World Rugby and Tokyo 2020 have this evening confirmed Australia’s pools for the upcoming Tokyo Olympics.
Reigning Olympic Gold medallists, the Australian Women’s Sevens side have been drawn in Pool C alongside host nation Japan. World Series powerhouse USA has also been allocated to Australia’s pool alongside Olympic debutants China.
Australian Women’s Sevens Head Coach John Manenti said: “We had many battles with the USA in the last few legs of the World Series, and we’re looking forward to that continuing come Games time.
“There is no doubt Japan will have a stadium of 10,000 people behind them, and we can’t underestimate the strength that it will provide the side, while China is a bit of an unknown, having only recently joined the series.
“As a team, we’ll be looking to start our campaign strong and use that momentum to carry us beyond the pool stages and into the finals,” Manenti said.
While the Australian Men’s team will continue their rivalry with New Zealand being allocated to Pool A. Australia will also take on Argentina, who finished sixth at the 2016 Olympics and the recently qualified Republic of Korea.
Australian Men’s Sevens Head Coach Tim Walsh said: “Every pool is highly competitive, and we’ll need to be on form every game to secure a quarter final spot.”
“New Zealand are currently World Champions while Argentina has won their last three tournaments against the likes of medal contenders USA and GB. There’s no skirting around the challenge we face.
“It will come down to how we prepare as a team, every individual has a role to play, and as a coach, I want them to walk off the field with no regrets that they’ve played their part,” Walsh said.
The Tokyo 2020 Olympic match schedule will be announced on July 7.
