The countdown to the LA 2028 Olympic Games has officially begun for rugby sevens fans, with the finalized schedule confirmed for Dignity Health Sports Park (Carson Stadium). This early announcement offers a prime opportunity to highlight the dynamic and rapidly growing women’s tournament, which will kick off the six days of action.

Dignity Health Sports Park in the greater Los Angeles, CA area is set to host both the women’s and men’s tournaments in a thrilling sequence, with the focus initially fixed on the world’s best female sevens players.

The Women’s Tournament: Schedule Highlights

The Women’s Rugby Sevens tournament will run from Wednesday, July 12, to Saturday, July 15, 2028. The competition will feature three days of intense pool play and knockout matches before the medal events.

DateSession TypeSession DescriptionWed, July 12Preliminary Pool PlayWomen’s Pool Play (6 Matches)Wed, July 12Preliminary Pool PlayWomen’s Pool Play (6 Matches)Thu, July 13Preliminary Pool PlayWomen’s Pool Play (6 Matches)Thu, July 13QuarterfinalClassification 9-12 (2 Matches) & Women’s Quarterfinals (4 Matches)Sat, July 15SemifinalClassification 5-8, Placing 11-12, Placing 9-10, Women’s Semifinals (2 Matches)Sat, July 15FinalPlacing 7-8, Placing 5-6, Women’s Bronze Medal Match, Women’s Gold Medal Match

The action culminates on Saturday, July 15, 2028, with the medal matches scheduled for the evening session. Fans will witness the crowning of the Olympic champions, a title most recently claimed by the dominant New Zealand team.

Recent Olympic Success in Women’s Sevens
New Zealand’s recent gold medal victory at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games further confirmed their status as a global powerhouse. They defeated Canada in the final, while the United States secured a historic bronze medal finish.

The history of Women’s Olympic Rugby Sevens shows fierce competition at the top level:

YearHostGold MedalSilver MedalBronze Medal2024ParisNew ZealandCanadaUnited States2020TokyoNew ZealandFranceFiji2016Rio de JaneiroAustraliaNew ZealandCanadaMen’s Tournament Follows Suit

Following the women’s final, the Men’s Rugby Sevens tournament will take over Carson Stadium, running from Sunday, July 16, to Tuesday, July 18, 2028.

The men’s competition will follow a similar three-day format:

DateSession TypeSession DescriptionSun, July 16Preliminary Pool PlayMen’s Pool Play (6 Matches)Sun, July 16Preliminary Pool PlayMen’s Pool Play (6 Matches)Mon, July 17Preliminary Pool PlayMen’s Pool Play (6 Matches)Mon, July 17QuarterfinalClassification 9-12 (2 Matches) & Men’s Quarterfinals (4 Matches)Tue, July 18SemifinalClassification 5-8, Placing 11-12, Placing 9-10, Men’s Semifinals (2 Matches)Tue, July 18FinalPlacing 7-8, Placing 5-6, Men’s Bronze Medal Match, Men’s Gold Medal Match

The Men’s Bronze and Gold Medal Matches will be played on Tuesday, July 18, 2028, closing out the entire Rugby Sevens program.

To see the entire Olympics schedule, go here.

The Road to LA 2028: An Early Look at Qualification

While the specific qualification criteria for the LA 2028 Olympic Rugby Sevens tournament have not been formally announced, they are widely expected to follow a process similar to the one used for the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Games.

This established system ensures a blend of global performance and continental representation across the twelve-team field for both the men’s and women’s competitions.

Expected Qualification Pathway (Based on Prior Games)Host Nation: The United States will receive an automatic qualification berth as the host nation.Global Series Performance: The top-ranked teams (likely the top four or five) at the conclusion of a designated World Rugby Women’s Sevens Series season (expected to be the 2026-27 or 2027-28 season) will secure their spots.Continental Qualifiers: Six more spots will be awarded to the winning teams from each of the six World Rugby regional confederations (Africa, Asia, Europe, Oceania, North America, and South America).Repechage: The final berth will be decided by a single, winner-takes-all World Rugby Sevens Repechage Tournament, featuring the best non-qualified teams from the continental events.The Potential Impact of the New SVNS Format

World Rugby has recently unveiled an evolved HSBC SVNS model in the lead-up to LA 2028. This new structure sees the top-tier competition (Division 1) reduced to eight teams per gender.

While the core principle of using the SVNS standing for direct qualification is unlikely to change, the new format could potentially influence how many direct spots are awarded. With fewer teams in the top division, the competition is more concentrated, potentially making the regional and repechage tournaments even more critical for those outside the top eight as they push for Olympic inclusion.

Regardless of the final mechanics, the road to Carson Stadium will be long and challenging, requiring consistent excellence on the global stage, starting with the next SVNS season.