Origin and differences with 15-a-side

Antoine Dupont, the captain of France and Toulouse and one of the biggest names in world rugby, will represent France at the Olympic Games in Paris.

The shortened version of the game guarantees exciting action, where players can be exposed much more easily than in the traditional version.

Watch every Rugby Sevens match from the Paris 2024 Olympic Games ad-free, live and on demand in 4K on Stan Sport and live on Nine and 9Now.

AFP Sport examines the key differences – and similarities – between the two versions of rugby union.

Scottish origin

Rugby sevens originated in Melrose, Scotland, in 1883 when some butchers organised a fundraising tournament. It is still played annually.

The popularity of rugby sevens increased, but it really took off with the development of Hong Kong Sevens in the 1970s.

The sport was first included in the Commonwealth Games in 1998, while the Rugby World Cup Sevens, held every four years, was first organised in 1993 for men and in 2009 for women.

The men compete for the Melrose Cup, named after the aforementioned town in the Scottish Borders.

World Circuit

Under the auspices of World Rugby, the annual World Rugby Sevens Series for men was launched in 1999. The women got their own series in 2012.

Last season, the series ran from December to June, with the men’s and women’s events taking place on the same weekends, in the same cities and at the same locations, in an attempt to create a festival atmosphere.

The new format featured the top 12 men’s and women’s teams and the tournament concluded with a grand final weekend where the top eight teams competed for the title of Series Champion.

France, led by Dupont, defeated Argentina to win the men’s event, while Australia won the women’s final.

Rugby at the Olympic Games

The 15-a-side version of rugby union was last played at the 1924 Olympic Games in Paris, when the United States defeated the host nation for gold. The game returned for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, but in the sevens format.

Fiji’s men and Australia’s women won in the Brazilian capital. At the Covid-delayed Tokyo Games five years later, it was Fiji again that won the men’s competition, while New Zealand’s women were crowned champions after beating France.

Rules remain the same

The basic rules remain the same: five points for a try, two for a conversion and three for a penalty. The ball must still be passed backwards and placed behind the goal line for a try. Three-man scrums and line-outs are also part of the game.

The dimensions of the field are the same for both disciplines (70x100m), but there are seven players per team instead of fifteen and the playing time is adjusted accordingly: each half lasts seven minutes instead of the 40 minutes for 15 players.

In rugby sevens, penalty kicks and conversions are not taken from the ground using a tee, but as drop goals.

Different physical demands

Rugby sevens requires speed and reaction, a level of athleticism where attacking play often covers the length of the field. Defensively, players must be good at tackling and also playing for turnovers, a hugely tiring task.

There is little room for error, particularly in defence. There are a number of XVs players who have shone on the sevens circuit, but this is less the case these days as sevens specialists are much more adept at the game.

New Zealand took Sonny Bill Williams in 2016, Dupont will wear the France shirt on home soil, but players such as Springbok winger Bryan Habana and former Australia captain Michael Hooper failed to make the cut.

Strategy

In sevens the priority is usually on keeping the ball, which is very different from XVs, where a tactical kicking strategy is often employed.

Contact avoidance in sevens has been much less prevalent in recent years as most teams have improved their perimeter defenses dramatically. Instead, teams are attempting to initiate contact on their own terms in an effort to draw defensive players and create gaps.