The Rugby Sevens will be at the Olympics for the third edition in a row, with Australia looking to be a top contender in the medal race in Paris.

Australia’s men’s side is one of 12 nations competing at the 2024 Olympics, with the men’s tournament taking place over four exciting days at the beginning of the games between July 24 and July 27.

The Sporting News looks back at how Australia fared at the first two men’s rugby sevens tournaments at the Olympics.

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Australia history at men’s Olympics rugby sevens: Australia best finish

Despite being one of the top nations in the rugby sevens circuit globally, Australia has been underwhelming in the first two editions of the men’s rugby sevens Olympic tournaments.

In 2016 they finished third in their pool and were then unceremoniously defeated in the quarter-finals by South Africa.

They struggled even more in Tokyo four years later, only winning once in the pool stage and narrowly qualifying for the quarter-finals.

Australia were then comfortably defeated in the quarter-finals by Fiji — failing to score a point — though they managed to at least beat Canada in the seventh place match.

Rugby sevens: Who do the Australian men’s team play at the Olympics?

Australia has been placed in Pool B, which includes Argentina, Samoa and Kenya.

The Aussie men’s rugby sevens side has never won a medal at the Olympics, finishing eighth at Rio 2016 and seventh at Tokyo 2020.

Argentina claimed bronze in Tokyo and will feature at the Games for a third consecutive time.

Kenya’s best result is a 9th-place finish in 2020, while Samoa will be making their Olympic debut this year.

The three pools in Paris are as follows:

Pool A

Pool B

Pool C

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Rugby sevens: Australian men’s team Olympic schedule, times

Rugby sevens: Australian men’s team, squad

• Ben Dowling
• Hayden Sargeant
• Dietrich Roache
• Hadley Tonga
• Hayden Sargeant
• Henry Hutchison
• Henry Paterson
• James Turner
• Mark Nawaqanitawase
• Maurice Longbottom
• Nathan Lawson
• Nick Malouf (c)