Team GB’s women’s rugby sevens assistant coach Richie Pugh hopes Jasmine Joyce can be a catalyst for the sport in Wales.
Former Wales, Ospreys and Scarlets back-row Pugh, who won the Rugby World Cup Sevens with Wales in 2009, believes the sport will continue to develop after its first appearance at an Olympics.
Joyce said she and her GB team-mates were “gutted” to miss out on Olympic bronze as Britain lost 33-10 to Canada.
The 20-year-old was the only Welsh player to make the otherwise all-English GB women’s squad.
Pugh said: “It’s on the world stage and it’s a huge game that’s just growing. You’ve just got to see the teams that are involved.
“I think after this Olympic spectacle it’s just going to kick on in Wales and I hope the growth just gets bigger and bigger.”
Wing Joyce scored two tries in six games in Rio, but was left rueing their third-place knock-out defeat.
“We’re gutted. We wanted to come away with the bronze, but I put my hats down to Canada,” Joyce told the BBC.
“They performed well and out-performed us and we just didn’t bring it to them. Well done to Canada.”
However, Joyce says she and her team-mates can relish the memories amid rugby’s return to the Olympics.
“It’s been amazing. We’ve got to take it as it is and just enjoy it for now.
“We’ve had the most amazing time and for two years, one year, we’ve all come together as a team and we’ve just got to take it now and enjoy the rest of the time here.
“Look, we’re Olympians and not many people can say they’ve done that.”
Canada – who lost 22-0 to GB in the pool stages – led throughout the bronze medal match after Britain had been beaten 25-7 by New Zealand in the last four.
“It was just two games too many for us,” said Pugh.
“It’s been a journey and to get to this point and just fall a little bit short is hugely disappointing, but I couldn’t be prouder of these girls.
“They’ve been amazing from training to their professionalism.”
