History beckons for a Chester -born rugby player and her Great Britain teammates at the Olympic Games this evening (August 8).

Joanne Watmore is a key member of the GB women's sevens team which faces New Zealand in the semi-finals in Rio.

Britain progressed through Pool C and secured a place in the final four by beating Fiji 26-7 in the quarter-finals on Sunday, with Watmore scoring a first-half try.

The GB v New Zealand semi-final starts at 7pm (BST) this evening, with the final at 11pm. The bronze medal match – for the losers of the semi-finals – is at 10.30pm.

It is the first time sevens rugby has appeared at the Games, and Team GB are in great form as they close in on a first ever Olympic medal.

Watmore has played both rugby union and rugby league, but now specialises in sevens rugby.

The 29-year-old personal trainer was born in Chester but now lives in Twickenham, and plays for Richmond Rugby Club.

She returned to Chester in 2013 to attend a fun day marking the first anniversary of the London Olympics.

Watmore went to Wade Deacon High School in Widnes and studied at Leeds Metropolitan University.

Rugby runs in the Watmore family. Joanne's father Mike played for Widnes.

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - AUGUST 06: Joanne Watmore of Great Britain runs with the ball to score a try during a Women's Pool C rugby match between Great Britain and Japan on Day 1 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at Deodoro Stadium on August 6, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)
Joanne Watmore runs with the ball to score a try during the Pool C match between Great Britain and Japan