falling 28-14.