This comes as ongoing logistical challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic forced organisers to cancel a qualification tournament scheduled for April 2022.

As a result, Tonga will join Australia, Samoa, Fiji and New Zealand in the men’s event at the Commonwealth Games, while Olympic bronze medallists Fiji join Australia and New Zealand in the women’s competition. The 2022 Commonwealth Games rugby sevens competition will take place in Birmingham, England on 29-31 July.

For Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022, which will be hosted in Cape Town, South Africa on 9-11 September, Australia, Samoa and Tonga will join New Zealand and Fiji in the men’s competition with Fiji joining Australia and New Zealand in the women’s event.

These teams will join the nine men’s and 12 women’s teams that have so far qualified for Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 where Cape Town will host three days of non-stop rugby sevens action.

Meanwhile, the top nine Commonwealth Games teams – based on HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2020/21 results – will automatically qualify for the men’s competition, excluding the host team England, along with five regional qualifiers, broken down as follows: two from Africa and Asia and one from North America.

For the women’s competition, the line-up will comprise the host team, plus the top two Commonwealth teams from the 2020 and 2021 series and the best-placed North American team. If a North American team is already in the top two, the side from that region with the next best record will qualify. Three regional qualification winners from Africa, Asia, Europe and Oceania will join them in Birmingham.