The countdown to the LA 2028 Olympic Games has officially begun for rugby sevens fans, with the competition window and venue confirmed for Dignity Health Sports Park (Carson Stadium). While the specific match-ups won’t be known until 2028, we now know the dates for the Men’s and Women’s blocks, allowing fans to plan their ticket purchases. This early announcement offers a prime opportunity to highlight the dynamic and rapidly growing women’s tournament, which will kick off the six days of action.
Dignity Health Sports Park in the greater Los Angeles, CA area is set to host both the women’s and men’s tournaments in a thrilling sequence, with the focus initially fixed on the world’s best female sevens players.
The Women’s Tournament: Competition Date Highlights
The Women’s Rugby Sevens tournament will run from Wednesday, July 12, to Saturday, July 15, 2028 and the Men’s tournament is July 16-18. The break in the Women’s competition is to accomdate the Opening Ceremonies on Friday, July 14. The competition will feature three days of intense pool play and knockout matches before the medal events.
Date | Time Window | Event |
| July 12 | 10AM-1PM | Pool Play (6 Games) |
| July 12 | 4PM-7PM | Pool Play (6 Games) |
| July 13 | 10AM-1PM | Pool Play (6 Games) |
| July 13 | 4PM-5PM | Quarterfinals (4 Games) and 9th-12th Semis (2 Games) |
| July 14 | Opening Ceremonies. No Rugby. | |
| July 15 | 1PM-4PM | Semifinals (2 Games), 5th-Place Semifinals (2 Games), and 9th-12th Finals (2 Games) |
| July 15 | 7pm-9:30PM | Medal Matches (2 Games) and 5th-8th Finals (2 Games) |
The action culminates on Saturday, July 15, 2028, with the medal matches scheduled for the evening session. Fans will witness the crowning of the Olympic champions, a title most recently claimed by the dominant New Zealand team.
Recent Olympic Success in Women’s Sevens
New Zealand’s recent gold medal victory at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games further confirmed their status as a global powerhouse. They defeated Canada in the final, while the United States secured a historic bronze medal finish.
The history of Women’s Olympic Rugby Sevens shows fierce competition at the top level:
Year | Host | Gold Medal | Silver Medal | Bronze Medal |
| 2024 | Paris | New Zealand | Canada | United States |
| 2020 | Tokyo | New Zealand | France | Fiji |
| 2016 | Rio de Janeiro | Australia | New Zealand | Canada |
Men’s Tournament Follows Suit
Following the women’s final, the Men’s Rugby Sevens tournament will take over Carson Stadium, running from Sunday, July 16, to Tuesday, July 18, 2028.
The men’s competition will follow a similar three-day format:
Date | Time Window | Event |
| July 16 | 10AM-1PM | Pool Play (6 Games) |
| July 16 | 4PM-7PM | Pool Play (6 Games) |
| July 17 | 10AM-1PM | Pool Play (6 Games) |
| July 17 | 4PM-5PM | Quarterfinals (4 Games) and 9th-12th Semis (2 Games) |
| July 18 | 1PM-4PM | Semifinals (2 Games), 5th-Place Semifinals (2 Games), and 9th-12th Finals (2 Games) |
| July 18 | 7pm-9:30PM | Medal Matches (2 Games) and 5th-8th Finals (2 Games) |
The Men’s Bronze and Gold Medal Matches will be played on Tuesday, July 18, 2028, closing out the entire Rugby Sevens program.
To see the entire Olympics schedule, go here.
The Road to LA 2028: An Early Look at Qualification
Until the 12-team field is set in early 2028, a match-by-match schedule cannot be produced. While the specific qualification criteria for the LA 2028 Olympic Rugby Sevens tournament have not been formally announced, they are widely expected to follow a process similar to the one used for the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Games.
This established system ensures a blend of global performance and continental representation across the twelve-team field for both the men’s and women’s competitions.
Expected Qualification Pathway (Based on Prior Games)
- Host Nation: The United States will receive an automatic qualification berth as the host nation.
- Global Series Performance: The top-ranked teams (likely the top four or five) at the conclusion of a designated HSBC SVNS Series (expected to be the 2026-27 or 2027-28 season) will secure their spots.
- Continental Qualifiers: Six more spots will be awarded to the winning teams from each of the six World Rugby regional confederations (Africa, Asia, Europe, Oceania, North America, and South America).
- Repechage: The final berth will be decided by a single, winner-takes-all World Rugby Sevens Repechage Tournament, featuring the best non-qualified teams from the continental events.
The Potential Impact of the New SVNS Format
World Rugby has recently unveiled an evolved HSBC SVNS model in the lead-up to LA 2028. This new structure sees the top-tier competition (Division 1) reduced to eight teams per gender.
While the core principle of using the SVNS standing for direct qualification is unlikely to change, the new format could potentially influence how many direct spots are awarded. With fewer teams in the top division, the competition is more concentrated, potentially making the regional and repechage tournaments even more critical for those outside the top eight as they push for Olympic inclusion.
Regardless of the final mechanics, the road to Dignity Health Sports Park will be long and challenging, requiring consistent excellence on the global stage, starting with the next SVNS season.
Any idea when we will know which matches the USA will play in? LA Olympics 28 is forcing us to secure tickets two years early— but I want to watch the USA! Any idea?
I totally feel your pain! Ticket windows are opening earlier and earlier and its tough to make choices this far out without all the information.
Historically, we won’t know the exact matchups until about 2-3 weeks before the torch is lit. This is because the seeds aren’t finalized until the Regional and HSBC SVNS Series ends that summer!
Our strategy is to aim for “Day 1” or “Day 2” tickets of the Men’s or Women’s blocks. Those are the pool play days, so the USA is guaranteed to play multiple matches in those sessions. You won’t know who they’re playing yet, but you’ll definitely see the Eagles!