Rugby 7s was introduced to the Summer Olympic programme at the 2016 Games in Rio with both a men’s and women’s competition. Rugby 7s is a fast paced game with each match comprising two seven minute halves. The entire competition usually takes place over two days.

The competition comprises 12 men’s and 12 women’s teams. The competition format involves pool play followed by a knockout round. There are three pools of four teams each. At the end of pool play, the eight best teams qualify for the quarterfinals. The winner of the final earns the gold medal and the final runner-up earns silver. The two losing semi-finalists play a third-place playoff to determine who earns the bronze medal.