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.
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 | |||
