Rugby sevens at the 2023 European Games facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rugby sevensat the 2023 European Games |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Venue | Stadion Miejski |
| Location | Kraków, Poland |
| Dates | 25–27 June |
| Competitors | 312 from 15 nations |
Get ready for some fast-paced action! Rugby sevens made its exciting debut at the European Games in 2023. This big event happened in Kraków, Poland. It wasn't just about winning medals. The teams that won gold in both the men's and women's tournaments earned a special ticket. They qualified directly for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris!
Top teams from the World Rugby Sevens Series, like Great Britain and Spain, were the favorites. Ireland was also a top team in the men's event. Other teams were ranked based on their performance in the Rugby Europe Championship Sevens.
Contents
How Teams Qualified for Rugby Sevens
Teams had to earn their spot to play in the European Games. They qualified through different tournaments and rankings. Poland, as the host country, automatically got a spot in both the men's and women's events.
Men's Teams Qualification
Twelve men's teams competed in the tournament. Here's how they qualified:
| How They Qualified | When | Where | Spots | Qualified Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Host nation | N/A | N/A | 1 |  Poland |
| 2022–23 World Rugby Sevens Series | November 2022 – May 2023 | Various | 3 |  Great Britain |
 Ireland |
||||
 Spain |
||||
| 2022 Rugby Europe Sevens Championship Series | June – July 2022 |  Lisbon Kraków |
7 |  Germany |
 Belgium |
||||
 Italy |
||||
| Portugal |
||||
 Georgia |
||||
 Lithuania |
||||
 Czech Republic |
||||
| 2022 Rugby Europe Sevens Trophy | June 2022 |  Zagreb Budapest |
1 |  Romania |
| 12 | ||||
Women's Teams Qualification
Twelve women's teams also took part in the competition. Here's how they earned their places:
| How They Qualified | When | Where | Spots | Qualified Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Host nation | N/A | N/A | 1 | Poland |
| 2022–23 World Rugby Women's Sevens Series | November 2022 – May 2023 | Various | Great Britain |
|
| Ireland |
||||
| Spain |
||||
| 2022 Rugby Europe Women's Sevens Championship Series | June – July 2022 | Lisbon Kraków |
4 | Belgium |
| Czech Republic |
||||
| Germany |
||||
| Romania |
||||
| 2022 Rugby Europe Women's Sevens Trophy | June 2022 | Zagreb Budapest |
4 | Italy |
| Portugal |
||||
 Sweden |
||||
 Turkey |
||||
| Replacing Ireland after they qualified for Paris 2024 | N/A | 1 |  Norway |
|
| 12 | ||||
Countries That Competed
Fifteen different countries sent their rugby sevens teams to the European Games. These countries are called National Olympic Committees (NOCs). The numbers in parentheses show how many athletes each country sent.
Belgium (26)
Czech Republic (26)
Georgia (13)
Germany (26)
Great Britain (26)
Ireland (13)
Italy (26)
Lithuania (13)
Norway (13)
Poland (26)
Portugal (26)
Romania (26)
Spain (26)
Sweden (13)
Turkey (13)
Medal Winners
Here's a summary of which countries won medals in rugby sevens at the 2023 European Games.
Medal Table
* Host nation (Poland)
| Rank | NOC | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Great Britain |
1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 2 | Ireland |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 3 | Poland* |
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 4 | Czech Republic |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Spain |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Totals (5 entries) | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | |
Medalists: Who Won Gold, Silver, and Bronze?
These are the amazing athletes who won medals for their countries.
| Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men |
Ireland Jack Kelly Andrew Smith Harry McNulty Zac Ward Niall Comerford Billy Dardis Jordan Conroy Liam McNamara Dylan O'Grady Terry Kennedy Mark Roche Sean Cribbin Bryan Mollen |
Great Britain Jamie Farndale Thomas Glyn Williams Alexander Davis Kaleem Barreto Ross McCann James Barden Olufemi Sofolarin Frederick Roddick Morgan Williams Robbie Fergusson Thomas Emery Will Homer Max McFarland |
Spain Tobias Sainz-Trápaga Josep Serres Asier Pérez Juan Ramos Nicolás Nieto Jaime Mata Pol Pla Miguel Reina Alejandro Laforga Manuel Moreno Tiago Romero Eduardo López Jaime Manteca |
| Women |
Great Britain Lisa Thomson Abbie Brown Rhona Lloyd Jade Shekells Shona Campbell Lauren Torley Emma Uren Heather Cowell Isla Norman-Bell Megan Jones Jasmine Joyce Amy Wilson-Hardy Ellie Boatman |
Poland Patrycja Zawadzka Julianna Schuster Tamara Czumer-Iwin Małgorzata Kołdej Marta Morus Katarzyna Paszczyk Anna Klichowska Hanna Maliszewska Julia Druzgała Natalia Pamięta Sylwia Witkowska Klaudia Respondek Martyna Wardaszka |
Czech Republic Julie Doležilová Pavlína Čuprová Kristýna Plevová Christine Tesařová Kristýna Riegertová Julie Petříková Anežka Sládková Vera Gärtnerová Petra Vacková Jana Urbanová Tereza Baťhová Veronika Bolfová Veronika Oupicová |
Road to the Paris 2024 Olympics
The rugby sevens tournament at the 2023 European Games was super important. It was a direct way for teams to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Olympic Qualification Spots
A total of two team spots for the Olympics were given out at this event. One spot was for the men's winner and one for the women's winner.
| Event | How to Qualify | Spots | Qualified Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men's tournament: | The winner of the European Games rugby sevens tournament earned one team spot. | 1 | Ireland |
| Women's tournament | The winner of the European Games rugby sevens tournament earned one team spot. | 1 | Great Britain |
| Total Olympic Spots | 2 | ||
Teams that finished second and third didn't qualify directly. However, they got another chance! They moved on to a final qualification tournament for the Paris 2024 Olympics.
