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Great Britain’s men have been drawn with World Cup holders New Zealand, Kenya and Japan
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Great Britain’s women will face Canada, Brazil and Japan
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Rugby was last played at the Olympics in 1924 and sevens will appear for the first time at this summer’s Games in Brazil
Sevens World Series champions Fiji have been drawn alongside the USA, Argentina and hosts Brazil in the Men’s Draw for the 2016 Olympics.
The announcement was made on Tuesday in the host city following last Sunday’s women’s global repechage tournament which delivered the final qualifier for what will be the first time in 92 years that rugby has featured on sport’s biggest stage.
Women’s – August 6-8 (seeding in brackets)
Pool A: Australia (1), USA (6), Fiji (7), Colombia (12)
Pool B: New Zealand (2), France (5), Spain (8), Kenya (11)
Pool C: Canada (3), Great Britain (4), Brazil (9), Japan (10)
Men’s – August 9-11 (seeding in brackets)
Pool A: Fiji (1), USA (6), Argentina (7), Brazil (12)
Pool B: South Africa (2), Australia (5), France (8), Spain (11)
Pool C: New Zealand (3), Great Britain (4), Kenya (9), Japan (10)
Speaking at the draw, World Rugby Chairman Bernard Lapasset said: “Today’s announcement represents another exciting milestone on rugby sevens’ road to Rio 2016. Confirmation of the pools bring the competitions to life and add a further injection of excitement for teams and fans alike.
“We were determined to return rugby to the Olympic Games because we knew inclusion would be game-changing for our sport. We knew it would open the door to reach and inspire new participants and fans worldwide and enable our top men’s and women’s players to realise their dreams of becoming Olympians, competing alongside the greatest athletes in the world.
“That dream is now very much a reality and we are excited and honoured to be back on sport’s greatest stage.”
Incoming Chairman Bill Beaumont, who begins his mandate on July 1, said: “Our top men’s and women’s players are excited about becoming Olympians and representing their nation and our sport at the Olympic Games.
“I anticipate that it will be one of the highlights of Rio 2016 as we showcase this great sport to a new audience of hundreds of millions around the world and inspire the next generation to get into rugby. It’s an exciting time to be involved in rugby and I know that all our member unions are ready to make the most of this opportunity as we continue to grow the game across the globe.
“As we rapidly approach one month to go, we are anticipating very special and successful rugby sevens events that showcase the very best of our dynamic sport and its character-building values.”