The men’s rugby sevens competition will take place from July 24-27, while the women’s tournament will be held from July 28-30. The Olympic Games are slated from July 26 to August 11, with rugby sevens competition taking center stage at the Stade De France.
The national rugby sevens squad, Shujaa, has been assigned to Group B for this year’s Paris Olympic Games. Kenya will face Samoa, Australia, and Argentina in their pool matches.
Kenya, making their third consecutive appearance at the global extravaganza in the shorter version of the game, faces a stern test in the three-day competition. Kevin Wambua will be seeking a place on the podium after two unsuccessful tournaments in Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020, where they failed to progress past the pool stages.
Tokyo silver medalists New Zealand headline Group A, which also includes Ireland, South Africa, and Japan. Pool C will see hosts France competing against defending and two-time champions Fiji, the United States, and Uruguay.
Kenya will be looking to improve on its previous performances at the Games in Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo, where they finished 11th and 9th, respectively. Ng’eno and Sarah Moraa will be keen to boost Kenya’s prospects as they prepare for this highly anticipated event.
For the first time, rugby sevens competitions will begin two days before the opening ceremony, with the men’s preliminary and quarterfinal stages. The women’s competition promises to be equally competitive, featuring three highly challenging pools.
Reigning Olympic Champions and Sevens Series winners New Zealand will be strong contenders in Pool A, facing Fiji, Canada, and newly qualifying China. Pool B will showcase thrilling rivalries, with Rio 2016 Olympic champions Australia taking on Ireland, Great Britain, and debutants South Africa. France, drawn in Pool C as one of the top-ranked teams, will aim to improve on their silver medal from Tokyo 2020 in matches against the United States, Japan, and Brazil.
Sir Bill Beaumont, World Rugby Chairman, stated: “We are thrilled to unveil the rugby sevens Olympic pools for what promises to be an epic, coming-of-age tournament for our sport in the French capital.
In one month, our sport will kick off Paris 2024 with a thrilling and spectacular brand of rugby that will excite hundreds of thousands of spectators in Stade de France and grab millions of hearts and minds throughout the world.
Rugby sevens is a terrific engine to expand our sport and, in its third Olympic appearance, is already proving to be one of the attractions of the Games with record excitement for tickets, mouthwatering rivalries, and two strong French national teams hoping to achieve their Olympic dreams on home soil.”
Reported By Meshack Awino.
