The pools have been confirmed for the rugby sevens competitions at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, with 8 men’s and 8 women’s teams set to battle for Olympic glory in Senegal.
Rugby sevens will make its third appearance at the Youth Olympic Games, bringing together some of the world’s most promising young players. The tournament will be staged at the 8,000-capacity Complexe Iba Mar Diop, with competition worked off from 1 to 3 November.
In the women’s competition, Australia, China, Kenya and hosts Senegal have been drawn in Pool A, while Pool B consists of Czechia, Madagascar, Spain and the USA.
The men’s tournament will see Canada, Germany, Senegal and South Africa compete in Pool A, while Argentina, France, Japan and Samoa form Pool B.
So, Chinese girls and Japanese men will represent the Asian region in this tournament.
The Dakar Games will be historic as the first Olympic sporting event to be staged on the African continent. Around 2,700 young athletes are expected to compete across 25 sports.
Rugby sevens first appeared at the Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing in 2014 before returning at Buenos Aires 2018. Argentina won men’s gold in Buenos Aires, while New Zealand claimed the women’s title. With strong teams in both competitions, Dakar promises another exciting chapter in the development of youth rugby.