The Irish women’s and men's sevens teams are gearing up for challenging matches at the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris, with both squads facing formidable opponents in the pool stages.
Irish Women’s Team Prepares for Olympic Debut
Allan Temple’s women’s team, seeded fifth, will compete in Pool B against Australia, Great Britain, and South Africa. This marks the Irish women's first-ever appearance at the Olympic Games. They have already tasted success against their pool rivals, having defeated both Great Britain and Australia en route to winning their inaugural sevens series tournament in Perth. The team also emerged victorious against South Africa in Vancouver and Hong Kong earlier this year.
In Pool A of the women's competition, reigning Olympic champions New Zealand will face Fiji, Canada, and newly qualified China. Meanwhile, hosts France, featuring star player Antoine Dupont, are set to clash with two-time Olympic champions Fiji, the USA, and debutants Uruguay in Pool C of the men's draw.
James Topping's men's team, ranked sixth for the Olympics, finds itself in Pool A alongside Tokyo Olympic silver medallists and top seeds New Zealand. The pool also includes South Africa, recent qualifiers from the repechage tournament in Monaco, and Japan.
Seedings and Schedule
The Olympic seedings were determined by combined points from the World Sevens Series 2023 and SVNS 2024, along with performances in other competitions. The women’s tournament will take place from 28-30 July, while the men’s tournament will run from 24-27 July. The schedule of games will be confirmed soon and all matches will be held at the iconic Stade de France.
Excitement Builds for Paris 2024
“We are thrilled to unveil the rugby sevens Olympic pools for what promises to be an epic, coming-of-age tournament for our sport in the French capital,” World Rugby Chairman Bill Beaumont said.
“Rugby sevens is a fantastic engine to grow our sport and on its third Olympic appearance is already proving to be one of the attractions of the Games with record enthusiasm for tickets, mouth-watering rivalries and two strong French national teams hoping to achieve their Olympic dreams on home soil."
“We know from Rugby World Cup 2023 what an amazing rugby show Paris can put on and the Olympic Games will be no different with knowledgeable and passionate fans expected to fill the stadium and create an incredible atmosphere for the players and teams to showcase their unique combination of speed, strength and sensational skills.”
Women’s rugby sevens groups
Pool A: New Zealand, Fiji, Canada, People’s Republic of China
Pool B: Australia, Ireland, Great Britain, South Africa
Pool C: France, USA, Japan, Brazil
