Rugby sevens at the 2016 Summer Olympics

Rugby sevens at the Games of the XXXI Olympiad
Dates	August

Rugby sevens at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro is scheduled to be held in August . This is the first time time rugby sevens will be played at the 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. The sports will feature for at least this and the 2020 Summer Olympics. The International Rugby Board is currently undergoing review for a global structure of the sport and is seeking qualification criteria for the Games, which is awaiting input from the member states. Its primary task is to ensure a sustainable international development and it is working with the IOC to develop the qualification structure. It also seeks to have representation from every continent.

Format

The usual laws of rugby sevens will apply.

Qualification

Men's tournament

Means of qualification	Date of completion	Venue1	Berths	Qualified	Senior Teams FIFA Ranking2
Host nation		-	1	Brasilien
2014–2015 IRB Sevens World Series		Various		4 teams
IRB Preliminary Competition		Various (home and away)	?
Total			?

Competition schedule

The competition will run at an as yet unknown date in August.

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. Great Britain will get a chance to field a combined team.

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, the IRB endorsed the concept of a united Great Britain team for the 2016 Games.

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 Games. The first qualifying stage is planned to be the 2014–2015 IRB Sevens World Series, with the top four teams 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 IRB Sevens; a women's series is also planned for launch in 2012–2013, with all three nations also slated to be core teams. 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.

Another issue was to make the automatic qualifier Brazil's team competitive.