Fijiana 7s coach Saiasi Fuli is expected to announce his 15-member team for the Paris Olympics this week. Fuli stated that the team will depart for France on Monday, July 15.
“We will be at the HFC Bank stadium tomorrow (today),” Fuli mentioned yesterday.
The men’s 15-member sevens team, coached by Osea Kolisau, left on Monday.
The men’s sevens competition runs from July 24-27, while the women’s tournament takes place from July 28-30. The first team sport gold medal of the Games will be awarded during the men’s gold medal match on July 27.
The women’s competition features three competitive pools. Reigning Olympic champions and SVNS League winners, New Zealand, will face Fiji, Canada, and newly qualified China in Pool A.
Pool B will feature strong matches with Rio 2016 Olympic and SVNS 2024 gold medalists, Australia, competing against Ireland, Great Britain, and debutants South Africa.
Hosts France are placed in Pool C alongside top-ranked teams. They won the silver medal at Tokyo 2020 and will compete in pool matches against the USA, Japan, and Brazil.
Men’s Pools:
– Pool A: New Zealand, Ireland, South Africa, Japan
– Pool B: Argentina, Australia, Samoa, Kenya
– Pool C: Fiji, France, USA, Uruguay
World Rugby Chairman Sir Bill Beaumont commented, “The rugby sevens Olympic pools promise to be an epic, coming-of-age tournament for our sport in the French capital.”
“Our sport will have the honour of kicking off Paris 2024 in style with an exciting and spectacular brand of rugby that will excite the hundreds of thousands of fans in Stade de France and capture millions more hearts and minds of those watching around the world.”
“Rugby sevens is a fantastic engine to grow our sport and on its third Olympic appearance is already proving to be one of the Games’ attractions 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.”
All the action will take place at a refurbished and packed Stade de France, which seats 69,000.