Rugby Sevens

Rugby sevens is a smaller, shorter version of rugby union football, in which the teams have only seven players and play seven-minute halves. Rugby sevens was approved for inclusion to the Olympic Programme by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board in 2001, but the proposal was tabled by the IOC Session, and dismissed at the 2005 IOC Session. It was brought up again in 2009, when the IOC approved it for inclusion at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. The discipline featured again at the programmes of Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024, and is on the schedule for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.

As of 2024, the medal table is led by New Zealand and Fiji, both with four medals and two golds. Jerry Tuwai, one of the players from Fiji, leads the men’s table, with three medals and two golds, followed by his compatriots Iosefo Masi and Waisea Nacuqu, both with two medals and one gold. South African Rosko Specman has also won two Olympic medals in rugby sevens, but both bronzes.

The women’s table is even more dominated by players from Oceania. Six female players from New Zealand have won two Olympic golds in this discipline, led by Sarah Goss-Hirini and Tyla Nathan-Wong-King, both with a total of three medals.

Rugby sevens is governed by World Rugby (WR), which is recognized by the IOC. Founded in 1886 as the International Rugby Football Board, it was renamed to the International Rugby Board in 1996, and to its current name of World Rugby in 2020. As of 2024, it had 133 affiliated national member unions (115 full member unions and 18 associate member unions).