The pools for the 2024 Paris Olympics 7s tournament have been announced, presenting challenging paths for both South Africa and Kenya. The competition, set to take place in July, will feature 12 teams vying for the coveted title.
African champions Kenya 7s find themselves in Pool B, which promises intense competition. They will face off against second-seeds Argentina, who have had an impressive run in the World 7s Series, along with formidable opponents Australia and Samoa.
Pool A, equally daunting, includes top seeds New Zealand, who are joined by Ireland, South Africa, and Japan. South Africa, who secured their spot through the Repechage, will need to bring their A-game to advance in this tough group.
Pool C is highlighted by the 2016 and 2020 champions Fiji. They will compete against hosts France, the USA, and Uruguay. Fiji’s men have dominated the Olympic competition, winning gold medals in both Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020.
The men’s 7s competition will be played from July 24-27, while the women’s tournament is scheduled for July 28-30. Notably, the rugby sevens matches will commence two days before the opening ceremony, with the men’s preliminary and quarterfinal stages taking place early. The competition will pause for the opening ceremony on July 26, with the medal-winning teams being officially unveiled a day later. The women’s tournament will culminate with the gold and bronze medal matches on July 30.
Hosts France secured their spot alongside New Zealand, Argentina, Fiji, and Australia, who ranked in the top four positions of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2023. The regional qualifiers include Uruguay (South America), Ireland (Europe), USA (North America), Kenya (Africa), Samoa (Oceania), and Japan (Asia).
For the women’s tournament, New Zealand, Australia, Ireland, and the USA qualified through the 2023 World Series, joining hosts France. The regional qualifiers for the women’s lineup are Brazil, Canada, Great Britain, South Africa, Fiji, and Japan.
The 2024 Paris Olympics will mark rugby sevens’ third appearance at the Olympic Games, following its successful inclusion in Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020. The sport is anticipated to be one of the most thrilling events, especially after the success of the Rugby World Cup 2023 in France. New Zealand are the reigning women’s Olympic champions, while Australia won the inaugural women’s Olympic gold medal in Rio.
Both South Africa and Kenya will need to navigate through these tough pools to keep their Olympic dreams alive, promising exciting matches ahead for rugby sevens fans.
2024 PARIS OLYMPICS 7S POOLS
Pool A: New Zealand, Ireland, South Africa, Japan
Pool B: Argentina, Australia, Kenya 7s, Samoa
Pool C: Fiji, France, USA, Uruguay
