The Rugby Sevens schedule for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games has been released with 16 days to go until the Games begin. The men's competition will take place on 24, 25 and 27 July, while the women's competition will run from 28 to 30 July. The men's final on 27 July will be the first team gold medal of the Games.

Australia and Samoa will have the honour of opening the Olympic competition when they take to the field on 24 July at 15:30 CET (GMT+2). Recent SVNS Grand Final champions France, led by global superstar Antoine Dupont, will begin their campaign against the USA at 16:30, followed by two-time Olympic champions Fiji against debutants Uruguay at 17:00.

Ireland and Great Britain open the women's tournament on 28 July, while defending champions New Zealand take on Challenger Series winners China.

The 69,000-seater Stade de France is expected to be packed in a country with a strong rugby tradition and some of the best teams in the world.

A total of twelve men's and twelve women's teams will compete in three groups of four, based on their Olympic seeding. The teams have been ranked according to their performances over the past two years in the HSBC SVNS.

World Rugby CEO Alan Gilpin said: "The announcement of the match schedule is another exciting step on the road to Paris, with just 16 days to go until Rugby Sevens kicks off at the Olympic Games. Players, teams and fans can now mark their calendars and begin to prepare for what promises to be six incredible days of thrilling and dramatic action, showcasing the speed, power and skill of Rugby Sevens to a massive global audience".

Format:

The competition will see all teams play three matches in the group stage, with eight teams progressing to the quarter-finals on the evening of the second day. The third day will see the semi-finals and the crucial medal matches, where Olympic dreams will be made or broken.