Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018 qualification

Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018 will feature 24 men’s and 16 women’s teams across four days of competition at AT&T Park in San Francisco.

There will be three aspects to the qualification process with teams qualified by virtue of their finish at RWC Sevens 2013 in Moscow, via the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2016-17 or through regional competitions.

MEN’S COMPETITION

All eight quarter-finalists from RWC Sevens 2013 in Moscow (New Zealand, England, Fiji, Kenya, South Africa, Wales, Australia and France) qualified automatically for the 2018 edition of the tournament as did host team USA. Under the agreed qualification process, the top four teams outside of those nine at the 2016-17 series would book their place in San Francisco, meaning that Scotland, Canada, Argentina and Samoa are now confirmed.

The remaining 11 places will be filled by teams through regional competitions from June 2017 to April 2018 as follows:

Europe (2 teams) – Qualifiers: Russia and Ireland
Asia (2 teams) – Qualifiers: Japan and Hong Kong
Africa (2 teams) – Qualifiers: Uganda and Zimbabwe
North America (1 team) – Qualifier: Jamaica
South America (2 teams)
Oceania (2 teams) – Qualifier: Papua New Guinea and Tonga

WOMEN’S COMPETITION

The four semi-finalists from Moscow 2013 are pre-qualified in New Zealand, Canada, Spain and USA.

Under the agreed qualification process, the top four nations from the HSBC World Rugby Women’s Sevens Series 2016-17 – excluding these pre-qualified teams – would confirm their places at RWC Sevens 2018, meaning that Australia, Fiji, Russia and France are now qualified.

The remaining eight places will be filled by teams through regional competitions from June 2017 to April 2018 as follows:

Europe (2 teams) – Qualifiers: Ireland and England
Asia (2 teams) – Qualifiers: Japan and China
Africa (1 team) – Qualifier: South Africa
North America (1 team) – Qualifier: Mexico
South America (1 team) – Qualifier: Brazil
Oceania (1 team) – Qualifier: Papua New Guinea

QUALIFYING EVENTS

REGION | EVENT | DATE OF FINAL EVENT | PARTICIPATING TEAMS
Africa 1/Africa 2 | Rugby Africa Men’s Sevens Championship | 6-7 October, 2017 | Uganda, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Madagascar, Tunisia, Senegal, Botswana, Morocco, Mauritius, Zambia
North America 1 | Rugby Americas North Men’s Sevens Championship | 25-26 November, 2017 | Mexico, Cayman, Bermuda, Jamaica, BVI, Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago, Guyana, Curacao, Dominican Republic
Asia 1/Asia 2 | Asia Rugby Sevens Series | 14-15 October, 2017 | Japan, Hong Kong, Korea, Sri Lanka, China, Malaysia, Singapore, Chinese Taipei
Oceania 1 | Oceania Rugby Men’s Sevens Championship | 10-11 November, 2017 | FIJI, American Samoa, AUSTRALIA, Cook Islands, Nauru, New Caledonia, NEW ZEALAND, Papua New Guinea, SAMOA, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Tonga, Vanuatu
Oceania 2 | Pacific Mini Games | 8-9 December, 2017 | FIJI, Nauru, New Caledonia, Niue, SAMOA, Solomon Islands, Tahiti, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Wallis and Futuna
South America 1/South America 2 | Sudamerica Rugby Men’s Sevens | 13-14 January, 2018 | TBC
BOLD indicates participating team already qualified through pre-qualification and/or World Series

REGION | EVENT | DATE OF FINAL EVENT | PARTICIPATING TEAMS
Africa 1 | Rugby Africa Women’s Sevens Championship | 16-17 September, 2017 | South Africa, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Tunisia, Uganda, Namibia, Madagascar, Senegal
North America 1 | Rugby Americas North Women’s Sevens Championship | 25-26 November, 2017 | Mexico, Bermuda, Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, Guyana, Dominican Republic, French Guyana
Asia 1/Asia 2 | Asia Rugby Women’s Sevens Series | 14-15 October, 2017 | Japan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, Uzbekistan, Guam, Korea, Sri Lanka
Oceania 1 | Oceania Rugby Women’s Sevens Championship | 10-11 November, 2017 | FIJI, Cook Islands, NEW ZEALAND, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tonga, AUSTRALIA, Tahiti
South America 1 | Sudamerica Rugby Women’s Sevens | 10-11 November, 2017 | Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay
BOLD indicates participating team already qualified through pre-qualification and/or World Series