World Rugby Sevens Repechage 2024 (Monaco) Pools, Teams & Schedule

The pools and schedule for the World Rugby Sevens Repechage 2024 have been drawn, which will help determine the outcome of the qualification tournament from 21-23 June and which final men’s and women’s teams will earn their right to compete at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 rugby sevens.

Updated 20 June 2024

The three-day Repechage event will take place at Stade Louis II in Monaco and the pool draw was attended by The Serene Highnesses Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene of Monaco, accompanied by World Rugby Vice Chairman John Jeffrey in April 2024.

World Rugby Vice-Chairman John Jeffrey said the “pool draw marks an exciting step for the 12 men’s and 12 women’s teams aiming to claim their place in Paris and fulfil their Olympic dreams by winning the World Rugby Sevens Repechage.

Rugby sevens has proved to be a hot ticket for the Paris 2024 Games and we are confident this will represent the sports’ coming of age on the Olympic stage following its debut at Rio 2016 followed by the Covid-affected Tokyo 2020.”

From Asia, the Hong Kong China men and women, as well as the Chinese men and women are in contention.

World Rugby Chairman, Sir Bill Beaumont added: “The Olympic Games are the biggest multi-sport event in the world and a stage like no other for rugby sevens players. Stakes will be high and we expect intense and passionate world-class rugby in Monaco over the three days as teams compete for the final Olympic spots.”

Tournament Format – Monaco 7s Repechage 2024

The format for the tournament is different to that of the regular SVNS and HSBC Challenger events (and different from the final event held at the SVNS Madrid).

The top 8 teams will qualify for the quarterfinals (top two from each pool + two best 3rd placed teams) and they will be seeded 1-8 with the top seed playing the 8th seed in the QF, 2nd playing 7th and so on.

The quarterfinal winners will move to the semifinals and the winners of the Cup semifinals move on to the final to earn a spot in Paris 2024.

UPDATE – 19 June 2024

World Rugby confirmed the withdrawal of Papua New Guinea’s men’s and women’s teams from the World Rugby Sevens Repechage in Monaco saying that a “decision was made for reasons including player welfare, due to the teams not securing the necessary travel documentation to meet their pre-tournament arrival deadline.”

In accordance with the Terms of Participation agreement and in alignment with other World Rugby Sevens events, all pool matches involving Papua New Guinea will be treated as void with no points awarded. This will impact the HKCR men as they were due to be in the same pool – it appears as if the schedule remains unchanged for now but it is best to check online for any changes.

Women’s Pools – World Rugby Sevens Repechage 2024

The women’s tournament looks wide open and will feature Argentina, China, Czechia, Hong Kong China, Kenya, Jamaica, Mexico, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Poland, Samoa, Uganda and Czechia.

Pool A

Argentina finished second behind China in the 2024 Challenger standings to qualify for the SVNS Play-off but their quest for SVNS promotion was ended by a defeat to Japan in Madrid.

• Argentina
• Kenya
• Papua New Guinea (Withdrawn from the tournament)
• Samoa

Pool B

Uganda are the form team in the pool and The Lady Cranes Sevens fell four points short of qualifying for the SVNS Play-off in Madrid after a poor performance in the final round in the final Challenger round in Krakow, Poland.

Hong Kong China won their only match against Paraguay in the 2024 Challenger 17-0 in Dubai back in January but both Hong Kong China and the Lady Cranes Sevens should be in contention for the quarter-finals when they meet in their final pool game on Saturday.

Hong Kong China have a near full-strength team and played a warmup game with Samoa in the weeks buildup.

• Uganda
• Hong Kong China Rugby
• Paraguay
• Jamaica

Pool C

China women are favourites this weekend after winning 17 of 18 matches in the World Rugby HSBC Sevens Challenger 2024 to claim all three tournament titles and then winning all four matches in Madrid to earn their sport in the 2024-2025 SVNS Series. They have only lost two competitive matches in 2024 (one in the Challenger and one in the Melrose Claymore Challenge vs Hong Kong China).

Head coach of the Chinese women’s Sevens team, Lu Zhuan is assisted by high-performance consultant Gordon Tietjens and former NZ 7s player Rocky Khan.

Tietjens said, “We haven’t got an easy pool. But, as a coach, I actually like tough pools. I think you’ve got to get up to win them. You’re not complacent, you know, you go out there to attack one game at a time. You treat every game like a final – and that’s how we’ve got to attack this tournament.”

• China
• Poland
• Czechia
• Mexico

Men’s Pools – World Rugby Sevens Repechage 2024

Photo Credit: HKCR – Claymore Sevens 2024 –  HKCR and China men

The men’s competition will be decided between Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Great Britain, Hong Kong China, Mexico, Papua New Guinea, South Africa, Spain, Tonga and Uganda.

South Africa’s Blitzboks, Canada, Great Britain and Spain all are in th SVNS Series, while a number of teams are in the Challenger Series.

Pool A

The Blitzboks are under pressure and Head Coach Philip Snyman calls this weekend ‘their most important tournament in the last two years’. He added, “We are facing some really good teams this weekend, but we are also playing ourselves and I believe that our lead-up preparation has settled the mindset.”

• South Africa
• Chile
• Tonga
• Mexico

Pool B

Great Britain will hope to continue some of their form as Tony Roques’ side finished the regular SVNS season with a silver and bronze medal from their final three tournaments.

Canada has spent the three weeks since the SVNS Play-off training in Europe and head coach Sean White is confident his side can bounce back in style. “As difficult as it has been, this group has turned the page on Madrid and has a sole focus on the task at hand,” he said.

China has competed in tournaments in Europe over recent weeks to prepare but have a tough pool.

• Great Britain
• Canada
• Uganda
• China

Pool C

Spain (Los Leones) head to Monaco full of confidence having won all four of their matches in Madrid three weeks ago to retain their SVNS status for next season.

Hong Kong China will want to break the hoodoo of ‘nearly men’ and come into the tournament on good form and with a string side. They played GB in the week’s buildup to prepare.

• Spain
• Hong Kong China
• Papua New Guinea (Withdrawn from the tournament)
• Brazil

World Rugby Sevens Repechage Tournament – Monaco Match Schedule

World Rugby released the match schedule for the World Rugby Sevens Repechage Tournament in Monaco on 21-23 June.

HKCR Squads – Monaco Rugby Sevens Repechage 2024

China Squads – Monaco Rugby Sevens Repechage 2024

Women

1 Ruan Hong Ting
2 Yan Meiling
5 Gu Yaoyao
7 Chen Keyi
9 Yang Feifei
11 Liu Xiaoqian
12 Hu Yu
15 Dou Xinrong
16 Sun Yue
20 Zhou Yan
28 Ma Xiaodan
31 Wang Xiao

Men

1 Yang Yuhang
2 Yi Zhiwen
3 Li Haitao
5 Shan Changshun
6 Wu Jiajun
7 Hu Zhenye
8 Jia Bowei
9 Gao Yinghao
10 Liu Luda
11 Wang Shuoshuo
12 Wang Bao
13 Gao Bing

Ticket Information – Mocaco Rugby 7s Repechage

All ticket information for the Repechage 7s tournament in Monaco can be found here.

Paris 2024 Olympics – Rugby Sevens

11 men’s and 11 women’s teams from all six World Rugby regions have already secured their spots in Paris and Rugby Sevens is set to provide the curtain raiser at Stade de France as it kicks off the Olympic Games in Paris on 24 July 2024, two days ahead of the Opening Ceremony.

The Olympic Rugby Sevens pools will be unveiled after the Repechage final once all teams are qualified, together with Paralympic pools for wheelchair rugby at the Salon d’Honneur of Stade Louis II in the presence of the captains of the qualified teams, and World Rugby and Paris 2024 representatives.

17 April 2023 marked the 100-day countdown to the Olympic Games Paris 2024.

Sevens Rugby News 2024

• Brian O’Driscoll – We’re Definitely Going In The Right Direction.
• Guide To The Asia Rugby 2024 International Tournaments.
• HKCR Men’s Head Coach Jevon Groves Reflects On A Succesful Melrose Claymores Debut.
• Sir Gordon Tjietiens On Taking Chinese Women’s Sevens Rugby To The Next Level.