Rugby sevens-Fiji beat New Zealand in Las Vegas to aid Olympic bid

Feb 15 (Reuters) - Fiji boosted their hopes of Olympic qualification by beating New Zealand 35-19 in the final of the USA Sevens tournament in Las Vegas on Sunday. Jerry Tuwai and Semi Kunatani both scored two tries in the final to hand the Pacific Islanders the fifth leg of the nine-round Sevens World Series that will provide four qualifiers for rugby's return to the Games in Rio de Janeiro next year. South Africa, beaten 24-19 by Fiji in the semi-finals, lead the standings on 93 points, with New Zealand second on 88 and Fiji third on 86 after their second title following their opening success in Australia last year. "It means a lot for us. We've talked about improving our defence and discipline and today it has paid off," captain Osea Kolinisau said. Australia (71) remain fourth after beating fifth-placed England (68) in the Las Vegas final of the Plate, one of three tournaments for sides beaten in the earlier rounds of the main Cup competition. Elsewhere, France beat Argentina 29-5 to take the Bowl, while Canada eased past Samoa 26-10 to win the Shield. The series now moves on to Asia with the next stop in Hong Kong from March 27-29 and then Japan on April 4-5. (Writing by Patrick Johnston in Singapore; Editing by Ian Ransom)