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Back to Full Schedule, Enthralling Year of Rugby in the Offering: Asia Rugby Releases 2023 Calendar
\nAsia Rugby published its full schedule for 2023 with over 22 international and regional events.\u00a0
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\nIn the year, Asia will host five major 7s events, along with three World Rugby Sevens Series legs.
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\nThe first half of the Asia Rugby Calendar is dedicated to fifteens rugby and kicks off with the Asia Rugby Division III West. The tournament was originally scheduled for 2022 but was postponed due to political instability in Iran. The one-off game between Iran and Qatar will now be played in the UAE on the 10th\u00a0of February 2023, with the winner promoted to the Division III Playoff tournament. The tournament gives the regional Division III union teams a pathway to the top tier of\u00a0the Asia Rugby Championship, thereby also giving all unions in Asia an opportunity for Rugby World Cup qualification.
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\nThe premier Asia Rugby Men\u2019s Championship will feature Hong Kong, Korea and Malaysia and will be played in June. The Asia Rugby Men\u2019s Division I and Divisions II are scheduled for May.
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\nThe Asia Rugby Women\u2019s Championship will be played in 2 tiers and constitutes a pathway to the long-awaited World Rugby WXV tournament. The top team Asia 1 will compete in WXV 2 and the runner-up in WXV 3.
\nAugust will see the sevens season kick-off with Asia Rugby Sevens Series – Round 1 on the 19th and 20th of August,\u00a0 with all eyes on the pinnacle multiple-sports event in Asia the ASIAD. The rugby 7s event will feature 12 or 16 teams (ongoing discussion with the organizing committee), with all teams battling for treasured Asian Games silverware in Hangzhou China from 24th\u00a0September to 26th September. The second round of the Asia Rugby Sevens Series will be played on the 28th and 29th of October.\u00a0
\n\u00a0The Asia Rugby Sevens Series will again feature the top 8 women\u2019s and men’s teams, the Asia Rugby Sevens Trophy will give the balance of the Asian team to compete in October.
\n![\"\"](\"https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/CAPTAINS-PHOTOS-MIX-600x338.jpg\")
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\nThe fifth major sevens tournament hosted by Asia Rugby in 2023 will be the Asia Rugby Qualifiers for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics as a stand-alone tournament for men and women.\u00a0
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\nThe Asia Rugby schedule also includes both sevens and fifteens tournaments for age-grade teams, including Asia Rugby U20s men’s and women’s Sevens in November and the Asia Rugby U18s Boys and Girls in September.
\nLastly, World Rugby\u2019s prestigious premier HSBC 7s World Series, showcasing the talents of the best 7s sides and athletes in the world, will stage three tournaments in Asia \u2013 the Dubai 7s, the Hong Kong 7s and the Singapore 7s.
\nThe World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series 2023 will feature two three-day combined men\u2019s and women\u2019s events taking place at\u00a0Markotter\u00a0Stadium in Stellenbosch, South Africa on 20-22 and 28-30 April 2023.
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\nAll Asia Rugby tournaments will be live-streamed in real-time and will be available free to air across the continent on Asia Rugby and its member unions\u2019 social media platforms.
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\nAsia Rugby Youtube\u00a0
\nAsia Rugby FB
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The post Back to Full Schedule, Enthralling Year of Rugby in the Offering: Asia Rugby Releases 2023 Calendar appeared first on Asia Rugby.
\n", "content_text": "Back to Full Schedule, Enthralling Year of Rugby in the Offering: Asia Rugby Releases 2023 Calendar\n\nAfter pandemic disruptions, Asia Rugby set to return to full schedule\n5 major Sevens events slated for 2023\nFull Asia Rugby Women\u2019s XV returns, with the top tier featuring 4 teams\nRugby 7s to feature at Asian Games in September\nStandalone Asia Rugby Qualifier event for Paris 2024 Summer Olympics, scheduled for November\nRugby 7s age groups for under U18 and U20\u00a0continues from last year \n\nAsia Rugby published its full schedule for 2023 with over 22 international and regional events.\u00a0\n\u00a0\nIn the year, Asia will host five major 7s events, along with three World Rugby Sevens Series legs.\n\nThe first half of the Asia Rugby Calendar is dedicated to fifteens rugby and kicks off with the Asia Rugby Division III West. The tournament was originally scheduled for 2022 but was postponed due to political instability in Iran. The one-off game between Iran and Qatar will now be played in the UAE on the 10th\u00a0of February 2023, with the winner promoted to the Division III Playoff tournament. The tournament gives the regional Division III union teams a pathway to the top tier of\u00a0the Asia Rugby Championship, thereby also giving all unions in Asia an opportunity for Rugby World Cup qualification.\n\n\u00a0\nThe premier Asia Rugby Men\u2019s Championship will feature Hong Kong, Korea and Malaysia and will be played in June. The Asia Rugby Men\u2019s Division I and Divisions II are scheduled for May.\n\u00a0\nThe Asia Rugby Women\u2019s Championship will be played in 2 tiers and constitutes a pathway to the long-awaited World Rugby WXV tournament. The top team Asia 1 will compete in WXV 2 and the runner-up in WXV 3.\nAugust will see the sevens season kick-off with Asia Rugby Sevens Series – Round 1 on the 19th and 20th of August,\u00a0 with all eyes on the pinnacle multiple-sports event in Asia the ASIAD. The rugby 7s event will feature 12 or 16 teams (ongoing discussion with the organizing committee), with all teams battling for treasured Asian Games silverware in Hangzhou China from 24th\u00a0September to 26th September. The second round of the Asia Rugby Sevens Series will be played on the 28th and 29th of October.\u00a0\n\u00a0The Asia Rugby Sevens Series will again feature the top 8 women\u2019s and men’s teams, the Asia Rugby Sevens Trophy will give the balance of the Asian team to compete in October.\n\n\u00a0\nThe fifth major sevens tournament hosted by Asia Rugby in 2023 will be the Asia Rugby Qualifiers for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics as a stand-alone tournament for men and women.\u00a0\n\u00a0\nThe Asia Rugby schedule also includes both sevens and fifteens tournaments for age-grade teams, including Asia Rugby U20s men’s and women’s Sevens in November and the Asia Rugby U18s Boys and Girls in September.\nLastly, World Rugby\u2019s prestigious premier HSBC 7s World Series, showcasing the talents of the best 7s sides and athletes in the world, will stage three tournaments in Asia \u2013 the Dubai 7s, the Hong Kong 7s and the Singapore 7s.\nThe World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series 2023 will feature two three-day combined men\u2019s and women\u2019s events taking place at\u00a0Markotter\u00a0Stadium in Stellenbosch, South Africa on 20-22 and 28-30 April 2023.\n\nAll Asia Rugby tournaments will be live-streamed in real-time and will be available free to air across the continent on Asia Rugby and its member unions\u2019 social media platforms.\n\u00a0\nAsia Rugby Youtube\u00a0\nAsia Rugby FB\nAsia Rugby 2023 Calendar\n\nThe post Back to Full Schedule, Enthralling Year of Rugby in the Offering: Asia Rugby Releases 2023 Calendar appeared first on Asia Rugby.", "date_published": "2023-01-08T17:16:59+08:00", "date_modified": "2023-01-08T17:17:36+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Calander-2023.jpg", "tags": [ "Asian Games", "AR7s", "ARC", "Dubai 7s", "Singapore 7s", "Rugby World Cup", "#ARW7s", "Featured", "Olympics", "Sevens Challenger Series", "Asia Rugby Championship", "Asia Rugby Sevens Series", "Singapore Rugby Sevens", "Asia Rugby Sevens Trophy", "News" ] }, { "id": "https://www.asiarugby.com/?p=8185", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/2021/07/27/tokyo-olympics-mens-rugby-sevens-day-one-recap/", "title": "Tokyo Olympics men\u2019s rugby sevens day one recap", "content_html": "Tokyo Olympics men\u2019s rugby sevens day one recap
\nDefending champions Fiji\u00a0were one of five teams that finished day one of the men\u2019s\u00a0Olympic sevens tournament\u00a0at Tokyo Stadium unbeaten.
\nFiji came from behind to beat\u00a0Japan\u00a0in their opening match before winning another tight encounter against\u00a0Canada\u00a0to secure their place in Tuesday\u2019s quarter-finals.
\nPool B rivals\u00a0Great Britain, meanwhile, will join them in the last eight having scored 58 unanswered points to record back-to-back victories as sevens\u2019 second appearance at the Games began in style.
\nIn Pool A,\u00a0New Zealand\u00a0booked a quarter-final spot with wins over the\u00a0Republic of Korea\u00a0and\u00a0Argentina, while\u00a0South Africa\u00a0and the\u00a0USA\u00a0lead the way in Pool C having also made a perfect start to the tournament.
\nrelated Link: Where can i watch the Olympics in Asia?
\n![\"rugby](\"https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/JapanMen_A5I8142-e1627334001723.jpg\")
It took Fiji just 20 seconds to open the scoring in the opening match of the men\u2019s tournament, as Jiuta Wainiqolo crossed the whitewash.
\nJapan captain Chihito Matsui hit back within two minutes, and after Iosefo Masikau Baleiwairiki had scored an unconverted try for the Fijians, Lote Tuqiri touched down as the hooter sounded to help give the home side a 14-12 half-time lead.
\nJapan stretched their advantage early in the second period as Kameli Raravou Latianara Soejima powered down the left wing to score.
\nSoejima\u2019s intervention meant Fiji trailed by seven points, but the\u00a0Rio 2016 gold medallists\u00a0turned the tables with two tries in as many minutes from Waisea Nacuqu to win the match 24-19.
\nGareth Baber\u2019s side followed up that victory with a second against Canada in the afternoon session, but the defending champions were made to work hard for it.
\nFiji built a 14-0 lead through tries from Napolioni Bolaca and Wainiqolo, but Nathan Hirayama finished a flowing Canadian move on the stroke of halt-time to score his country\u2019s first Olympic try.
\nCanada spent much of the second half inside opposition territory, but Justin Douglas\u2019 try was sandwiched between break away efforts for Aminiasi Tuimaba and Asaeli Tuivuaka which sealed a 28-14 win for Fiji.
\nIt was a second defeat in two matches for Canada, who started their campaign with a 24-0 loss to Great Britain. Dan Norton opened the scoring at the end of a cagey first half of that match, and then added a second within seconds of the start of the second period.
\n<
\nTries from Ross McCann and Robbie Fergusson in the final two minutes of the match put some gloss on the win for Great Britain.
Harry Glover was the star of Great Britain\u2019s second match of day one, as Tony Roques\u2019 side recorded their biggest ever Olympic win, 34-0 against hosts Japan.
\nGlover set up his side\u2019s opening two tries, scored by Dan Bibby and Tom Mitchell, and then crossed for the third himself.
\nHe again provided the assist as Ben Harris scored Great Britain\u2019s fourth try before Ethan Waddleton and Alex Davis put the seal on another impressive win.
\n![\"rugby](\"https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/NZLvKOR-2-e1627334118874.jpg\")
In Pool A,\u00a0Rugby World Cup Sevens\u00a0and\u00a0World Rugby Sevens Series\u00a0champions New Zealand got their Tokyo 2020 campaign off to a winning start, beating the Republic of Korea 50-5.
\nAndrew Knewstubb got the All Blacks Sevens on the scoreboard with a converted try before Jeong Yeon Sik found space down the right wing to score and cut the Korean deficit to two points.
\nTim Mikkelson got his first try of the Games at the end of the first half, and shortly after the restart Scott Curry was called on to deny another powerful run by Jeong.
\nNew Zealand were awarded a penalty try when Yong Heung Chang was sent to the sin-bin for a deliberate knock-on and went on to cross the whitewash another five times before the end as Mikkelson, William Warbrick (twice), Etene Nanai-Seturo and Ngarohi McGarvey-Black all touched down.
\nThe All Blacks Sevens made it two out of two in the afternoon session, holding off swathes of Argentine pressure to win 35-14.
\nYouth Olympic Games gold medallist Marcos Moneta scored an early try to give Argentina a 7-0 lead, before New Zealand hit back through McGarvey-Black and Sione Molia.
\nArgentina again struck early in the second period as Luciano Gonzalez crossed the whitewash to help level the score at 14-14.
\nBut, that was as good as it got for the South Americans as Joe Webber, Mikkelson and Warbrick all touched down. No Kiwi has scored more Olympic tries than co-captain Mikkelson\u2019s four.
\nEarlier on Monday, Argentina secured an impressive 29-19 defeat of\u00a0Australia. The South Americans raced into a 24-0 half-time lead at Tokyo Stadium as Lucio Cinti, Mat\u00edas Osadczuk, Moneta and Ignacio Mendy all breached the Australian defence.
\nTim Walsh\u2019s side hit back in the second period, narrowing the deficit to five points as Josh Turner (twice) and Samu Kerevi crossed the whitewash.
\nBut, as Australia went in search of a potentially match-winning try, the ball broke to Lautaro Bazan Velez and he raced away to put the seal on an Argentine victory.
\nSouth Africa, meanwhile, scored five tries to beat\u00a0Ireland\u00a033-14 and kick-off their Pool C campaign with victory on day one.
\nZain Davids opened the scoring for the Blitzboks before Impi Visser added a second try with less than six minutes gone.
\nGavin Mullin got Ireland on the board before the break, but it was South Africa who struck first in the second half as Justin Geldud rose highest to claim a cross-field kick and dot down.
\nTerry Kennedy grabbed his first Olympic try to give Ireland hope of a comeback, but the Blitzboks made sure of victory with an expertly-taken Chris Dry effort and a late score from Stedman Gans.
\nThe Blitzboks raced into a 14-0 lead in the final match of the day, against\u00a0Kenya, but were made to withstand serious pressure in the second period to hold on to the win.
\nCollins Injera scored for Kenya on the stroke of half-time but despite their best efforts in the second period, they were unable to breach the South African defence again and lost 14-5.
\nDefeat was Kenya\u2019s second of the day after they slipped to an agonising 19-14 loss against the USA.
\nTries from Carlin Isles and Martin Iosefo had given the USA a 12-0 advantage, but Kenya hit back to lead by two points after Collins Injera and Jeff Oluoch touched down.
\nVeteran Willy Ambaka thought he had put a seal on a Kenyan win, but he was judged to have lost the ball forward and the USA went up the other end to win a pulsating match 19-14 as captain Madison Hughes scored.
\nHughes was again on the scoresheet as the USA secured a second win of day one in the penultimate match of the afternoon session, beating Ireland 19-17.
\nThe USA captain won the race to his own kick through to score his side\u2019s second try of the match and put them 12-0 in front.
\nIreland replied with tries either side of the half-time break, scored by Hugo Lennox and Harry McNulty, but their hopes of victory appeared to be ended when Steve Tomasin went over for the USA. There was still time, however, for Foster Horan to score but it proved too late to prevent defeat.
\nThe post Tokyo Olympics men\u2019s rugby sevens day one recap appeared first on Asia Rugby.
\n", "content_text": "Tokyo Olympics men\u2019s rugby sevens day one recap\nDefending champions Fiji\u00a0were one of five teams that finished day one of the men\u2019s\u00a0Olympic sevens tournament\u00a0at Tokyo Stadium unbeaten.\nFiji came from behind to beat\u00a0Japan\u00a0in their opening match before winning another tight encounter against\u00a0Canada\u00a0to secure their place in Tuesday\u2019s quarter-finals.\nPool B rivals\u00a0Great Britain, meanwhile, will join them in the last eight having scored 58 unanswered points to record back-to-back victories as sevens\u2019 second appearance at the Games began in style.\nIn Pool A,\u00a0New Zealand\u00a0booked a quarter-final spot with wins over the\u00a0Republic of Korea\u00a0and\u00a0Argentina, while\u00a0South Africa\u00a0and the\u00a0USA\u00a0lead the way in Pool C having also made a perfect start to the tournament.\nrelated Link: Where can i watch the Olympics in Asia?\non day 1 of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Tokyo Stadium on 26 July, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. Photo credit: Mike Lee – KLC fotos for World Rugby\nFIJI AND GREAT BRITAIN LEAD POOL B\nIt took Fiji just 20 seconds to open the scoring in the opening match of the men\u2019s tournament, as Jiuta Wainiqolo crossed the whitewash.\nJapan captain Chihito Matsui hit back within two minutes, and after Iosefo Masikau Baleiwairiki had scored an unconverted try for the Fijians, Lote Tuqiri touched down as the hooter sounded to help give the home side a 14-12 half-time lead.\nJapan stretched their advantage early in the second period as Kameli Raravou Latianara Soejima powered down the left wing to score.\nSoejima\u2019s intervention meant Fiji trailed by seven points, but the\u00a0Rio 2016 gold medallists\u00a0turned the tables with two tries in as many minutes from Waisea Nacuqu to win the match 24-19.\nGareth Baber\u2019s side followed up that victory with a second against Canada in the afternoon session, but the defending champions were made to work hard for it.\nFiji built a 14-0 lead through tries from Napolioni Bolaca and Wainiqolo, but Nathan Hirayama finished a flowing Canadian move on the stroke of halt-time to score his country\u2019s first Olympic try.\nCanada spent much of the second half inside opposition territory, but Justin Douglas\u2019 try was sandwiched between break away efforts for Aminiasi Tuimaba and Asaeli Tuivuaka which sealed a 28-14 win for Fiji.\nIt was a second defeat in two matches for Canada, who started their campaign with a 24-0 loss to Great Britain. Dan Norton opened the scoring at the end of a cagey first half of that match, and then added a second within seconds of the start of the second period.\n<\nTries from Ross McCann and Robbie Fergusson in the final two minutes of the match put some gloss on the win for Great Britain.\nHarry Glover was the star of Great Britain\u2019s second match of day one, as Tony Roques\u2019 side recorded their biggest ever Olympic win, 34-0 against hosts Japan.\nGlover set up his side\u2019s opening two tries, scored by Dan Bibby and Tom Mitchell, and then crossed for the third himself.\nHe again provided the assist as Ben Harris scored Great Britain\u2019s fourth try before Ethan Waddleton and Alex Davis put the seal on another impressive win.\non day 1 of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Tokyo Stadium on 26 July, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. Photo credit: Mike Lee – KLC fotos for World Rugby\nNEW ZEALAND IMPRESS IN POOL A\nIn Pool A,\u00a0Rugby World Cup Sevens\u00a0and\u00a0World Rugby Sevens Series\u00a0champions New Zealand got their Tokyo 2020 campaign off to a winning start, beating the Republic of Korea 50-5.\nAndrew Knewstubb got the All Blacks Sevens on the scoreboard with a converted try before Jeong Yeon Sik found space down the right wing to score and cut the Korean deficit to two points.\nTim Mikkelson got his first try of the Games at the end of the first half, and shortly after the restart Scott Curry was called on to deny another powerful run by Jeong.\nNew Zealand were awarded a penalty try when Yong Heung Chang was sent to the sin-bin for a deliberate knock-on and went on to cross the whitewash another five times before the end as Mikkelson, William Warbrick (twice), Etene Nanai-Seturo and Ngarohi McGarvey-Black all touched down.\nThe All Blacks Sevens made it two out of two in the afternoon session, holding off swathes of Argentine pressure to win 35-14.\nYouth Olympic Games gold medallist Marcos Moneta scored an early try to give Argentina a 7-0 lead, before New Zealand hit back through McGarvey-Black and Sione Molia.\nArgentina again struck early in the second period as Luciano Gonzalez crossed the whitewash to help level the score at 14-14.\nBut, that was as good as it got for the South Americans as Joe Webber, Mikkelson and Warbrick all touched down. No Kiwi has scored more Olympic tries than co-captain Mikkelson\u2019s four.\nEarlier on Monday, Argentina secured an impressive 29-19 defeat of\u00a0Australia. The South Americans raced into a 24-0 half-time lead at Tokyo Stadium as Lucio Cinti, Mat\u00edas Osadczuk, Moneta and Ignacio Mendy all breached the Australian defence.\nTim Walsh\u2019s side hit back in the second period, narrowing the deficit to five points as Josh Turner (twice) and Samu Kerevi crossed the whitewash.\nBut, as Australia went in search of a potentially match-winning try, the ball broke to Lautaro Bazan Velez and he raced away to put the seal on an Argentine victory.\nSOUTH AFRICA AND USA UNBEATEN IN POOL C\nSouth Africa, meanwhile, scored five tries to beat\u00a0Ireland\u00a033-14 and kick-off their Pool C campaign with victory on day one.\nZain Davids opened the scoring for the Blitzboks before Impi Visser added a second try with less than six minutes gone.\nGavin Mullin got Ireland on the board before the break, but it was South Africa who struck first in the second half as Justin Geldud rose highest to claim a cross-field kick and dot down.\nTerry Kennedy grabbed his first Olympic try to give Ireland hope of a comeback, but the Blitzboks made sure of victory with an expertly-taken Chris Dry effort and a late score from Stedman Gans.\nThe Blitzboks raced into a 14-0 lead in the final match of the day, against\u00a0Kenya, but were made to withstand serious pressure in the second period to hold on to the win.\nCollins Injera scored for Kenya on the stroke of half-time but despite their best efforts in the second period, they were unable to breach the South African defence again and lost 14-5.\nDefeat was Kenya\u2019s second of the day after they slipped to an agonising 19-14 loss against the USA.\nTries from Carlin Isles and Martin Iosefo had given the USA a 12-0 advantage, but Kenya hit back to lead by two points after Collins Injera and Jeff Oluoch touched down.\nVeteran Willy Ambaka thought he had put a seal on a Kenyan win, but he was judged to have lost the ball forward and the USA went up the other end to win a pulsating match 19-14 as captain Madison Hughes scored.\nHughes was again on the scoresheet as the USA secured a second win of day one in the penultimate match of the afternoon session, beating Ireland 19-17.\nThe USA captain won the race to his own kick through to score his side\u2019s second try of the match and put them 12-0 in front.\nIreland replied with tries either side of the half-time break, scored by Hugo Lennox and Harry McNulty, but their hopes of victory appeared to be ended when Steve Tomasin went over for the USA. There was still time, however, for Foster Horan to score but it proved too late to prevent defeat.\nThe post Tokyo Olympics men\u2019s rugby sevens day one recap appeared first on Asia Rugby.", "date_published": "2021-07-27T05:35:28+08:00", "date_modified": "2021-07-27T05:35:28+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/JapanMen_L7I6033.jpg", "tags": [ "Japan", "Korea", "Olympics", "Featured" ] }, { "id": "https://www.asiarugby.com/?p=8182", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/2021/07/25/rugby-sevens-returns-to-the-olympics/", "title": "Rugby Sevens ready for kick-off at Tokyo 2020 Olympics", "content_html": "Rugby sevens makes its highly anticipated return to the Olympic stage on Monday, 26 July as the men\u2019s competition begins with a thrilling encounter between hosts Japan and reigning Olympic champions Fiji at 09:00 local time (GMT+9) in Tokyo.
\n\nWhile Fiji claimed gold on an unforgettable Olympic debut for rugby sevens at Rio 2016, New Zealand are the current Rugby World Cup Sevens (2018) and HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series (2020) champions and the competition for medals has never been closer with a number of teams showing they capable of reaching the podium in the past two years, while Japan showed their potential by finishing fourth at the Rio 2016 Games.
\nThe men\u2019s competition will culminate with the gold medal match at 18:00 local time on 28 July. The women\u2019s tournament will follow on 29-31 July with the gold medal match taking place on \u2018Super Saturday\u2019.
\n\nThe squads for the men\u2019s competition have now been finalised and include\u00a0a number of players who have previously appeared at Rugby World Cups\u00a0in the 15-a-side version of the game.
\n\nThe Olympic competition format sees the 12 men\u2019s and 12 women\u2019s teams allocated to three pools of four teams, according to rankings based upon performances in the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series and other World Rugby sanctioned tournaments over the past two years.
\nIn the men\u2019s competition three of the top four placed teams from the Rio 2016 Olympic Games are together in Pool B as reigning champions Fiji will face silver medallists Great Britain and hosts Japan, who finished a very creditable fourth in Rio, along with Olympic debutants Canada who claimed bronze at the last HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series event in Vancouver last year.
\nPool A sees a renewal of the mouth-watering antipodean rivalry between current Rugby World Cup Sevens and World Series champions New Zealand and Australia, who met in the final of the last Series event in Vancouver, with the All Blacks Sevens winning a tightly contested match 17-14.
\nJoining them in Pool A are Argentina, who finished sixth in Rio, alongside Olympic debutants the Republic of Korea who qualified for Tokyo by winning the Asian qualification tournament with an extra-time \u2018golden point\u2019 try to overcome Hong Kong.
\nSouth Africa, bronze medallists in Rio, and USA are in Pool C having both achieved direct Olympic qualification by finishing in the top four of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2019, where the USA Sevens Eagles finished runners-up after reaching the medal podium in seven of the 10 rounds.
\nJoining them are Kenya, who qualified courtesy of their first Rugby Africa men’s sevens title since 2015, and Olympic debutants Ireland, who secured the final spot thanks to a thrilling 28-19 victory over France in the World Rugby Sevens Repechage in Monaco last month.
\n\nEach of the six days of action is split into two sessions with six matches involving all 12 teams taking place during each session of the early stages of both the men\u2019s and women\u2019s competitions. The finals sessions will include four matches and the victory ceremony.
\nAll the action will take place at Tokyo Stadium, which proved itself to be a superb rugby venue when hosting Rugby World Cup 2019, including the opening and bronze medal matches.
\nWorld Rugby Chief Executive Alan Gilpin said: \u201cThe stage is set for Tokyo 2020 to be the most special and significant Olympic Games in history. Following the outstanding success of Rugby World Cup 2019 we are delighted to be back in Japan for what promises to be another historic event.
\n\u201cWe have been working very closely together with the IOC, Tokyo 2020 and all other stakeholders to deliver a safe, secure and highly impactful Olympic rugby sevens competition with player welfare and the core rugby values of solidarity, integrity and respect at heart.
\n\u201cWhile these will certainly be unique Games, with challenges and opportunities never faced before, the preparations are complete and the ball is now in the hands of the players who I am sure will rise to the occasion and bring much needed joy, inspiration and unity to the watching global audience with their incredible skill, dedication, talent and commitment.\u201d
\nFiji men\u2019s coach Gareth Baber said: \u201cWe know that the mindset for every team that plays against Fiji is it\u2019s like an Olympic final, but so is it for us. Every game is a final and if we are going to do what we have set to do coming here, we are going to have to win six finals. So at nine o\u2019clock on Monday morning we are going into a final and how we\u2019ve trained and the mental preparation that we\u2019ve got is hugely important for that.\u201d
\nJapan men\u2019s coach Kensuke Iwabuchi said: \u201cI would like to express my gratitude to the many people who have supported us and helped us to play at Tokyo 2020. There is a lot of pressure on the players who play in the Olympics in Tokyo. There was a lot of pressure on the Japanese players during Rugby World Cup 2019 too. I’m confident that I have selected players who can perform while enjoying the pressure.\u201d
\nGB Sevens captain Tom Mitchell said: \u201cWe\u2019re loving the preparation out here in Japan, it\u2019s great to be back in an exciting environment with the sense of anticipation before a tournament; it\u2019s a feeling I\u2019ve definitely missed over the last 15 to 16 months. We are working really hard and we have got a great group of boys out here. We\u2019re excited about what we can do. The best thing is seeing the other sevens teams around the Olympic Village and knowing that everyone has been on a really difficult journey to get to this point. It\u2019s a really rewarding feeling seeing everyone come together ahead of what will be an amazing and exciting tournament.\u201d
\nCanada men\u2019s co-captain Nathan Hirayama said: \u201cIt\u2019s an honour to compete for Canada at Tokyo 2020. We travel the world representing Canada but this will be my first Olympic Games and we\u2019re excited. It\u2019s been an unprecedented year but we\u2019ve been training hard and look forward to competing and showcasing sevens on such a massive stage.\u201d
\nUSA men\u2019s sevens captain Madison Hughes said: \u201cWe can’t wait to get back on the field and get into the competition. The Olympics has taken sevens to a whole new level over the years, especially after a great debut in Rio. I think Tokyo will have another massive impact, and as we look ahead to the next few years, it can deliver a big jump for sevens all over the world.\u201d
\nThe\u00a0match officials appointments\u00a0have been made for the first day of action in both the men\u2019s and women\u2019s competitions and the Judicial Officers appointed for the Olympic competition have been confirmed as Citing Commissioners James Sherriff (Rugby Australia) and Danae Zamboulis (Rugby Football Union), and Judicial/Appeal Officers Shao-ing Wang (Singapore Rugby Union) and Christopher Quinlan QC (World Rugby\u2019s independent Judicial Panel Chairman).
\nRugby sevens\u2019 first appearance at Rio 2016 had a profound, game-changing effect, attracting an estimated 30 million new fans globally, with the history-making story of Fiji\u2019s first-ever Olympic medal one of the most memorable moments of the Games.
\nThe dynamic, action-packed nature of rugby sevens has captured the attention of fans around the world, with research showing women and the 18-24 age group were the most strongly supportive of sevens\u2019 fit with the Olympics.
\nIn a sign of the respect shown towards rugby\u2019s values, and a reflection of how well sevens was received on its Games debut in Rio,\u00a0four players from different countries were awarded the honour of carrying the flag\u00a0for their country at the Opening Ceremony on Friday.
\nWomen\u2019s players Sarah Hirini (New Zealand) and Rusila Nagasau (Fiji) and men\u2019s players Nathan Hirayama (Canada) and Andrew Amonde (Kenya) were the proud individuals selected by their National Olympic Committees.
\nA Media Guide featuring a preview from World Rugby Chairman Sir Bill Beaumont, alongside a wealth of competition information, including profiles and squad lists for the 24 participating teams, an A-Z of rugby sevens stars to watch, a timeline of rugby sevens\u2019 history, as well as interesting statistics surrounding the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games is now available.
\n\nThe post Rugby Sevens ready for kick-off at Tokyo 2020 Olympics appeared first on Asia Rugby.
\n", "content_text": "Rugby sevens returns to Olympic stage as men\u2019s competition begins on Monday\nHosts Japan face reigning Olympic champions Fiji in exciting first game at 09:00 local time\nFinal squads are confirmed for the men\u2019s competition\nFour rugby sevens players honoured to carry their nation\u2019s flag in Opening Ceremony\nFans can keep up to date on social media by following #rugby7s\n\nWhere to Watch In Asia >>\nRugby sevens makes its highly anticipated return to the Olympic stage on Monday, 26 July as the men\u2019s competition begins with a thrilling encounter between hosts Japan and reigning Olympic champions Fiji at 09:00 local time (GMT+9) in Tokyo.\nDAY ONE PREVIEW >>\nWhile Fiji claimed gold on an unforgettable Olympic debut for rugby sevens at Rio 2016, New Zealand are the current Rugby World Cup Sevens (2018) and HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series (2020) champions and the competition for medals has never been closer with a number of teams showing they capable of reaching the podium in the past two years, while Japan showed their potential by finishing fourth at the Rio 2016 Games.\nThe men\u2019s competition will culminate with the gold medal match at 18:00 local time on 28 July. The women\u2019s tournament will follow on 29-31 July with the gold medal match taking place on \u2018Super Saturday\u2019.\nVIEW MATCH SCHEDULE >>\nThe squads for the men\u2019s competition have now been finalised and include\u00a0a number of players who have previously appeared at Rugby World Cups\u00a0in the 15-a-side version of the game.\nVIEW MEN\u2019S SQUADS >>\nThe Olympic competition format sees the 12 men\u2019s and 12 women\u2019s teams allocated to three pools of four teams, according to rankings based upon performances in the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series and other World Rugby sanctioned tournaments over the past two years.\nIn the men\u2019s competition three of the top four placed teams from the Rio 2016 Olympic Games are together in Pool B as reigning champions Fiji will face silver medallists Great Britain and hosts Japan, who finished a very creditable fourth in Rio, along with Olympic debutants Canada who claimed bronze at the last HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series event in Vancouver last year.\nPool A sees a renewal of the mouth-watering antipodean rivalry between current Rugby World Cup Sevens and World Series champions New Zealand and Australia, who met in the final of the last Series event in Vancouver, with the All Blacks Sevens winning a tightly contested match 17-14.\nJoining them in Pool A are Argentina, who finished sixth in Rio, alongside Olympic debutants the Republic of Korea who qualified for Tokyo by winning the Asian qualification tournament with an extra-time \u2018golden point\u2019 try to overcome Hong Kong.\nSouth Africa, bronze medallists in Rio, and USA are in Pool C having both achieved direct Olympic qualification by finishing in the top four of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2019, where the USA Sevens Eagles finished runners-up after reaching the medal podium in seven of the 10 rounds.\nJoining them are Kenya, who qualified courtesy of their first Rugby Africa men’s sevens title since 2015, and Olympic debutants Ireland, who secured the final spot thanks to a thrilling 28-19 victory over France in the World Rugby Sevens Repechage in Monaco last month.\nVIEW POOLS >>\nEach of the six days of action is split into two sessions with six matches involving all 12 teams taking place during each session of the early stages of both the men\u2019s and women\u2019s competitions. The finals sessions will include four matches and the victory ceremony.\nAll the action will take place at Tokyo Stadium, which proved itself to be a superb rugby venue when hosting Rugby World Cup 2019, including the opening and bronze medal matches.\nWorld Rugby Chief Executive Alan Gilpin said: \u201cThe stage is set for Tokyo 2020 to be the most special and significant Olympic Games in history. Following the outstanding success of Rugby World Cup 2019 we are delighted to be back in Japan for what promises to be another historic event.\n\u201cWe have been working very closely together with the IOC, Tokyo 2020 and all other stakeholders to deliver a safe, secure and highly impactful Olympic rugby sevens competition with player welfare and the core rugby values of solidarity, integrity and respect at heart.\n\u201cWhile these will certainly be unique Games, with challenges and opportunities never faced before, the preparations are complete and the ball is now in the hands of the players who I am sure will rise to the occasion and bring much needed joy, inspiration and unity to the watching global audience with their incredible skill, dedication, talent and commitment.\u201d\nFiji men\u2019s coach Gareth Baber said: \u201cWe know that the mindset for every team that plays against Fiji is it\u2019s like an Olympic final, but so is it for us. Every game is a final and if we are going to do what we have set to do coming here, we are going to have to win six finals. So at nine o\u2019clock on Monday morning we are going into a final and how we\u2019ve trained and the mental preparation that we\u2019ve got is hugely important for that.\u201d\nJapan men\u2019s coach Kensuke Iwabuchi said: \u201cI would like to express my gratitude to the many people who have supported us and helped us to play at Tokyo 2020. There is a lot of pressure on the players who play in the Olympics in Tokyo. There was a lot of pressure on the Japanese players during Rugby World Cup 2019 too. I’m confident that I have selected players who can perform while enjoying the pressure.\u201d\nGB Sevens captain Tom Mitchell said: \u201cWe\u2019re loving the preparation out here in Japan, it\u2019s great to be back in an exciting environment with the sense of anticipation before a tournament; it\u2019s a feeling I\u2019ve definitely missed over the last 15 to 16 months. We are working really hard and we have got a great group of boys out here. We\u2019re excited about what we can do. The best thing is seeing the other sevens teams around the Olympic Village and knowing that everyone has been on a really difficult journey to get to this point. It\u2019s a really rewarding feeling seeing everyone come together ahead of what will be an amazing and exciting tournament.\u201d\nCanada men\u2019s co-captain Nathan Hirayama said: \u201cIt\u2019s an honour to compete for Canada at Tokyo 2020. We travel the world representing Canada but this will be my first Olympic Games and we\u2019re excited. It\u2019s been an unprecedented year but we\u2019ve been training hard and look forward to competing and showcasing sevens on such a massive stage.\u201d\nUSA men\u2019s sevens captain Madison Hughes said: \u201cWe can’t wait to get back on the field and get into the competition. The Olympics has taken sevens to a whole new level over the years, especially after a great debut in Rio. I think Tokyo will have another massive impact, and as we look ahead to the next few years, it can deliver a big jump for sevens all over the world.\u201d\nThe\u00a0match officials appointments\u00a0have been made for the first day of action in both the men\u2019s and women\u2019s competitions and the Judicial Officers appointed for the Olympic competition have been confirmed as Citing Commissioners James Sherriff (Rugby Australia) and Danae Zamboulis (Rugby Football Union), and Judicial/Appeal Officers Shao-ing Wang (Singapore Rugby Union) and Christopher Quinlan QC (World Rugby\u2019s independent Judicial Panel Chairman).\nRugby sevens\u2019 first appearance at Rio 2016 had a profound, game-changing effect, attracting an estimated 30 million new fans globally, with the history-making story of Fiji\u2019s first-ever Olympic medal one of the most memorable moments of the Games.\nThe dynamic, action-packed nature of rugby sevens has captured the attention of fans around the world, with research showing women and the 18-24 age group were the most strongly supportive of sevens\u2019 fit with the Olympics.\nIn a sign of the respect shown towards rugby\u2019s values, and a reflection of how well sevens was received on its Games debut in Rio,\u00a0four players from different countries were awarded the honour of carrying the flag\u00a0for their country at the Opening Ceremony on Friday.\nWomen\u2019s players Sarah Hirini (New Zealand) and Rusila Nagasau (Fiji) and men\u2019s players Nathan Hirayama (Canada) and Andrew Amonde (Kenya) were the proud individuals selected by their National Olympic Committees.\nA Media Guide featuring a preview from World Rugby Chairman Sir Bill Beaumont, alongside a wealth of competition information, including profiles and squad lists for the 24 participating teams, an A-Z of rugby sevens stars to watch, a timeline of rugby sevens\u2019 history, as well as interesting statistics surrounding the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games is now available.\nVIEW MEDIA GUIDE >>\nThe post Rugby Sevens ready for kick-off at Tokyo 2020 Olympics appeared first on Asia Rugby.", "date_published": "2021-07-25T10:43:20+08:00", "date_modified": "2021-07-25T10:43:20+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Tokyo-2020-jpn.jpg", "tags": [ "Olympics", "Rugby sevens", "Featured" ] }, { "id": "https://www.asiarugby.com/?p=8178", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/2021/07/24/where-can-i-watch-the-olympics-in-asia/", "title": "Where can i watch the Olympics in Asia?", "content_html": "Where can I watch the Olympics in Asia?
\nPlease consult the table below to find out which channel or channels will show the Olympic Games, including rugby sevens, in each country. For information specific to your own country,
\nMatch Schedule >>>Rugby sevens match schedule confirmed for Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games
\n\n| Territory | Broadcaster | \n
|---|---|
| Afghanistan | ATN | \n
| Bangladesh | Sony Pictures Network India \nBTV Bangladesh | \n
| Brunei Darussalam | RTB \nbeIN Sports Asia | \n
| Cambodia | Hang Meas \nbeIN Sports Asia | \n
| Chinese Taipei | ELTA CHT EBC PTS | \n
| Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste | RTTL | \n
| Guam | NBC | \n
| Hong Kong, China | TVB \nHong Kong Open TV i-Cable \nPCCW \nViu TV DAZN | \n
| India | Sony Pictures Network India \nDoordarshan | \n
| Iran | IRIB | \n
| Iraq | beIN SPORTS | \n
| Japan | NHK \nFuji TV Nippon TV TBS \nTV Asahi TV Tokyo J:COM \nThe GREEN Channel | \n
| Jordan | beIN SPORTS | \n
| Kazakhstan | \n |
| Kuwait | beIN SPORTS | \n
| Kyrgyzstan | AKNET \nKTRK | \n
| Lao People's Democratic Republic | beIN SPORTS Asia | \n
| Lebanon | beIN SPORTS | \n
| Macau | CCTV | \n
| Malaysia | Astro \nRTM \nTelekom Malaysia beIN SPORTS Asia | \n
| Mongolia | C1 \nEdutainment TV ETV \nEagle TV MNB NTV SBN \nStar TV TM TV TV9 TV5 TV8 UBS VTV | \n
| Nepal | Sony Pictures Network India \nNTV / NTV Plus | \n
| Oman | beIN SPORTS | \n
| Pakistan | Sony Pictures Network India \nPTV | \n
| Philippines | Cignal TV \nbeIN Sports Asia | \n
| Palestine | beIN SPORTS | \n
| People's Republic of China | CCTV \nMigu Kuaishou Tencent | \n
| Qatar | beIN SPORTS | \n
| Republic of Korea | SBS \nKBS MBC \nNaver | \n
| Saudi Arabia | beIN SPORTS | \n
| Singapore | Mediacorp \nbeIN Sports Asia ESPN \nSingtel Starhub | \n
| Sri Lanka | Sony Pictures Network India \nRupavahini / Channel Eye | \n
| Thailand | Plan B \nAmarin Television AIS \nBangcock Broadcasting and TV Bangcock Media and Broadcasting BEC Multimedia \nbeIN SPORTS Asia \nDN \nGMM Channel MCOT PUBLIC \nMono Broadcasting NBT \nNBC Next Vision One 31 \nPPTV \nRoyal Thai Army Radio and Television RS Television \nStandard \nThai Broadcasting Co. Thai News Network Thai PBS \nThairath TV T Sports True4U VGI | \n
| United Arab Emirates | beIN SPORTS | \n
| Uzbekistan | MTRK | \n
\n
Related Links:\u00a0Men’s Sevens Squads for Tokyo 2020 from Asia
\nRelated Links:Women’s Sevens Squads for Tokyo 2020 from Asia
The post Where can i watch the Olympics in Asia? appeared first on Asia Rugby.
\n", "content_text": "Where can I watch the Olympics in Asia?\nWhich broadcaster shows the Olympics in my country?\nPlease consult the table below to find out which channel or channels will show the Olympic Games, including rugby sevens, in each country. For information specific to your own country,\nMatch Schedule >>>Rugby sevens match schedule confirmed for Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games\n\n\n\n\n\tTerritoryBroadcaster\n\n\n\n\n\tAfghanistanATN\n\n\n\tBangladeshSony Pictures Network India\nBTV Bangladesh\n\n\n\tBrunei DarussalamRTB\nbeIN Sports Asia\n\n\n\tCambodiaHang Meas\nbeIN Sports Asia\n\n\n\tChinese TaipeiELTA CHT EBC PTS\n\n\n\tDemocratic Republic of Timor-LesteRTTL\n\n\n\tGuamNBC\n\n\n\tHong Kong, ChinaTVB\nHong Kong Open TV i-Cable\nPCCW\nViu TV DAZN\n\n\n\tIndiaSony Pictures Network India\nDoordarshan\n\n\n\tIranIRIB\n\n\n\tIraqbeIN SPORTS\n\n\n\tJapanNHK\nFuji TV Nippon TV TBS\nTV Asahi TV Tokyo J:COM\nThe GREEN Channel\n\n\n\tJordanbeIN SPORTS\n\n\n\tKazakhstan\n\n\n\tKuwaitbeIN SPORTS\n\n\n\tKyrgyzstanAKNET\nKTRK\n\n\n\tLao People's Democratic RepublicbeIN SPORTS Asia\n\n\n\tLebanonbeIN SPORTS\n\n\n\tMacauCCTV\n\n\n\tMalaysiaAstro\nRTM\nTelekom Malaysia beIN SPORTS Asia\n\n\n\tMongoliaC1\nEdutainment TV ETV\nEagle TV MNB NTV SBN\nStar TV TM TV TV9 TV5 TV8 UBS VTV\n\n\n\tNepalSony Pictures Network India\nNTV / NTV Plus\n\n\n\tOmanbeIN SPORTS\n\n\n\tPakistanSony Pictures Network India\nPTV\n\n\n\tPhilippines Cignal TV\nbeIN Sports Asia\n\n\n\tPalestinebeIN SPORTS\n\n\n\tPeople's Republic of ChinaCCTV\nMigu Kuaishou Tencent\n\n\n\tQatarbeIN SPORTS\n\n\n\tRepublic of KoreaSBS\nKBS MBC\nNaver\n\n\n\tSaudi ArabiabeIN SPORTS\n\n\n\tSingaporeMediacorp\nbeIN Sports Asia ESPN\nSingtel Starhub\n\n\n\tSri LankaSony Pictures Network India\nRupavahini / Channel Eye\n\n\n\tThailandPlan B\nAmarin Television AIS\nBangcock Broadcasting and TV Bangcock Media and Broadcasting BEC Multimedia\nbeIN SPORTS Asia\nDN\nGMM Channel MCOT PUBLIC\nMono Broadcasting NBT\nNBC Next Vision One 31\nPPTV\nRoyal Thai Army Radio and Television RS Television\nStandard\nThai Broadcasting Co. Thai News Network Thai PBS\nThairath TV T Sports True4U VGI\n\n\n\tUnited Arab EmiratesbeIN SPORTS\n\n\n\tUzbekistanMTRK\n\n\n\n\n \nRelated Links:\u00a0Men’s Sevens Squads for Tokyo 2020 from Asia\nRelated Links:Women’s Sevens Squads for Tokyo 2020 from Asia\nThe post Where can i watch the Olympics in Asia? appeared first on Asia Rugby.", "date_published": "2021-07-24T10:33:08+08:00", "date_modified": "2021-07-24T10:33:08+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Tokyo-2020-Olympic-Games.jpg", "tags": [ "Featured", "Olympics", "News" ] }, { "id": "https://www.asiarugby.com/?p=8175", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/2021/07/22/ioc-elects-brisbane-2032-as-olympic-host/", "title": "IOC elects Brisbane 2032 as Olympic and Paralympic host", "content_html": "International Olympic Committee Members today voted to elect Brisbane 2032 as host of the Games of the XXXV Olympiad.
\nThe secret ballot was held at the 138th\u00a0Session in Tokyo, two days before the Opening Ceremony for the Olympic Games, under strict COVID-19 restrictions.
\nThe Session heard presentations by\u00a0Brisbane 2032, including by video link-up from Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, as well as a final report from Kristin Kloster, Chair of the Future Host Commission for the Games of the Olympiad \u2013 the IOC body responsible for monitoring and analysing interest in hosting the Olympic Games and the Youth Olympic Games.
\nBrisbane received 72 yes and 5 no votes from 77 valid votes.
\nBefore the vote, IOC Members were able to pose questions to Mrs Kloster about the election process, and to Brisbane 2032 about their \u00a0proposal to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Brisbane and South-East Queensland.
\nIOC President Thomas Bach said: \u201cWe encourage Olympic Games projects which are sustainable and economically responsible, which deliver the best possible Games experience for athletes and fans, and which leave solid legacies for local communities.
\nThe Brisbane 2032 vision and Games plan fit into long-term regional and national strategies for social and economic development in Queensland and Australia, and complement the goals for the Olympic Movement outlined in Olympic Agenda 2020 and 2020+5, while focusing on providing memorable sports experiences for athletes and fans.
\nRelated News:\u00a0Rugby sevens match schedule confirmed for Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games
\nToday\u2019s vote is a vote of trust that Brisbane and Queensland will stage magnificent Olympic and Paralympic Games 2032. We have heard a lot of positive feedback from IOC Members and International Federations in the past few months.\u201d
\n![\"\"](\"https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/ML20210721009-e1626908384215.jpg\")
Brisbane 2032 is the first future host to have been elected under, and to have fully benefited from, the new flexible approach to electing Olympic hosts. The reforms enable the IOC to work in partnership with cities, regions and countries, to encourage Olympic projects which use a high percentage of existing and temporary venues, which align with long-term development plans, and which have a strong vision for sports and local communities.
\nPresident Bach said: \u201cThis new approach is lighter, more collaborative, more compact, and has a positive impact. Now we always have a significant pool of Interested Parties for 2036, and even for 2040, which is almost 20 years from now. I can\u2019t remember that we have ever been in such a favourable position 20 years before an Olympic Games.
\n\u201cWe enter Tokyo 2020 with full confidence for the future of the Olympic Movement.\u201d
\nPrime Minister of Australia, the Honourable Scott Morrison MP, said: \u201cThe 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Queensland will forge an enduring legacy for our entire nation. They will support economic growth and investment, deliver lasting community benefits and inspire the next generation of Australian athletes.
\n\u201cI am proud of Australia, proud of Queensland and proud of our team that secured this win for our country. The Commonwealth Government has supported Brisbane\u2019s candidacy for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games right from the very start. We believe in this bid. We know it\u2019s a huge opportunity for our nation, just like the Melbourne Games in 1956 and the Sydney Olympics in 2000.\u201d
\nFollowing the election, the Host Contract 2032 was signed by the Honourable Annastacia Palaszczuk MP, Premier of Queensland and Minister for Trade, Councillor Adrian Schrinner, the Right Honourable Lord Mayor of Brisbane, and Mr John Coates AC, President of the Australian Olympic Committee.
\nMs Palaszczuk said: \u201cQueensland\u2019s fundamental approach is to align Games legacy with long-term plans.
\n\u201cWe will work with all three levels of government to embed Games legacy opportunities in existing programmes and will create a special Games Legacy Fund.
\nThis is to ensure the effective delivery of legacy over the next 10 years \u2013 and the 10 years after that. That means we develop not just a new generation of Olympic athletes, but we give our small businesses the opportunity to participate too, grow their business and export to the world.\u201d
\nCouncillor Schrinner added: \u201cLocal government leaders began this incredible journey, and now it is our job to ensure that Brisbane 2032 delivers a legacy to everyone who calls South-East Queensland home.
\n\u201cThis is a wonderful opportunity for the fastest growing capital city in Australia, and successful Olympic and Paralympic Games will help our region cater for the growth to come and guarantees Brisbane will get even better.\u201d
\nSince approving the new approach to electing in June 2019, IOC Members have been engaged and consulted throughout the process.
\nThe post IOC elects Brisbane 2032 as Olympic and Paralympic host appeared first on Asia Rugby.
\n", "content_text": "International Olympic Committee Members today voted to elect Brisbane 2032 as host of the Games of the XXXV Olympiad.\nThe secret ballot was held at the 138th\u00a0Session in Tokyo, two days before the Opening Ceremony for the Olympic Games, under strict COVID-19 restrictions.\nThe Session heard presentations by\u00a0Brisbane 2032, including by video link-up from Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, as well as a final report from Kristin Kloster, Chair of the Future Host Commission for the Games of the Olympiad \u2013 the IOC body responsible for monitoring and analysing interest in hosting the Olympic Games and the Youth Olympic Games.\nBrisbane received 72 yes and 5 no votes from 77 valid votes.\nBefore the vote, IOC Members were able to pose questions to Mrs Kloster about the election process, and to Brisbane 2032 about their \u00a0proposal to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Brisbane and South-East Queensland.\nIOC President Thomas Bach said: \u201cWe encourage Olympic Games projects which are sustainable and economically responsible, which deliver the best possible Games experience for athletes and fans, and which leave solid legacies for local communities.\nThe Brisbane 2032 vision and Games plan fit into long-term regional and national strategies for social and economic development in Queensland and Australia, and complement the goals for the Olympic Movement outlined in Olympic Agenda 2020 and 2020+5, while focusing on providing memorable sports experiences for athletes and fans.\nRelated News:\u00a0Rugby sevens match schedule confirmed for Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games\nToday\u2019s vote is a vote of trust that Brisbane and Queensland will stage magnificent Olympic and Paralympic Games 2032. We have heard a lot of positive feedback from IOC Members and International Federations in the past few months.\u201d\nPhoto by Mike Lee – KLC fotos for World Rugby\n\nBrisbane 2032 is the first future host to have been elected under, and to have fully benefited from, the new flexible approach to electing Olympic hosts. The reforms enable the IOC to work in partnership with cities, regions and countries, to encourage Olympic projects which use a high percentage of existing and temporary venues, which align with long-term development plans, and which have a strong vision for sports and local communities.\nPresident Bach said: \u201cThis new approach is lighter, more collaborative, more compact, and has a positive impact. Now we always have a significant pool of Interested Parties for 2036, and even for 2040, which is almost 20 years from now. I can\u2019t remember that we have ever been in such a favourable position 20 years before an Olympic Games.\n\u201cWe enter Tokyo 2020 with full confidence for the future of the Olympic Movement.\u201d\nPrime Minister of Australia, the Honourable Scott Morrison MP, said: \u201cThe 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Queensland will forge an enduring legacy for our entire nation. They will support economic growth and investment, deliver lasting community benefits and inspire the next generation of Australian athletes.\n\u201cI am proud of Australia, proud of Queensland and proud of our team that secured this win for our country. The Commonwealth Government has supported Brisbane\u2019s candidacy for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games right from the very start. We believe in this bid. We know it\u2019s a huge opportunity for our nation, just like the Melbourne Games in 1956 and the Sydney Olympics in 2000.\u201d\nFollowing the election, the Host Contract 2032 was signed by the Honourable Annastacia Palaszczuk MP, Premier of Queensland and Minister for Trade, Councillor Adrian Schrinner, the Right Honourable Lord Mayor of Brisbane, and Mr John Coates AC, President of the Australian Olympic Committee.\nMs Palaszczuk said: \u201cQueensland\u2019s fundamental approach is to align Games legacy with long-term plans.\n\u201cWe will work with all three levels of government to embed Games legacy opportunities in existing programmes and will create a special Games Legacy Fund.\nThis is to ensure the effective delivery of legacy over the next 10 years \u2013 and the 10 years after that. That means we develop not just a new generation of Olympic athletes, but we give our small businesses the opportunity to participate too, grow their business and export to the world.\u201d\nCouncillor Schrinner added: \u201cLocal government leaders began this incredible journey, and now it is our job to ensure that Brisbane 2032 delivers a legacy to everyone who calls South-East Queensland home.\n\u201cThis is a wonderful opportunity for the fastest growing capital city in Australia, and successful Olympic and Paralympic Games will help our region cater for the growth to come and guarantees Brisbane will get even better.\u201d\nSince approving the new approach to electing in June 2019, IOC Members have been engaged and consulted throughout the process.\nPhoto Credit \u00a9 IOC / Greg Martin\nPhoto Credit\u00a0 by Mike Lee – KLC fotos for World Rugby\n\nThe post IOC elects Brisbane 2032 as Olympic and Paralympic host appeared first on Asia Rugby.", "date_published": "2021-07-22T09:13:23+08:00", "date_modified": "2021-07-22T09:13:23+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/2021-07-21-brisbane-inside-02.jpg", "tags": [ "Featured", "Olympics" ] }, { "id": "https://www.asiarugby.com/?p=8162", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/2021/07/16/mens-sevens-squad-for-tokyo-2020/", "title": "Men\u2019s Sevens Squads for Tokyo 2020 from Asia", "content_html": "Asia Rugby’s Men’s Sevens Squads for Tokyo 2020,\u00a0 Tokyo Olympic Games\u00a0is billed to bring yet another feast for the senses as rugby\u2019s sevens stars make their long-awaited return to the international stage at Tokyo Stadium (26-31 July).
\n![\"\"](\"https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/ENG_Sevens_Mens_POOL-A-1x1-1-1024x1024.jpg\"){kind=spacer}
Korea are in Pool A along with New Zeland , Asutralia and Argentina
\nOne of the Korean players hoping to stand out from the crowd in Tokyo is former University of Berkeley student Andre Jin, who has an American father and a Korean mother. Any physical advantage is crucial in rugby, and Kim certainly has an edge as he stands at 1.95m tall.
Yongheung Chang, the hero of Korea’s golden-point victory over Hong Kong in the Asia Olympic qualifier in November 2019, is another player looking to catch the eye for the Olympic debutants.
\nYongheung Chang, Jeongmin Jang, Yeonsik Jeong, Hyunsoo Kim, Kunkyu Han, Namuk Kim, Seongbae Lee, Wanyong Park (Capt.), Jinkyu Lee, Andre Jin, Seongmin Jang, Seongdeok Choi, Gwongmin Kim
\n\n
Korea Men’s 7s\u00a0 Pool A
\nMonday 26th July
\n10:00\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Korea Vs New Zealand
\n18:00\u00a0 \u00a0 Korea vs Australia
Tuesday 27 th July
\n10:00 Korea v Argentina
![\"Men's](\"https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/ENG_Sevens_Mens_POOL-B-1x1-1-1024x1024.jpg\")
Chihito Matsui has been named captain of the Japan Men’s Sevens for this year\u2019s home tournament as Lote Tuqiri,Kazushi Hano and Masakatsu Hiko all make returns to the national sevens Olympics squad after helping Japan to the semi-finals at Rio 2016.
\nAfter their men\u2019s 15s team stunned the rugby world at Rugby World Cup 2015 by beating South Africa in the pool stages, Japan\u2019s sevens outfit pulled off a similar shock win at the Deodoro Stadium in Rio de Janeiro by defeating New Zealand 14-12 in their opening group game less than a year later.
\nJapan went on to secure fourth place after losing 54-14 against South Africa in the bronze medal match. Tuqiri dotted down to help Japan defeat France 12-7 in the quarter-finals before they lost to the eventual gold medal winners Fiji 20-5 in the semi-finals.
\n![\"Men's](\"https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/japan-men-234-1024x512.jpg\")
Kippei Ishida, Ryota Kano, Jose Seru, Kameli Raravou Latianara Soejima, Lote Tuqiri, Kazushi Hano, Masakatsu Hikosaka, Yoshikazu Fujita, Brackin Henry, Colin Raijin Bourke, Chihito Matsui (captain), Naoki Motomura
\nJapan Men’s 7s\u00a0 Pool B
\nMonday 26th July
\n9:00 Japan v Fiji
\n16:30 Japan v GB
Tuesday 27 th July
\n9:00 Japan v Canada
\n
The post Men’s Sevens Squads for Tokyo 2020 from Asia appeared first on Asia Rugby.
\n", "content_text": "Asia Rugby’s Men’s Sevens Squads for Tokyo 2020,\u00a0 Tokyo Olympic Games\u00a0is billed to bring yet another feast for the senses as rugby\u2019s sevens stars make their long-awaited return to the international stage at Tokyo Stadium (26-31 July).\nKorea Men\nKorea are in Pool A along with New Zeland , Asutralia and Argentina\nOne of the Korean players hoping to stand out from the crowd in Tokyo is former University of Berkeley student Andre Jin, who has an American father and a Korean mother. Any physical advantage is crucial in rugby, and Kim certainly has an edge as he stands at 1.95m tall.\nYongheung Chang, the hero of Korea’s golden-point victory over Hong Kong in the Asia Olympic qualifier in November 2019, is another player looking to catch the eye for the Olympic debutants.\nKorea Men’s Sevens Squad\u00a0\nYongheung Chang, Jeongmin Jang, Yeonsik Jeong, Hyunsoo Kim, Kunkyu Han, Namuk Kim, Seongbae Lee, Wanyong Park (Capt.), Jinkyu Lee, Andre Jin, Seongmin Jang, Seongdeok Choi, Gwongmin Kim\n \nKorea Men’s 7s\u00a0 Pool A\nMonday 26th July\n10:00\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Korea Vs New Zealand\n18:00\u00a0 \u00a0 Korea vs Australia\nTuesday 27 th July\n10:00 Korea v Argentina\nJapan Men\n\nChihito Matsui has been named captain of the Japan Men’s Sevens for this year\u2019s home tournament as Lote Tuqiri,Kazushi Hano and Masakatsu Hiko all make returns to the national sevens Olympics squad after helping Japan to the semi-finals at Rio 2016.\nAfter their men\u2019s 15s team stunned the rugby world at Rugby World Cup 2015 by beating South Africa in the pool stages, Japan\u2019s sevens outfit pulled off a similar shock win at the Deodoro Stadium in Rio de Janeiro by defeating New Zealand 14-12 in their opening group game less than a year later.\nJapan went on to secure fourth place after losing 54-14 against South Africa in the bronze medal match. Tuqiri dotted down to help Japan defeat France 12-7 in the quarter-finals before they lost to the eventual gold medal winners Fiji 20-5 in the semi-finals.\n\nJapan Men’s Sevens Squad\u00a0\nKippei Ishida, Ryota Kano, Jose Seru, Kameli Raravou Latianara Soejima, Lote Tuqiri, Kazushi Hano, Masakatsu Hikosaka, Yoshikazu Fujita, Brackin Henry, Colin Raijin Bourke, Chihito Matsui (captain), Naoki Motomura\nJapan Men’s 7s\u00a0 Pool B\nMonday 26th July\n9:00 Japan v Fiji\n16:30 Japan v GB\nTuesday 27 th July\n9:00 Japan v Canada\nWomen’s Sevens Squads\u00a0\n \nThe post Men’s Sevens Squads for Tokyo 2020 from Asia appeared first on Asia Rugby.", "date_published": "2021-07-16T09:22:26+08:00", "date_modified": "2021-07-16T09:22:26+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/HEad-Japan.jpg", "tags": [ "Japan", "Korea", "Featured", "Olympics", "Hong Kong", "News" ] }, { "id": "https://www.asiarugby.com/?p=8169", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/2021/07/15/asia-rugbys-womens-sevens-squads/", "title": "Women\u2019s Sevens Squads for Tokyo 2020 from Asia", "content_html": "Asia Rugby’s Women’s Sevens Squads for Tokyo 2020, The return of rugby sevens to the\u00a0Olympic stage will put the women\u2019s game under the spotlight once again with some of the world\u2019s top players set to shine at this year\u2019s global gathering.
\nAsia two Women’s teams China and Japan are both in pool C along with Australia and the USA.
\nChina Women’s Sevens Squad
\nNew head coach Euan Mackintosh has included three of the players \u2013 Yan Meiling, Yang Feifei and Liu Xiaoqian \u2013![\"Women's](\"https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/ENG_Sevens_Womens_POOL-C-1x1-1-1024x1024.png\")
who helped China win the bronze medal at the Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing in 2014.
Meiling captained the side at Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018 but, on this occasion, it is Yan Min who gets the armband. Min, 26, made her World Series debut for China in Atlanta in 2014. Yu Xiaoming and Yu Liping pre-date her in that regard, having first appeared on the World Series in Dubai a couple of years before.
\nChen Keyi, meanwhile, is a veteran of two Rugby World Cup Sevens campaigns and has proven to be a top performer for the team over a number of years.
\nSquad: Tang Minglin, Ruan Hongting, Wu Juan, Wang Wanyu, Liu Xiaoqian, Yan Meiling, Xu Xiaoyan, Yu Xiaoming, Yu Liping, Yang Min (captain), Chen Keyi, Yang Feifei, Gu Yaoyao
\n\n
Co-captains Mayu Shimizu and Bativakalolo Raichelmiyo will lead Japan at this year\u2019s home Games as the Sakura Sevens look to make a bigger impact than they did during their Olympics debut at Rio 2016.
\nAs the women\u2019s game continues to make ground in Japan, they will be hoping to show steady improvements, having finished bottom of their group following defeats to Canada, Great Britain and Brazil five years ago, before going on to lose to the hosts Brazil again in the ninth-place final.
\nAyaka Suzuki and Mio Yamanaka, who formed part of Japan\u2019s playing squad in Rio de Janeiro, are also selected among four reserves for this year\u2019s Olympics.
\nSquad: Mei Ohtani, Marin Kajiki, Mifuyu Koide, Mayu Shimizu (co-captain), Miyu Shirako, Honoka Tsutsumi, Hana Nagata, Bativakalolo Raichelmiyo (co-captain), Wakaba Hara, Yume Hirano, Haruka Hirotsu, Rinka Matsuda
\n\n\nThe post Women’s Sevens Squads for Tokyo 2020 from Asia appeared first on Asia Rugby.
\n", "content_text": "Asia Rugby’s Women’s Sevens Squads for Tokyo 2020, The return of rugby sevens to the\u00a0Olympic stage will put the women\u2019s game under the spotlight once again with some of the world\u2019s top players set to shine at this year\u2019s global gathering.\nAsia two Women’s teams China and Japan are both in pool C along with Australia and the USA.\nChina Women’s Sevens Squad\nNew head coach Euan Mackintosh has included three of the players \u2013 Yan Meiling, Yang Feifei and Liu Xiaoqian \u2013 who helped China win the bronze medal at the Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing in 2014.\nMeiling captained the side at Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018 but, on this occasion, it is Yan Min who gets the armband. Min, 26, made her World Series debut for China in Atlanta in 2014. Yu Xiaoming and Yu Liping pre-date her in that regard, having first appeared on the World Series in Dubai a couple of years before.\nChen Keyi, meanwhile, is a veteran of two Rugby World Cup Sevens campaigns and has proven to be a top performer for the team over a number of years.\nSquad: Tang Minglin, Ruan Hongting, Wu Juan, Wang Wanyu, Liu Xiaoqian, Yan Meiling, Xu Xiaoyan, Yu Xiaoming, Yu Liping, Yang Min (captain), Chen Keyi, Yang Feifei, Gu Yaoyao\n \nJapan Women’s Sevens Squad\nCo-captains Mayu Shimizu and Bativakalolo Raichelmiyo will lead Japan at this year\u2019s home Games as the Sakura Sevens look to make a bigger impact than they did during their Olympics debut at Rio 2016.\nAs the women\u2019s game continues to make ground in Japan, they will be hoping to show steady improvements, having finished bottom of their group following defeats to Canada, Great Britain and Brazil five years ago, before going on to lose to the hosts Brazil again in the ninth-place final.\nAyaka Suzuki and Mio Yamanaka, who formed part of Japan\u2019s playing squad in Rio de Janeiro, are also selected among four reserves for this year\u2019s Olympics.\nSquad: Mei Ohtani, Marin Kajiki, Mifuyu Koide, Mayu Shimizu (co-captain), Miyu Shirako, Honoka Tsutsumi, Hana Nagata, Bativakalolo Raichelmiyo (co-captain), Wakaba Hara, Yume Hirano, Haruka Hirotsu, Rinka Matsuda\n\nMen’s Sevens Squad\nThe post Women’s Sevens Squads for Tokyo 2020 from Asia appeared first on Asia Rugby.", "date_published": "2021-07-15T18:28:09+08:00", "date_modified": "2021-07-15T18:28:09+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/cHINA-wOMEN.jpg", "tags": [ "Japan", "China", "Olympics", "Featured", "Tokyo 2020", "News" ] }, { "id": "https://www.asiarugby.com/?p=8146", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/2021/07/10/rugby-sevens-match-schedule/", "title": "Rugby sevens match schedule confirmed for Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games", "content_html": "Rugby sevens match schedule confirmed for Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, The match schedule for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic rugby sevens competition has been confirmed by Tokyo 2020 and World Rugby.
\nThe match schedule for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic rugby sevens competition has been confirmed by Tokyo 2020 and World Rugby with 19 days to go until kick-off as excitement builds towards the sport\u2019s second appearance at the Games.
\nPlayers, teams and fans around the world can now finalise their preparations and look forward to six days of intense, action-packed competition at Tokyo Stadium, with matches played during two competition sessions per day.
\nVIEW MEN\u2019S COMPETITION SCHEDULE >>
\nVIEW WOMEN\u2019S COMPETITION SCHEDULE >>
![\"\"](\"https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/32-S.Korea-vs-JapanM-5-e1625787004341.jpg\")
The tournament will get off to a flying start with the highly anticipated encounter between Rio 2016 Olympic champions Fiji and hosts Japan in the opening match of the men\u2019s competition at 09:00 local time (GMT+9) on 26 July.
\nAnother highlight in the men\u2019s schedule sees antipodean rivals New Zealand and Australia take to the pitch in the final match in Pool A on 27 July.
\nThe men\u2019s competition will culminate with the gold medal match at 18:00 local time on 28 July.
\nThe women\u2019s competition gets underway on 29 July when France face Fiji. The 10,000 fans permitted inside Tokyo Stadium will be looking forward to the fourth match of the day when Japan start their campaign against reigning Olympic champions Australia.
\nThe women\u2019s gold medal match will take place at 18:00 local time on 31 July, as part of \u2018Super Saturday\u2019 \u2013 traditionally a highlight of the Games.
\nIn June, the 12 men\u2019s and 12 women\u2019s teams were allocated to three pools of four, according to rankings based upon performances in the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series and other World Rugby sanctioned tournaments over the past two years.
\n\nAs the countdown to Tokyo gathers pace, many teams have already announced their squads with a number of players that have starred in Rugby World Cups in the 15s game selected to try and attain Olympic glory for their countries in Tokyo.
\nVIEW MEN\u2019S OLYMPIC SQUAD NEWS >>
\nVIEW WOMEN\u2019S OLYMPIC SQUAD NEWS >>
Following a successful test event involving members of the Japan national teams in April, preparations are on track for a world-class tournament at Tokyo Stadium, which proved to be an excellent host venue during Rugby World Cup 2019.
\nTo ensure teams are as best prepared as possible to perform on the greatest sporting stage of all, World Rugby has invested US$4 million into Olympic qualified unions\u2019 sevens programmes and towards the costs of hosting a number of high-performance preparation events over the past three months.
\nWorld Rugby Chief Executive Alan Gilpin said: \u201cWith today\u2019s confirmation of the match schedule we move an important step closer to the highly anticipated kick-off for Olympic rugby sevens in Tokyo. Players and teams can now fine-tune their preparations for every match, while fans around the globe can mark their calendars and set their alarm clocks to cheer on their teams.
\n\u201cRugby sevens has captured the imaginations of millions of people around the world, attracting an estimated 30 million new fans on Olympic debut at Rio 2016. With just 19 days to go, we cannot wait for rugby sevens to once again step on to the Olympic stage and thrill global audiences with its fast-paced, highly skilful and action-packed style of sporting entertainment.\u201d
\nGreat Britain Women\u2019s Sevens co-captain Abbie Brown said: \u201cJust like everyone in the sporting world, we have waited so long for Tokyo to happen, so now it\u2019s just around the corner you can really tell how special it\u2019s going to be and how excited everyone is to get out there and play. As a squad we have spoken about carving the path for future rugby players in Great Britain so having rugby as part of the biggest multi-sport event is a great opportunity to showcase not only why we have so much love and passion for the game but also to inspire girls and boys to pick up a ball and give it a go.\u201d
\nAustralian Women\u2019s Sevens co-captain Sharni Williams said: \u201c\u201cIt\u2019s amazing to be here five years after Rio, never did I think I would get an opportunity to represent my country, let alone at a second Olympics. The unknown has been hard to navigate but we now have the Olympics firmly in our sights.\u201d
\nCanada Women\u2019s Captain Ghislaine Landry said: \u201cThe opportunity to go to another Olympic Games with this team is very exciting. For the last five years, we’ve been training hard and hunting down podium finishes. I\u2019m proud of our team and I know we are heading into the Games with a ton of talent and huge potential.\u00a0 We can\u2019t wait to show Canada, and the world, how fast and exciting rugby sevens is.\u201d
\nCanada Men\u2019s co-captain Nathan Hirayama said: \u201cIt\u2019s an honour to compete for Canada at Tokyo 2020. We travel the world representing Canada but this will be my first Olympic Games and we\u2019re excited to get to Tokyo. It\u2019s been an unprecedented year but we\u2019ve been training hard and look forward to competing and showcasing Sevens on such a massive stage.\u201d
\nRugby sevens is expected to be one of the most keenly awaited events of the Tokyo Games, following the outstanding success of Rugby World Cup 2019 in Japan, which captured the nation\u2019s imagination with record-breaking broadcast audiences creating huge numbers of new rugby fans across Japan and Asia.
\nThe post Rugby sevens match schedule confirmed for Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games appeared first on Asia Rugby.
\n", "content_text": "Rugby sevens match schedule confirmed for Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, The match schedule for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic rugby sevens competition has been confirmed by Tokyo 2020 and World Rugby.\n\nTokyo 2020 Olympic rugby sevens match schedule announced with 19 days to go to kick-off\nMen\u2019s Olympic champions Fiji to face hosts Japan in the opening match on 26 July\nWomen\u2019s competition kicks off with France v Fiji on 29 July\nMen\u2019s final set for 28 July; women\u2019s gold medal decided on \u2018Super Saturday\u2019 31 July\nRugby sevens set to thrill fans with two sessions per day over six days at Tokyo Stadium\n\nThe match schedule for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic rugby sevens competition has been confirmed by Tokyo 2020 and World Rugby with 19 days to go until kick-off as excitement builds towards the sport\u2019s second appearance at the Games.\nPlayers, teams and fans around the world can now finalise their preparations and look forward to six days of intense, action-packed competition at Tokyo Stadium, with matches played during two competition sessions per day.\nVIEW MEN\u2019S COMPETITION SCHEDULE >>\nVIEW WOMEN\u2019S COMPETITION SCHEDULE >>\n\nThe tournament will get off to a flying start with the highly anticipated encounter between Rio 2016 Olympic champions Fiji and hosts Japan in the opening match of the men\u2019s competition at 09:00 local time (GMT+9) on 26 July.\nAnother highlight in the men\u2019s schedule sees antipodean rivals New Zealand and Australia take to the pitch in the final match in Pool A on 27 July.\nThe men\u2019s competition will culminate with the gold medal match at 18:00 local time on 28 July.\nThe women\u2019s competition gets underway on 29 July when France face Fiji. The 10,000 fans permitted inside Tokyo Stadium will be looking forward to the fourth match of the day when Japan start their campaign against reigning Olympic champions Australia.\nThe women\u2019s gold medal match will take place at 18:00 local time on 31 July, as part of \u2018Super Saturday\u2019 \u2013 traditionally a highlight of the Games.\nIn June, the 12 men\u2019s and 12 women\u2019s teams were allocated to three pools of four, according to rankings based upon performances in the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series and other World Rugby sanctioned tournaments over the past two years.\nVIEW POOLS >>\nAs the countdown to Tokyo gathers pace, many teams have already announced their squads with a number of players that have starred in Rugby World Cups in the 15s game selected to try and attain Olympic glory for their countries in Tokyo.\nVIEW MEN\u2019S OLYMPIC SQUAD NEWS >>\nVIEW WOMEN\u2019S OLYMPIC SQUAD NEWS >>\nFollowing a successful test event involving members of the Japan national teams in April, preparations are on track for a world-class tournament at Tokyo Stadium, which proved to be an excellent host venue during Rugby World Cup 2019.\nTo ensure teams are as best prepared as possible to perform on the greatest sporting stage of all, World Rugby has invested US$4 million into Olympic qualified unions\u2019 sevens programmes and towards the costs of hosting a number of high-performance preparation events over the past three months.\nWorld Rugby Chief Executive Alan Gilpin said: \u201cWith today\u2019s confirmation of the match schedule we move an important step closer to the highly anticipated kick-off for Olympic rugby sevens in Tokyo. Players and teams can now fine-tune their preparations for every match, while fans around the globe can mark their calendars and set their alarm clocks to cheer on their teams.\n\u201cRugby sevens has captured the imaginations of millions of people around the world, attracting an estimated 30 million new fans on Olympic debut at Rio 2016. With just 19 days to go, we cannot wait for rugby sevens to once again step on to the Olympic stage and thrill global audiences with its fast-paced, highly skilful and action-packed style of sporting entertainment.\u201d\nGreat Britain Women\u2019s Sevens co-captain Abbie Brown said: \u201cJust like everyone in the sporting world, we have waited so long for Tokyo to happen, so now it\u2019s just around the corner you can really tell how special it\u2019s going to be and how excited everyone is to get out there and play. As a squad we have spoken about carving the path for future rugby players in Great Britain so having rugby as part of the biggest multi-sport event is a great opportunity to showcase not only why we have so much love and passion for the game but also to inspire girls and boys to pick up a ball and give it a go.\u201d\nAustralian Women\u2019s Sevens co-captain Sharni Williams said: \u201c\u201cIt\u2019s amazing to be here five years after Rio, never did I think I would get an opportunity to represent my country, let alone at a second Olympics. The unknown has been hard to navigate but we now have the Olympics firmly in our sights.\u201d\nCanada Women\u2019s Captain Ghislaine Landry said: \u201cThe opportunity to go to another Olympic Games with this team is very exciting. For the last five years, we’ve been training hard and hunting down podium finishes. I\u2019m proud of our team and I know we are heading into the Games with a ton of talent and huge potential.\u00a0 We can\u2019t wait to show Canada, and the world, how fast and exciting rugby sevens is.\u201d\nCanada Men\u2019s co-captain Nathan Hirayama said: \u201cIt\u2019s an honour to compete for Canada at Tokyo 2020. We travel the world representing Canada but this will be my first Olympic Games and we\u2019re excited to get to Tokyo. It\u2019s been an unprecedented year but we\u2019ve been training hard and look forward to competing and showcasing Sevens on such a massive stage.\u201d\nRugby sevens is expected to be one of the most keenly awaited events of the Tokyo Games, following the outstanding success of Rugby World Cup 2019 in Japan, which captured the nation\u2019s imagination with record-breaking broadcast audiences creating huge numbers of new rugby fans across Japan and Asia.\nThe post Rugby sevens match schedule confirmed for Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games appeared first on Asia Rugby.", "date_published": "2021-07-10T13:20:24+08:00", "date_modified": "2021-07-10T14:30:59+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/olympoic-repacharge-monico.jpg", "tags": [ "Featured", "Olympics", "News" ] }, { "id": "https://www.asiarugby.com/?p=8129", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/2021/07/10/chiharu-nakamura/", "title": "Japan sevens icon sees Tokyo Olympics as perfect opportunity to grow women\u2019s game", "content_html": "After the success of the men\u2019s teams at recent Rugby World Cups and Olympic Games, women\u2019s sevens great Chiharu Nakamura is looking forward to the women\u2019s game being in the spotlight at the Tokyo Games.
\nA nation hopes that next month\u2019s rugby sevens showpiece at the\u00a0Tokyo Olympics, coming off the back of an historic run by the Brave Blossoms to the quarter-finals of the men\u2019s Rugby World Cup in 2019, further raises the profile of the sport in the country, and women\u2019s rugby in particular.
\nChiharu Nakamura, who captained the Sakura Sevens at Rio 2016, sees the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to bring greater exposure to Japanese women\u2019s rugby.
\n![\"Chiharu](\"https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Japan-women-2-1024x689.jpg\")
Related News :\u00a0Leitch: Olympic sevens can be further boost for Japanese rugby
\n\u201cBecause we are the host country, it is a very good opportunity for us to make women\u2019s rugby more recognised and to make it one of the biggest sports here (in Japan),\u201d Nakamura told World Rugby.
\nJapan\u2019s women took part when rugby sevens made its Olympic debut at Rio 2016, but managed to win only one match, 24-0 against Kenya, on the way to finishing 10th.
\nThis time Nakamura, who was a surprise omission from the squad that will compete on home soil next month, is demanding a better showing in front of the home crowd at Tokyo Stadium.
\n\u201cIt was the first time for us to stand on the Olympic stage in Rio, but as it was the first time we had no expectations going in. I don\u2019t think we understood the full scale of the Olympics,\u201d she admitted.
\n\u201cWe have to get a better result than before.\u201d
\nThe pressure to achieve a better result will fall on Nakamura\u2019s successors, co-captains Mayu Shimizu and Raichelmiyo Bativakalolo.
\nChiharu Nakamura, who also recently became the player/coach of newly-formed women\u2019s side Nanairo Prism Fukuoka, is well aware of the responsibility on her shoulders to help build the women\u2019s game.
\nShe welcomed the recently launched\u00a0World Rugby Women in Rugby global marketing campaign, Team Powered, which aims to accelerate the growth of women\u2019s rugby worldwide.
\n\u201cI believe that we have the responsibility,\u201d she stressed.
\n\u201cIn 2019, through the Rugby World Cup, people understood the culture of rugby and the values of the game. This time in Tokyo, it is a great opportunity to showcase the characteristics and core values of rugby to people in Japan.
\n\u201cIt is a privilege to be a role model to younger players in this country, but we shouldn\u2019t forget about the female players in the past who have made such great efforts for the sport in this country. I always tell younger players we need to keep this going.\u201d
\nCurrently, there are a little over 5,000 registered female rugby players in Japan, but the Japan Rugby Football Union have seen a significant increase in numbers since Rugby World Cup 2019 and are hoping for a further impact after the Olympics.
\nThe Olympic men\u2019s sevens competition will take place from 26-28 July, with the women\u2019s tournament following on 29-31 July and the gold medal match happening on \u2018Super Saturday\u2019.
\nAll the action will take place at Tokyo Stadium, which was the venue for the opening match of Rugby World Cup 2019.
\nTo commemorate Olympic Day on 23 June the International Olympic Committee released a special video as part of its #StrongerTogether campaign as excitement builds around the globe for the Olympic Games in Tokyo.
\n| Name | \nBirthday | \nHeight | \nWeight | \nCaps | \n
| Mei Ohtani | \n5/28/2000 | \n162 | \n61 | \n\u2015 | \n
| Marin Kajiki | \n9/20/1999 | \n164 | \n68 | \n\u2015 | \n
| Mifuyu Koide | \n12/21/1995 | \n165 | \n58 | \n19 | \n
| Mayu SHIMIZU | \n1/19/1998 | \n164 | \n62 | \n6 | \n
| Miyu SHIRAKO | \n7/22/1995 | \n173 | \n68 | \n\u2015 | \n
| Honoka TSUTSUMI | \n6/19/1997 | \n154 | \n56 | \n16 | \n
| Hana NAGATA | \n5/19/2000 | \n168 | \n60 | \n8 | \n
| Wakaba HARA | \n1/6/2000 | \n156 | \n56 | \n6 | \n
| Raichelmiyo BATIVAKALOLO | \n9/18/1997 | \n160 | \n60 | \n21 | \n
| Yume HIRANO | \n3/15/2000 | \n160 | \n60 | \n22 | \n
| Haruka HIROTSU | \n10/29/2000 | \n169 | \n68 | \n2 | \n
| Rinka MATSUDA | \n12/5/2001 | \n170 | \n74 | \n2 | \n
The post Japan sevens icon sees Tokyo Olympics as perfect opportunity to grow women\u2019s game appeared first on Asia Rugby.
\n", "content_text": "After the success of the men\u2019s teams at recent Rugby World Cups and Olympic Games, women\u2019s sevens great Chiharu Nakamura is looking forward to the women\u2019s game being in the spotlight at the Tokyo Games.\nA nation hopes that next month\u2019s rugby sevens showpiece at the\u00a0Tokyo Olympics, coming off the back of an historic run by the Brave Blossoms to the quarter-finals of the men\u2019s Rugby World Cup in 2019, further raises the profile of the sport in the country, and women\u2019s rugby in particular.\nChiharu Nakamura, who captained the Sakura Sevens at Rio 2016, sees the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to bring greater exposure to Japanese women\u2019s rugby.\n\nRelated News :\u00a0Leitch: Olympic sevens can be further boost for Japanese rugby\n\u201cBecause we are the host country, it is a very good opportunity for us to make women\u2019s rugby more recognised and to make it one of the biggest sports here (in Japan),\u201d Nakamura told World Rugby.\nJapan\u2019s women took part when rugby sevens made its Olympic debut at Rio 2016, but managed to win only one match, 24-0 against Kenya, on the way to finishing 10th.\nThis time Nakamura, who was a surprise omission from the squad that will compete on home soil next month, is demanding a better showing in front of the home crowd at Tokyo Stadium.\n\u201cIt was the first time for us to stand on the Olympic stage in Rio, but as it was the first time we had no expectations going in. I don\u2019t think we understood the full scale of the Olympics,\u201d she admitted.\n\u201cWe have to get a better result than before.\u201d\nThe pressure to achieve a better result will fall on Nakamura\u2019s successors, co-captains Mayu Shimizu and Raichelmiyo Bativakalolo.\nChiharu Nakamura, who also recently became the player/coach of newly-formed women\u2019s side Nanairo Prism Fukuoka, is well aware of the responsibility on her shoulders to help build the women\u2019s game.\nShe welcomed the recently launched\u00a0World Rugby Women in Rugby global marketing campaign, Team Powered, which aims to accelerate the growth of women\u2019s rugby worldwide.\n\u201cI believe that we have the responsibility,\u201d she stressed.\n\u201cIn 2019, through the Rugby World Cup, people understood the culture of rugby and the values of the game. This time in Tokyo, it is a great opportunity to showcase the characteristics and core values of rugby to people in Japan.\n\u201cIt is a privilege to be a role model to younger players in this country, but we shouldn\u2019t forget about the female players in the past who have made such great efforts for the sport in this country. I always tell younger players we need to keep this going.\u201d\nCurrently, there are a little over 5,000 registered female rugby players in Japan, but the Japan Rugby Football Union have seen a significant increase in numbers since Rugby World Cup 2019 and are hoping for a further impact after the Olympics.\nThe Olympic men\u2019s sevens competition will take place from 26-28 July, with the women\u2019s tournament following on 29-31 July and the gold medal match happening on \u2018Super Saturday\u2019.\nAll the action will take place at Tokyo Stadium, which was the venue for the opening match of Rugby World Cup 2019.\nTo commemorate Olympic Day on 23 June the International Olympic Committee released a special video as part of its #StrongerTogether campaign as excitement builds around the globe for the Olympic Games in Tokyo.\nJapan Women\u2019s Sevens National Team\n\n\n\n\nName\nBirthday\nHeight\nWeight\nCaps\n\n\nMei Ohtani\n5/28/2000\n162\n61\n\u2015\n\n\nMarin Kajiki\n9/20/1999\n164\n68\n\u2015\n\n\nMifuyu Koide\n12/21/1995\n165\n58\n19\n\n\nMayu SHIMIZU\n1/19/1998\n164\n62\n6\n\n\nMiyu SHIRAKO\n7/22/1995\n173\n68\n\u2015\n\n\nHonoka TSUTSUMI\n6/19/1997\n154\n56\n16\n\n\nHana NAGATA\n5/19/2000\n168\n60\n8\n\n\nWakaba HARA\n1/6/2000\n156\n56\n6\n\n\nRaichelmiyo BATIVAKALOLO\n9/18/1997\n160\n60\n21\n\n\nYume HIRANO\n3/15/2000\n160\n60\n22\n\n\nHaruka HIROTSU\n10/29/2000\n169\n68\n2\n\n\nRinka MATSUDA\n12/5/2001\n170\n74\n2\n\n\n\n\nThe post Japan sevens icon sees Tokyo Olympics as perfect opportunity to grow women\u2019s game appeared first on Asia Rugby.", "date_published": "2021-07-10T10:02:24+08:00", "date_modified": "2021-07-10T10:02:24+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Head-Japan-women.jpg", "tags": [ "Japan", "Featured", "Olympics", "News" ] }, { "id": "https://www.asiarugby.com/?p=8134", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/2021/06/28/rugby-sevens-pools-announced-for-tokyo-2020-olympics/", "title": "Rugby sevens pools announced for Tokyo 2020 Olympics", "content_html": "Rugby sevens pools announced for Tokyo 2020 Olympics , \u6771\u4eac2020\u30aa\u30ea\u30f3\u30d4\u30c3\u30af\u3067\u306e\u30e9\u30b0\u30d3\u30fc\u30bb\u30d6\u30f3\u30ba\u306e\u30d7\u30fc\u30eb\u7d44\u5206\u3051\u3092\u767a\u8868
\nThe pools for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic rugby sevens competitions have been announced by World Rugby exactly one month ahead of the men\u2019s final at Tokyo Stadium.
\nThe 12 men\u2019s and 12 women\u2019s teams have been allocated to three pools of four teams, according to rankings based upon performances in the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series and other World Rugby sanctioned tournaments over the past two years.
\n\nThere are some mouth-watering encounters for fans around the globe to look forward to as rugby sevens makes its second appearance at the Olympic Games following an unforgettable debut in Rio.
\n\n
Men\u2019s competition
\nThe men\u2019s competition sees three of the top four placed teams from the Rio 2016 Olympic Games together in Pool B as reigning Olympic champions Fiji will face silver medallists Great Britain and hosts Japan, who finished a very creditable fourth in Rio, along with Olympic debutants Canada who claimed bronze at the last HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series event, which took place in Vancouver last year.
\nPool A sees a renewal of the mouth-watering antipodean rivalry between current Rugby World Cup Sevens and World Series champions New Zealand and Australia, who met in the final of the last Series event in Vancouver, with the All Blacks Sevens winning a tightly contested match 17-14. Joining them in Pool A are Argentina, who finished sixth in Rio, alongside Olympic debutants the Republic of Korea who qualified for Tokyo by winning the Asian qualification tournament with an extra-time \u2018golden point\u2019 try to overcome Hong Kong.
\n![\"Korea](\"https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/WhatsApp-Image-2021-06-22-at-23.13.33-1-e1624857013923.jpeg\")
South Africa, bronze medallists in Rio, and USA are in Pool C having both achieved direct Olympic qualification by finishing in the top four of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2019, where the USA Eagles finished runners-up after reaching the medal podium in seven of the 10 Series rounds. Joining them are Kenya, who qualified courtesy of their first Rugby Africa men’s sevens title since 2015, and Olympic debutants Ireland, who secured the final spot thanks to a thrilling 28-19 victory over France in the World Rugby Sevens Repechage in Monaco earlier this month.
\nWomen\u2019s competition
\nThe women\u2019s competition is equally fascinating with Pool C seeing hosts Japan grouped with Rio 2016 Olympic champions Australia alongside a powerful USA team, who qualified directly for Tokyo after finishing runners-up in the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2019, reaching the medal podium in five of the six rounds. The pool is completed by Olympic debutants China, who secured their place in Tokyo with an emphatic 33-0 victory over Hong Kong in the Asian qualifier final.
\nRelated Article: China women qualify for Olympic Games in style
\nPool B is the only pool without an Olympic debutant as Rio 2016 bronze medallists Canada are joined by France, Fiji and Brazil. France were in fine form as they swept all before them to qualify for Tokyo via the World Rugby Sevens Repechage in Monaco earlier this month. Brazil qualified for Tokyo thanks to a 28-15 victory over Colombia in the South American qualifier, while Rio 2016 quarter-finalists Fiji overcame Papua New Guinea to qualify from Oceania.
\n![\"rugby](\"https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/China-Small.jpg\")
In Pool A, current Rugby World Cup Sevens and World Series title holders New Zealand will face the Russian Olympic Committee team, Great Britain and Kenya. New Zealand beat both Kenya and Great Britain on the way to claiming the silver medal at Rio 2016, while Russia ended the Black Fern\u2019s record-equalling 37-match winning run on the Series with a 17-17 draw in Kitakyushu in April 2019. The Russian team secured their Olympic debut via this month\u2019s Repechage.
\nThe top four placed teams in the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2019 qualified directly for Tokyo while Japan were awarded their place as host nation. The remaining seven teams qualified via regional tournaments and the World Rugby Sevens Repechage in Monaco.
\nVIEW OLYMPIC QUALIFICATION GRAPHIC >>
\nSeveral teams have already announced their squads, including Canada, Japan and Great Britain\u2019s men\u2019s and women\u2019s teams, and USA women.
\nVIEW MEN\u2019S OLYMPIC SQUAD NEWS >>
\nVIEW WOMEN\u2019S OLYMPIC SQUAD NEWS >>
Following a successful test event involving members of the Japan national teams in April, preparations are on track for a world-class tournament at Tokyo Stadium, which proved to be an excellent host venue during Rugby World Cup 2019.
\nTo ensure teams are as best prepared as possible to perform on the greatest sporting stage of all, World Rugby has invested US$4 million into Olympic qualified unions\u2019 sevens programmes and towards the costs of hosting a number of high-performance preparation events, the last of which took place in Los Angeles, USA, and Townsville, Australia, over the past weekend.
\n![\"Tokyo](\"https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/japan-1024x512.jpg\")
World Rugby Chief Executive Alan Gilpin said: \u201cToday\u2019s announcement marks a very exciting step on the road to Tokyo with less than a month to go until the players run out in Tokyo Stadium to compete on the Olympic stage.
\n\u201cThese will certainly be unique Olympic Games and we have been working very closely with the IOC, Tokyo 2020 and all other stakeholders towards delivering a safe, secure and highly impactful rugby sevens competition in Tokyo.
\n\u201cRugby sevens is a key priority for World Rugby and the inclusion of the sport for the first time in the Games at Rio 2016 had a profound effect, attracting an estimated 30 million new fans globally. With the recent launch of our new \u2018This Is How We Sevens\u2019 campaign we are confident millions more fans will engage with the thrilling, fast-paced and action-packed spectacle that is rugby sevens.
\n\u201cAs always, player welfare is at the heart of all our planning and we are confident that as it proved during Rugby World Cup 2019, Tokyo Stadium will be an excellent venue for the teams to inspire the world with their skill, athleticism, determination and the core rugby values of solidarity, integrity and respect.
\n\u201cWith the pools decided, we can now countdown the days and look forward what promises to be another memorable edition of Olympic rugby sevens.\u201d
\nVIDEO MESSAGE FROM WORLD RUGBY CHIEF EXECUTIVE >>\u00a0
\nMikako Kotani, Sports Director for Tokyo 2020, said: \u201cToday, rugby sevens\u2019 pool allocations for Tokyo 2020 are announced. This year, rugby sevens will return to the Olympic Games for the second time after its inclusion at the Olympic Games Rio de Janeiro 2016 for the first time.
\n\u201cWe had a successful test event at Tokyo Stadium in April and we are confident that we have an excellent venue for the players so that they will be able to show their best performances to inspire the world and connect the world together once more.
\n\u201cWe are excited to welcome an international rugby tournament back to Japan and we hope rugby\u2019s One Team Spirit will touch the hearts of people in Japan and in the world. I wish the very best of luck to all the 12 men\u2019s and 12 women\u2019s teams. Good luck to all the athletes and look forward to welcoming you all soon.\u201d
\nVIDEO MESSAGE FROM TOKYO 2020 SPORTS DIRECTOR >>
\nRugby sevens is expected to be one of the most highly anticipated events of the Tokyo Games, following the outstanding success of Rugby World Cup 2019 in Japan, which captured the nation\u2019s imagination with record-breaking broadcast audiences and huge numbers of new rugby fans across Japan and Asia.
\nThe men\u2019s competition will take place from 26-28 July, with the women\u2019s tournament following on 29-31 July with the gold medal match happening on \u2018Super Saturday\u2019. All the action will take place at Tokyo Stadium, which was the venue for the opening match of Rugby World Cup 2019.
\nThe post Rugby sevens pools announced for Tokyo 2020 Olympics appeared first on Asia Rugby.
\n", "content_text": "Rugby sevens pools announced for Tokyo 2020 Olympics , \u6771\u4eac2020\u30aa\u30ea\u30f3\u30d4\u30c3\u30af\u3067\u306e\u30e9\u30b0\u30d3\u30fc\u30bb\u30d6\u30f3\u30ba\u306e\u30d7\u30fc\u30eb\u7d44\u5206\u3051\u3092\u767a\u8868\n\nTokyo 2020 Olympic rugby sevens pools announced with less than a month to go\nThe 12 men\u2019s and 12 women\u2019s teams are in three pools of four teams\nReigning men\u2019s gold and silver medallists Fiji and Great Britain will face hosts Japan\nWomen\u2019s Olympic champions Australia to play USA, China and Japan\nRugby sevens set to thrill fans from 26-31 July at Tokyo Stadium\n\nThe pools for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic rugby sevens competitions have been announced by World Rugby exactly one month ahead of the men\u2019s final at Tokyo Stadium.\nThe 12 men\u2019s and 12 women\u2019s teams have been allocated to three pools of four teams, according to rankings based upon performances in the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series and other World Rugby sanctioned tournaments over the past two years.\nVIEW POOLS >>\nThere are some mouth-watering encounters for fans around the globe to look forward to as rugby sevens makes its second appearance at the Olympic Games following an unforgettable debut in Rio.\n \nMen\u2019s competition\nThe men\u2019s competition sees three of the top four placed teams from the Rio 2016 Olympic Games together in Pool B as reigning Olympic champions Fiji will face silver medallists Great Britain and hosts Japan, who finished a very creditable fourth in Rio, along with Olympic debutants Canada who claimed bronze at the last HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series event, which took place in Vancouver last year.\nPool A sees a renewal of the mouth-watering antipodean rivalry between current Rugby World Cup Sevens and World Series champions New Zealand and Australia, who met in the final of the last Series event in Vancouver, with the All Blacks Sevens winning a tightly contested match 17-14. Joining them in Pool A are Argentina, who finished sixth in Rio, alongside Olympic debutants the Republic of Korea who qualified for Tokyo by winning the Asian qualification tournament with an extra-time \u2018golden point\u2019 try to overcome Hong Kong.\n\nSouth Africa, bronze medallists in Rio, and USA are in Pool C having both achieved direct Olympic qualification by finishing in the top four of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2019, where the USA Eagles finished runners-up after reaching the medal podium in seven of the 10 Series rounds. Joining them are Kenya, who qualified courtesy of their first Rugby Africa men’s sevens title since 2015, and Olympic debutants Ireland, who secured the final spot thanks to a thrilling 28-19 victory over France in the World Rugby Sevens Repechage in Monaco earlier this month.\nWomen\u2019s competition\nThe women\u2019s competition is equally fascinating with Pool C seeing hosts Japan grouped with Rio 2016 Olympic champions Australia alongside a powerful USA team, who qualified directly for Tokyo after finishing runners-up in the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2019, reaching the medal podium in five of the six rounds. The pool is completed by Olympic debutants China, who secured their place in Tokyo with an emphatic 33-0 victory over Hong Kong in the Asian qualifier final.\nRelated Article: China women qualify for Olympic Games in style\nPool B is the only pool without an Olympic debutant as Rio 2016 bronze medallists Canada are joined by France, Fiji and Brazil. France were in fine form as they swept all before them to qualify for Tokyo via the World Rugby Sevens Repechage in Monaco earlier this month. Brazil qualified for Tokyo thanks to a 28-15 victory over Colombia in the South American qualifier, while Rio 2016 quarter-finalists Fiji overcame Papua New Guinea to qualify from Oceania.\n\nIn Pool A, current Rugby World Cup Sevens and World Series title holders New Zealand will face the Russian Olympic Committee team, Great Britain and Kenya. New Zealand beat both Kenya and Great Britain on the way to claiming the silver medal at Rio 2016, while Russia ended the Black Fern\u2019s record-equalling 37-match winning run on the Series with a 17-17 draw in Kitakyushu in April 2019. The Russian team secured their Olympic debut via this month\u2019s Repechage.\nThe top four placed teams in the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2019 qualified directly for Tokyo while Japan were awarded their place as host nation. The remaining seven teams qualified via regional tournaments and the World Rugby Sevens Repechage in Monaco.\nVIEW OLYMPIC QUALIFICATION GRAPHIC >>\nSeveral teams have already announced their squads, including Canada, Japan and Great Britain\u2019s men\u2019s and women\u2019s teams, and USA women.\nVIEW MEN\u2019S OLYMPIC SQUAD NEWS >>\nVIEW WOMEN\u2019S OLYMPIC SQUAD NEWS >>\nFollowing a successful test event involving members of the Japan national teams in April, preparations are on track for a world-class tournament at Tokyo Stadium, which proved to be an excellent host venue during Rugby World Cup 2019.\nTo ensure teams are as best prepared as possible to perform on the greatest sporting stage of all, World Rugby has invested US$4 million into Olympic qualified unions\u2019 sevens programmes and towards the costs of hosting a number of high-performance preparation events, the last of which took place in Los Angeles, USA, and Townsville, Australia, over the past weekend.\n\nWorld Rugby Chief Executive Alan Gilpin said: \u201cToday\u2019s announcement marks a very exciting step on the road to Tokyo with less than a month to go until the players run out in Tokyo Stadium to compete on the Olympic stage.\n\u201cThese will certainly be unique Olympic Games and we have been working very closely with the IOC, Tokyo 2020 and all other stakeholders towards delivering a safe, secure and highly impactful rugby sevens competition in Tokyo.\n\u201cRugby sevens is a key priority for World Rugby and the inclusion of the sport for the first time in the Games at Rio 2016 had a profound effect, attracting an estimated 30 million new fans globally. With the recent launch of our new \u2018This Is How We Sevens\u2019 campaign we are confident millions more fans will engage with the thrilling, fast-paced and action-packed spectacle that is rugby sevens.\n\u201cAs always, player welfare is at the heart of all our planning and we are confident that as it proved during Rugby World Cup 2019, Tokyo Stadium will be an excellent venue for the teams to inspire the world with their skill, athleticism, determination and the core rugby values of solidarity, integrity and respect.\n\u201cWith the pools decided, we can now countdown the days and look forward what promises to be another memorable edition of Olympic rugby sevens.\u201d\nVIDEO MESSAGE FROM WORLD RUGBY CHIEF EXECUTIVE >>\u00a0\nMikako Kotani, Sports Director for Tokyo 2020, said: \u201cToday, rugby sevens\u2019 pool allocations for Tokyo 2020 are announced. This year, rugby sevens will return to the Olympic Games for the second time after its inclusion at the Olympic Games Rio de Janeiro 2016 for the first time.\n\u201cWe had a successful test event at Tokyo Stadium in April and we are confident that we have an excellent venue for the players so that they will be able to show their best performances to inspire the world and connect the world together once more.\n\u201cWe are excited to welcome an international rugby tournament back to Japan and we hope rugby\u2019s One Team Spirit will touch the hearts of people in Japan and in the world. I wish the very best of luck to all the 12 men\u2019s and 12 women\u2019s teams. Good luck to all the athletes and look forward to welcoming you all soon.\u201d\nVIDEO MESSAGE FROM TOKYO 2020 SPORTS DIRECTOR >>\nRugby sevens is expected to be one of the most highly anticipated events of the Tokyo Games, following the outstanding success of Rugby World Cup 2019 in Japan, which captured the nation\u2019s imagination with record-breaking broadcast audiences and huge numbers of new rugby fans across Japan and Asia.\nThe men\u2019s competition will take place from 26-28 July, with the women\u2019s tournament following on 29-31 July with the gold medal match happening on \u2018Super Saturday\u2019. All the action will take place at Tokyo Stadium, which was the venue for the opening match of Rugby World Cup 2019.\nThe post Rugby sevens pools announced for Tokyo 2020 Olympics appeared first on Asia Rugby.", "date_published": "2021-06-28T16:01:50+08:00", "date_modified": "2021-06-28T16:02:20+08:00", "authors": [ { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Pools-olympics.jpg", "tags": [ "Japan", "Korea", "China", "Featured", "Olympics" ] } ] }