After making its debut at the 2014 iteration in Nanjing, rugby sevens is set to return to the Youth Olympic Games format, as 16 teams and 15 nations have been confirmed to feature at the 2026 Dakar in November this year.
Around 2700 young athletes are expected to compete across 25 competition sports, with over 120 nations set to be represented, marking the first time ever an Olympic Games of any kind has ever been played on the African continent.
This year’s Youth Olympic Games in west Africa is the first time an African nation has hosted an Olympic sporting event and it offers many of the brightest teen rugby talents their first chance to shine on an international stage.
Dakar will mark the third time sevens has been played in the youth iteration, following it’s last event in Buenos Aires in 2018, with the event set to feature some of the world’s most promising young players of the next generation.
Eight men’s and women’s teams will take part, with each competition featuring two pools of four teams, with several new teams making their first appearances
Argentina will look to defend their men’s gold medal from 2018, while the women’s competition is set for new medalists, with 2018 gold medalists New Zealand, as well as silver medalists France and bronze medalists Canada not featuring.
Dakar 2026 Youth Olympics Sevens Pools:
Men’s tournament:
Pool A: Canada, Germany, Senegal, South Africa
Pool B: Argentina, France, Japan, Samoa
Women’s tournament:
Pool A: Australia, China, Kenya, Senegal
Pool B: Czechia, Madagascar, Spain, USA
With the pools now set, attention turns to Senegal, where a new generation of players will compete for Youth Olympic honours and the chance to make their mark on the international stage
