Continental rugby governing body, Rugby Africa, has selected South Africa and Tunisia as respective hosts of the Africa Men’s Sevens and Africa Women’s Sevens tournaments.

Both tournaments will serve as qualification events for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

While Nigeria won’t be involved in the Women’s Sevens tournament in Tunisia, the men’s national team, The Black Stallions, will vie with thirteen (13) other rugby national teams for a chance to emerge African Champion at the South Africa tournament which holds on 8 and 9 November at the Bosman Stadium, Johannesburg.

Winners will secure direct qualification to the 2020 summer Olympics in Tokyo while the teams finishing second and third will be given a final opportunity to make the Olympics at the world repêchage tournament later in the year.

South Africa, currently ranked 4th and enjoying a comfortable lead over 5th place in the World Series classification which comes to an end on June 2nd, appear set to qualify directly to the Olympics if they maintain their classification.

In this case, they will not participate in the African qualifications, meaning that Africa will have at least two representatives in the Olympic tournament.

Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire, finalists of the Regional Sevens tournament held last September in Abidjan, qualified as the 13th and 14th teams for the 2019 Men’s Sevens Tournament.

Participating teams for the Africa Men’s Sevens:

Bosman stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa: 8 & 9 November 2019

Zimbabwe, Kenya, Uganda, Madagascar, Zambia, Tunisia, Senegal, Morocco, Namibia, Ghana, Botswana, Mauritius, Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria.

Africa Women’s Sevens:

Jemmel Municipal Stadium, Tunisia, 12 & 13 October 2019

Kenya, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Madagascar, Senegal, Botswana, Zambia, Morocco, Mauritius, South Africa, Ghana, Tunisia.