The Olympic Men’s Sevens tournament draw was announced this morning with the pools now known to all 12 competing teams.
The sides will play in the tournament from July 26th to July 28th – the pool stage will take place from July 26th to July 27th.
The men’s competition will be held before the Women’s Olympic Sevens tournament gets underway in a reverse to the schedule from the Rio Olympic games in 2016.
The men’s draw split the 12 teams into three pools of four.
🚨 POOLS ANNOUNCEMENT 🚨
Mouthwatering match-ups in the early stages of the men's competition 🤩
The countdown to #Tokyo2020 is 🔛#HowWeSevens pic.twitter.com/BNsWcJGMi9
— World Rugby Sevens (@WorldRugby7s) June 28, 2021
Pool A involves bookies’ favourite New Zealand, Australia, Argentina and South Korea.
The former pair will renew their historic rivalry at the Olympics, making it the perfect opportunity for current Rugby World Cup Sevens and World Series champions New Zealand to make a statement in the pool stages.
Argentina will want to improve on their respectable sixth-placed finish at Rio 2016 with an impressive outing in Tokyo.
South Korea round off Pool A and will take part in Olympic Sevens for the first time in its history after winning the Asian qualification tournament with an extra-time ‘golden-point’ try to overcome Hong Kong.
Pool B includes Fiji, Great Britain, Japan and Canada.
Reigning Olympic champions Fiji will want to assert themselves early but face a tough task to do so in Pool B.
Great Britain will want revenge for their 43-7 defeat in the 2016 Olympic Sevens final at the hands of the champions and the draw has given them an opportunity to do that early.
The pair are joined by hosts Japan who will want to get a medal on home soil after their fourth-placed finish in Rio saw them miss out on one.
Another Olympic debutant Canada is the fourth team in this tough group and will have a lot to prove as a result.
The final pool – Pool C – includes Ireland, the USA, South Africa and Kenya.
Ireland are the last of the three Olympic debutants in Tokyo and face some tough challenges in the United States, South Africa and Kenya.
Anthony Eddy’s side beat 2016 quarter-finalists France to reach Tokyo.
The United States come in as third-favourites to win the Men’s Olympic Sevens tournament this summer and will be tough for opponents to handle.
Rio 2016 Bronze medalists South Africa will want to go at least one game further in the competition this summer.
Kenya failed to get out of their group in 2016 but have grown in the five years since and will pose a threat to the other three teams in the pool.
The draw makes for an exciting tournament in late July.
You can read the Irish Rugby announcement here.
