World Rugby confirm pathway to 2028 Olympic Sevens with superstars eyeing LA28

World Rugby have confirmed the qualification route for rugby sevens at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, with 12 men’s and 12 women’s teams set to compete and the race for places beginning on the 2027 HSBC SVNS circuit.

Hosts USA are guaranteed a place in both competitions, while the four highest-ranked eligible teams in the men’s and women’s 2027 SVNS World Championship standings will also qualify automatically. The campaign begins in Dubai in November 2026 and concludes in Bordeaux at the end of May.

A further six places in each competition will then be available through regional qualifying tournaments across Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania and South America during the second half of 2027. The final berth will be decided at an eight-team Olympic Repechage in June 2028.

The pathway adds clarity for a number of leading XVs stars already considering a switch to sevens for Los Angeles. RugbyPass revealed in July that Henry Pollock, Marcus Smith, Tommy Freeman, Henry Arundell and Noah Caluori have all been targeted by Great Britain, with conversations already taking place over potential involvement.

Some players have even explored Olympic release clauses in new contracts as GB look to return to the Games after missing Paris 2024. Their last Olympic appearance came in Tokyo, where they lost the bronze-medal match to Argentina, having claimed silver at Rio 2016.

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France could also bolster their defence of the men’s title with Louis Bielle-Biarrey. The Bordeaux-Bègles wing is understood to be interested in following Antoine Dupont’s path into sevens after the 2027 World Cup.

Rugby sevens will make its fourth Olympic appearance in LA, having debuted in Rio. France won the men’s title in Paris, while New Zealand successfully defended the women’s crown. South Africa took men’s bronze, with USA claiming their first women’s sevens medal.