GB men bid to secure last sevens place at Olympics

Great Britain Sevens men's squad person to triumph nan repechage tourney starting successful Monaco connected Friday to unafraid nan last spot astatine nan Olympic Games.

The event, which finishes connected Sunday, is nan past chance to suffice for Paris 2024 and only 1 of nan 12 teams competing will make it to France.

Great Britain, who won a metallic badge astatine Rio 2016, vanished ninth during nan 2022-23 World Rugby Sevens Series to miss retired connected nan apical 4 automatic qualifying spots.

Ireland past defeated GB successful nan last of nan 2023 European Games to summation a spot done location qualifying, leaving Monaco arsenic nan past opportunity to qualify.

Hosts France, New Zealand, Argentina, Fiji, Australia, Uruguay, Ireland, United States, Kenya, Samoa and Japan person each qualified for nan men's title successful Paris, pinch nan GB women's squad besides group to compete.

Pool A: South Africa, Chile, Tonga, Mexico.

Pool B: Great Britain, Canada, Uganda, China.

Pool C: Spain, Hong Kong, Papua New Guinea, Brazil.

GB commencement their run against China (14:28 BST) connected Friday earlier playing Uganda (11:28) and main Pool B rivals Canada (16:32) connected Saturday.

The Canadians came wrong 1 crippled of nan Paris Olympics but were defeated by nan United States 24-14 successful their location qualifying.

South Africa, who won bronze astatine Rio 2016, mislaid to Kenya successful their location qualifying arena and airs nan biggest threat to Great Britain.

Spain, who qualified for Rio done nan repechage, reached nan semi-finals of nan European Games earlier being defeated 19-7 by GB and will fancy their chances of qualifying for different Olympics.

The apical 2 from each excavation and nan 2 champion third-placed teams will spell done to nan quarter-finals.

Seeding for nan quarter-finals is from a mixed excavation standings, meaning GB will want to maximise their points scored successful each excavation lucifer to debar South Africa successful an early knockout round.

GB caput coach Tony Roques has named a 12-player squad for nan repechage tournament, which sees nan return of some Tom Emery and Alex Davis.

Roques took complete arsenic coach of nan GB Sevens men's squad for nan Tokyo Olympics successful 2021 wherever his broadside were defeated by Argentina successful nan bronze-medal match.

Since Tokyo, GB person mislaid knowledgeable skipper Tom Mitchell and all-time apical try-scorer successful nan World Series Dan Norton, who some retired from sevens successful 2022.

Scotland's Robbie Fergusson will skipper GB, who complete nan past 2 seasons person struggled pursuing nan nonaccomplishment of their knowledgeable Olympians and vanished ninth and eighth successful nan World Series.

However, successful March GB reached nan last successful nan Los Angeles tournament, wherever they were defeated 21-0 by a French squad inspired by Antoine Dupont.

That tally to nan last included wins complete repechage opponents Canada arsenic good arsenic Australia and Spain.

This month, World Series champions France besides needed extra-time to conclusion GB astatine nan Grand Final successful Madrid.

The men's sevens tourney gets nether measurement astatine nan Olympics successful Paris connected 24 July, pinch nan women's arena starting connected 28 July.

GB repechage squad: Kaleem Barreto, Ross McCann, Harry Glover, Morgan Williams, Robbie Fergusson (capt), Ethan Waddleton, Will Homer, Max McFarland, Jamie Barden, Charlton Kerr, Tom Emery, Alex Davis.