Australian and Kenyan men, Fijian women Qualify for Rio

The national men’s Rugby Sevens team of Australia and national women’s Rugby Sevens team of Fiji will compete at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Both secured the opportunity to compete for Gold by winning qualification at the Oceania Qualifying tournament held this weekend in Auckland, New Zealand.

Australia were far too strong for Tonga, winning the final 50-0 while Fiji did even better in the women’s competition, defeating Samoa 55-0. In Africa Kenya also qualified by winning the Rugby African Men’s Sevens competition in Johannesburg. Kenya defeated Zimbabwe 21-17 in the final.

Both the men’s and women’s Rugby Sevens events at Rio de Janeiro 2016 will feature 12 countries. Currently eleven men’s and the women’s teams have qualified. The remaining men’s spot will be determined in June 2016 as will one of the two remaining women’s qualifiers. Before then the winner of the Asian women’s qualifying tournament will be confirmed on November 29.

The qualified men’s teams are Argentina, Australia, Fiji, France, Great Britain (only England players), Japan, Kenya, New Zealand, South Africa, USA and the host nation of Brazil.

Confirmed as competing in the women’s section are Australia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Fiji, France, Great Britain (only England players), New Zealand, South Africa, and the USA.

Oceania Men’s Finals Results
7th-8th play-off: American Samoa 33-12 Nauru
5th-6th play-off: Solomon Islands 14-17 Cook Islands
3rd-4th play-off: Samoa 54-0 Papua New Guinea
Final: Australia 50-0 Tonga

Oceania Women’s Finals Results
3rd-4th play-off: Cook Islands 32-0 Papua New Guinea
Final: Fiji 55-0 Samoa

Africa Men’s Finals Results
7th-8th play-off: American Samoa 33-12 Nauru
5th-6th play-off: Solomon Islands 14-17 Cook Islands
3rd-4th play-off: Tunisia 19-12 Morocco
Final: Kenya 21-17 Zimbabwe