[Source: Reuters]

New Zealand, Australia, France, and the U.S. – the main contenders for gold in women’s rugby sevens – all secured their places in the quarter-finals with a game to spare on Sunday, each chalking up two wins on the first day of qualifying.

Even if they face surprise defeats in their final games, all four teams are guaranteed to be among the top two finishers in their pools or at least the two best third-placed teams.

Host, France, started with a 26-0 victory over Brazil, before dominating Japan with a 49-0 win.

Tournament favorites New Zealand cruised through their first game as Michaela Blyde scored four tries in a 43-5 win over China.

They faced a tougher test against Canada but secured a smooth 33-7 victory.