World Rugby Announces Qualification Route for LA28 Rugby Sevens
Sports Correspondent: Imran Sohail
World Rugby has announced the qualification system for rugby sevens at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, with 24 teams set to compete across the men’s and women’s tournaments.
A total of 12 men’s and 12 women’s teams will participate at LA28. The United States, as the host nation, has already secured an automatic qualification place in both competitions.
HSBC SVNS 2027 to Begin Olympic Qualification Race
The first stage of Olympic qualification will take place during the HSBC SVNS 2027 season, which is scheduled to begin in Dubai in November 2026 and conclude in Bordeaux in May 2027.
The four highest-ranked eligible men’s teams and four highest-ranked eligible women’s teams in the final HSBC SVNS World Championship 2027 standings will qualify for LA28.
The host nation USA will be excluded from these rankings for qualification purposes.
This means teams will have an additional incentive throughout the SVNS season, with Olympic qualification adding greater importance to every tournament and ranking point.
Six Olympic Places Through Regional Qualifiers
After the conclusion of the 2027 SVNS season, six regional qualification tournaments will be held during the second half of the year.
Each of World Rugby’s six regional associations will have one Olympic qualification place available in both the men’s and women’s competitions.
The regions are:
- Africa
- Asia
- Europe
- North America
- Oceania
- South America
These tournaments will provide another opportunity for teams that fail to secure qualification through the global SVNS standings.
There is also a special provision for North America. If an eligible North American team has already qualified through the HSBC SVNS World Championship 2027, the regional tournament will instead provide a place in the Olympic Repechage.
Olympic Repechage to Decide Final Places
The final qualification opportunity will come at the Olympic Repechage in June 2028.
Eight men’s teams and eight women’s teams will compete in the repechage after earning their places through the regional qualification pathway or Games-related qualification route.
The winners of the men’s and women’s repechage tournaments will claim the final Olympic qualification spots, completing the 12-team line-up in each competition.
USA Receive Automatic Qualification
As hosts of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, the United States will receive an automatic quota place in both the men’s and women’s rugby sevens competitions.
Each qualified National Olympic Committee will be permitted to select a delegation of 12 players per team for the Olympic tournament.
With qualification available through the SVNS season, regional competitions and the repechage, teams will have multiple opportunities to reach Los Angeles.
Rugby Sevens Set for Fourth Olympic Appearance
Rugby sevens will make its fourth Olympic appearance at LA28.
The sport made its Olympic debut at Rio 2016 and subsequently featured at Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024.
The Paris Games produced several memorable moments. France won the men’s gold medal on home soil after defeating two-time Olympic champions Fiji in the final, while South Africa claimed bronze.
In the women’s competition, New Zealand successfully defended its Olympic title by beating Canada in the final. The United States secured its first-ever Olympic rugby sevens medal with bronze.
Road to Los Angeles Begins in 2026
With the HSBC SVNS 2027 season scheduled to start in November 2026, the race for places at the Los Angeles Olympics is already approaching.
The combination of global rankings, regional qualification tournaments and the final repechage will give teams from different parts of the world a pathway to the Olympic stage.
The qualification structure is expected to add further competition to international rugby sevens as teams target one of the 24 available places at LA28.
