The Pearls' successful pursuit of Olympic Gold must rank among Australian rugby's greatest moments.
At a time when the local game has been struggling, what the Australian women's sevens team achieved in Rio is bound to have major ramifications- all positive.
Their triumph has provided Australian rugby with a much needed morale boost, enormous promotional opportunities and hopefully inspire countless others to either watch or play a game that in recent times has struggled for exposure.
The green and gold rugby ranks have again a showpiece, and a group to be deeply proud of. As the Australian women's success could not have been better timed, it may easily lead to a rugby revival that so many local administrators have been desperately waiting for.
Rugby in Australia has in recent months suffered endless damaging hits to its image, with the bulk of its professional XV provincial teams suffering from financial woes and failing to make an impact in the Super Rugby competition, while their national side, the Wallabies, were swept away by England.
The Australian Rugby Union has found itself under constant criticism, including its neglect of the lower ranks of the game, while the code finds itself lagging behind AFL, rugby league and soccer.
However, how the ARU openly embraced sevens football, believing it was a constructive, exciting way to lure new spectators to the game, has now been shown to be a wise move.
Their investment in the Australian sevens outfits- both women's and men's- has worked. It really doesn't get much better than Olympic Gold- especially when its involves a finals triumph over their most dreaded rival- New Zealand- a country which has inflicted so much pain in the rugby arena over countless decades.
How Australia focused on making their women's team the best in the world deserves enormous credit. They basically developed a new team, luring talent from numerous pursuits including basketball, athletics, rugby league, touch football, and mixed them with notable rugby performers like Shannon Parry, to produce a fast, pugnacious and buoyant combination.
Considering some of the impressive athletes they lured, such as sprinter Ellia Green and touch footballer Charlotte Caslick, it wasn't a surprise that the team started winning major titles, took over the No.1 world ranking, and became favourites going into Rio.
And don't be bluffed into believing that as sevens football is an abbreviated version of the main rugby game, Australia's victory would have hurt on the other side of the Tasman.
As expected, there was Kiwi angst when Australia's first try looked dubious when it appeared that Emma Tonegato had spilt the ball just before the tryline. But then New Zealand could not quibble, as Australia were clearly dominant for the next ten minutes or so, before a belated Kiwi revival.
There was also the usual edge to a trans-Tasman rugby encounter, with the New Zealand coach Sean Horan providing the jibe before the game that Australia was vulnerable because they 'don't like pressure, they don't like the physical side'.
That ploy didn't work. It incensed the Australian team. In the final, Australia relished the pressure, and they loved the physical side.
Shortly after the rewards came, with the most rousing of gold medal ceremonies, and a moment long suffering Australian rugby supporters will not forget for a long time.