Argentina bid to continue memorable year

Australia and Samoa will have the honour of kicking off the tournament when they run out into a packed Stade de France at 15:30 local time on Wednesday.

John Manenti’s Australia won two of their three meetings with Samoa during the 2024 series on their way to a fourth-place regular season finish.

Their squad for Paris has been bolstered by the return of Henry Hutchison and the addition of test winger Mark Nawaqanitawase as he prepares to leave the game for rugby league.

“It’s very special,” Nawaqanitawase, who appeared at the Commonwealth Games 2022, said.

“I get up watching [the Olympics] no matter what event or sport, it’s pretty crazy to think that I’ll be able to run out there and represent my country."

Samoa felt the absence of Vaa Apelu Maliko as they were ultimately relegated from SVNS but coach Brian Lima has been able to call on his try-scoring captain for Paris 2024.

Following the opening match, SVNS 2024 League Winners Argentina will join the Pool B party when they take on Kenya at Stade de France.

Having started the regular season with four successive Cup final appearances, winning all but the first of those, Los Pumas Sevens came within a whisker of claiming a memorable double.

An agonising 19-5 Championship final defeat to France in Madrid denied them but with Marcos Moneta back to full fitness, Argentina will be determined to end Fiji’s stranglehold of the Olympic title.

Los Pumas Sevens announced themselves to the world with a bronze medal in Tokyo three years ago and with a number of series tournament wins to their name since then, Moneta and Co. will want to go at least one step further in Paris.

Unfortunately for Argentina, they will have to do without Rodrigo Isgró as the World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year 2023 serves a three-match suspension. He has been named as a travelling reserve.

Kenya, meanwhile, condemned Rio 2016 bronze medallists South Africa to the World Rugby Sevens Repechage as they beat the Blitzboks in regional Olympic qualifying.

That feat maintained the Shujaa Sevens’ proud record of qualifying for every Games since rugby’s reintroduction in Rio and although seeded 11th in Paris, they will be confident they can upset anyone on their day.

Momentum is definitely with the team, having secured their place on the 2025 SVNS series in Madrid. Powered by the tries of Patrick Odongo Okong’o and with returning Olympians Herman Humwa and Vincent Onyala providing experience, no one will want to play Kenya.