Rugby sevens at the 2016 Summer Olympics

This article deals with rugby sevens at the 2016 Summer Olympics. For the 15-a-side version of the game at the Olympics until discontinued in 1924, see rugby union at the Summer Olympics.
Rugby sevens
at the Games of the XXXI Olympiad
DatesAugust

Rugby sevens at the 2016 Summer Olympics is scheduled to be held in August in Rio de Janeiro. The competition will take two days.[1] The 2016 Summer Olympics marks the debut for rugby sevens at the Summer Olympics, though rugby union was last played at the 1924 Summer Olympics.

Changes

Though rugby has not been featured in the Olympics since the 1924 Summer Olympics in any form, the IOC chose to re-introduce the seven-a-side version of the sport for the games.[2] The sports will feature for at least this and the 2020 Summer Olympics.

Format

The usual laws of rugby sevens will apply.[2]

Venue

The original plan to stage rugby matches at the São Januário Stadium will have to be scrapped because the club in charge of the venue missed the deadline to present its project. The Organising Committee revealed that they may now move the sport into the Estádio Olímpico João Havelange, which it would have to share with athletics competitions.[3] It has since been announced that the rugby competition will take place in a temporary arena at the Deodoro Zone, shared with the modern pentathlon. In April 2016 concerns have been raised by the World Rugby head of competitions and performance Mark Egan about progress of construction at the temporary 15,000-seater stadium.[4]

Qualification

Brazil men’s and women’s teams will automatically qualify for the events. Qualification began with the 2014–15 Sevens World Series (men's) and 2014–15 World Rugby Women's Sevens Series, where the 4 teams at the top of the standings qualified for the 2016 Olympic Games. In June–September 2015, each of the six regional rugby unions held an Olympic qualification event, where one team from each region qualified. The final spot will be determined by a repechage tournament. It will comprise 16 teams from the regional qualifiers: 4 from Europe, 3 from Africa, 3 from Asia, 2 from Oceania, 2 from North America and 2 from South America.

As a result of Great Britain competing as one union in the Olympics and as several in international rugby (England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Irish players that choose to play for the Irish Rugby Union), should one of either the England, Wales or Scotland teams qualify then Great Britain will be awarded a spot in the Olympic Games. These three British unions agreed in advance of the 2013–14 men's and women's Sevens World Series that their highest-finishing teams in that season would represent all three unions in the first stage of qualification in both 2014–15 series. The England men's and women's teams earned the right to represent the British unions in that stage of their respective competitions.[5] The unions will then decide the composition of the Great Britain team. Players based in Northern Ireland are part of the Irish Rugby Football Union and the IRFU demanded that Northern Irish players, that have committed to play for the Irish rugby union, only play for Ireland despite being eligible under IOC rules to compete for Great Britain.[6][7][8]

The world governing body for the sport renamed itself from the International Rugby Board to World Rugby (WR) effective 19 November 2014.[9]

Men's tournament

Means of qualification Date of completion Venue Berths Qualified
Host nation 2 October 2009 Denmark Copenhagen 1  Brazil
2014–15 Sevens World Series 17 May 2015 Various 4  Fiji
 Great Britain
 New Zealand
 South Africa
2015 CONSUR Men's Sevens Championships 7 June 2015 Argentina Santa Fé 1  Argentina
2015 NACRA Men's Sevens Championships 14 June 2015 United States Cary 1  United States
2015 Rugby Europe Men's Sevens Championships 12 July 2015 Various 1  France
2015 ARFU Men's Sevens Championships 8 November 2015 Hong Kong Hong Kong 1  Japan
2015 Oceania Sevens Championship 15 November 2015 New Zealand Auckland 1  Australia
2015 Rugby Africa Men's Sevens Championships 15 November 2015 South Africa Johannesburg 1  Kenya
2016 Final Olympic Qualification Tournament 19 June 2016 Monaco Fontvieille 1
Total 12

Women's tournament

Means of qualification Date of completion Venue Berths Qualified
Host nation 2 October 2009 Denmark Copenhagen 1  Brazil
2014–15 World Rugby Women's Sevens Series 23 May 2015 Various 4  Australia
 Canada
 Great Britain
 New Zealand
2015 CONSUR Women's Sevens Championships 7 June 2015 Argentina Santa Fé 1  Colombia
2015 NACRA Women's Sevens Championships 14 June 2015 United States Cary 1  United States
2015 Rugby Europe Women's Sevens Championships 21 June 2015 Various 1  France
2015 Rugby Africa Women's Sevens Championships 27 September 2015 South Africa Johannesburg 1  Kenya[1]
2015 Oceania Women's Sevens Championship 15 November 2015 New Zealand Auckland 1  Fiji
2015 ARFU Women's Sevens Championships 29 November 2015 Various 1  Japan
2016 Final Olympic Qualification Tournament 26 June 2016 Republic of Ireland Dublin 1
Total 12

^ 1. South Africa won the continental qualifier however the team will not participate in the 2016 Olympics.[10][11] Previously SASCOC chief executive Tubby Reddy inidicated in a statement that winning the continental qualifier would not be enough.[12] Kenya, as the second-placed team in the African qualifiers, advance to the Olympics.[13]

Referees

Men's tournament

World Rugby announced a panel of twelve match officials for the men's sevens:.[14][15] Two Brazilians were latter added assistant referees.

Women's tournament

World rugby announced a panel of twelve match officials for the women's sevens:.[14][16] Two Brazilians were latter added assistant referees.

Competition schedule

The competition will run August 6–11.[17]

Other issues

The international structure of rugby union with respect to Great Britain and Ireland is similar to that of association football, but with its own unique features. In football, the four Home Nations within the United Kingdom (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales) all field separate national teams, which led to a controversy over how to field a combined Great Britain football team at the 2012 Olympics. The Republic of Ireland fields its own national team in football. In rugby union, the three Home Nations that share the island of Great Britain also have their own national teams. Ireland, by contrast, is not divided for rugby purposes—the sport is organised on an All-Ireland basis, with a single governing body for the entire island.[18] Great Britain will get a chance to field a combined team.[19]

This structure led to some minor issues regarding participation of a Great Britain team in the qualifying stages of the 2016 Games. Due to a tradition of cooperation between the governing bodies of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales—especially during the quadrennial tours of the Southern Hemisphere by the unified British and Irish Lions 15-a-side team—these were far less contentious than in football; as early as 2011, World Rugby (then known as the International Rugby Board) endorsed the concept of a united Great Britain team for the 2016 Games.[20]

In August 2012, a provisional plan was announced by which England, Scotland and Wales would all be able to qualify as a Great Britain sevens team for the 2016 Games. The first qualifying stage is planned to be the 2014–2015 men's Sevens World Series and World Rugby Women's Sevens Series, with the top four teams of each sex at the end of that season advancing to the Games. All three nations are "core teams" that participate in every event of the men's Sevens Series; the Women's Sevens Series began in 2012–2013 with England as one of the six core teams.[21] Qualifying will continue with regional tournaments and a final worldwide Olympic qualifier. Should any of the three teams finish in a qualifying spot at any stage, Great Britain will send a team to the Games. The final composition of a Great Britain team would then be determined by the three nations and the British Olympic Association.[19]

As is the case with olympic boxing, rugby in Ireland is organised on an all-island basis. This means that Northern Irish players who have chosen to represent Ireland in rugby, despite the fact that they are residents of the UK, must play for the IRFU and thus must compete for Ireland. Northern Irish players who have qualified to play international rugby for the other home nations could still play for Great Britain.

Another issue was to make Brazil's automatically qualifying team competitive.[22] In an attempt to address this for the women's tournament, the IRB announced in August 2013 that Brazil would be an invited core team in the Women's Sevens World Series for at least the 2013–14 season.[23]

See also

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rugby sevens at the 2016 Summer Olympics.
  1. ↑ "Rugby sevens venue for Rio 2016 Olympics in doubt". insidethegames.biz. 1 November 2012. Retrieved 23 November 2012.
  2. 1 2 "Rugby". Rio 2016. Retrieved 14 August 2012.
  3. ↑ "Rio organizers forced to change 2016 rugby venue". sportsillustrated.cnn.com. 1 November 2012. Retrieved 23 November 2012.
  4. ↑ Morgan, Liam (19 April 2016). "Rio 2016 sevens preparations "not exactly where we want to be", claims World Rugby official". Inside the Games. Retrieved 20 April 2016.
  5. ↑ "England nominated to qualify GB for Olympics" (Press release). International Rugby Board. 11 July 2014. Retrieved 13 July 2014.
  6. ↑ http://www.irb.com/newsmedia/mediazone/pressrelease/newsid=2070257.html#olympic+rugby+sevens+qualification+confirmed
  7. ↑ http://www.irb.com/mm/document/aboutirb/irborganisation/02/06/18/19/120327ljrugbysevensplanfinal.pdf
  8. ↑ Mackay, Duncan (23 March 2013). "Rio 2016 qualifying system for rugby sevens revealed". Inside the Games. Retrieved 20 April 2016.
  9. ↑ "IRB to change name to World Rugby" (Press release). International Rugby Board. 28 August 2014. Retrieved 28 August 2014.
  10. ↑ "SASCOC Board meeting update". South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee. 10 July 2015. Retrieved 20 April 2016.
  11. ↑ "Kenya women replace South Africa for Rio". Americas Rugby News. 11 December 2015. Retrieved 20 April 2016.
  12. ↑ de Villiers, Ockert (9 July 2015). "SA athletes face tough Olympic qualifying criteria". News 24 South Africa. Retrieved 20 April 2016.
  13. ↑ "Qualification Process" (PDF). Retrieved 2 October 2015.
  14. 1 2 "Referees announced for sevens’ Olympic Games debut" (Press release). World Rugby. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
  15. ↑ "Olympic Games 2016 - Men's Sevens". World Rugby. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
  16. ↑ "Olympic Games 2016 - Women's Sevens". World Rugby. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
  17. ↑ "Daily Competition Schedule" (PDF). Rio 2016. Retrieved 21 May 2015.
  18. ↑ "History of IRFU". Irish Rugby Football Union. Retrieved 27 August 2012. From 1874 to 1879 there were two Unions. The Irish Football Union had jurisdiction over Clubs in Leinster, Munster and parts of Ulster; the Northern Football Union of Ireland controlled the Belfast area. . . . In 1879 the two Unions agreed to amalgamate on the following terms: :(i) A Union to be known as the Irish Rugby Football Union was to be formed for the whole country. :(ii) Branches were to be formed in Leinster, Munster and Ulster. :(iii) The Union was to be run by a Council of eighteen, made up of six from each province.
  19. 1 2 Degun, Tom (25 May 2012). "Exclusive: UK Home Nations can qualify a British rugby sevens team for Rio 2016". insidethegames.biz. Retrieved 14 August 2012.
  20. ↑ "International Board backs British Olympic sevens team". BBC Sport. 6 April 2011. Retrieved 17 August 2012.
  21. ↑ "IRB announces Women's Sevens World Series" (Press release). International Rugby Board. 4 October 2012. Retrieved 4 October 2012.
  22. ↑ "Lapasset Presents Plans for Rugby Sevens at Rio 2016". Aroundtherings.com. 2012-08-09. Retrieved 14 August 2012.
  23. ↑ "Schedule announced for 2013/14 Women's Series" (Press release). International Rugby Board. 22 August 2013. Retrieved 2 October 2013.

External links

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