Seedings confirmed for Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022

The Black Ferns Sevens team, who are also defending their title and who are the Olympic champions, have seen Australia awarded top seeding.

South Africa have been named top seed in the men's section after their 36-match winning streak while winning six rounds of the World Series in 2021-22.

Australia are seeded second while two-time Olympic champions Fiji are third seeds.

Seedings were based on points awarded during the HSBC World Rugby Sevens series in 2020 and 2022. New Zealand missed several tournaments during those years as a result of the Covid pandemic.

The tournament will be played in Cape Town from September 9-11.

Twenty-four men's teams will play on the opening day with a qualification round for those sides seeded 9-24. The winners of those games will progress to the round of 16 where they will play the top eight seeded teams.

Sixteen teams are playing in the women's tournament and they will be straight into knock out matches on the first day.

The Black Ferns Sevens will play Colombia in their opening game.