Rugby sevens, also known as seven-a-side, will make its debut as an Olympic sport in 2016. Rugby sevens is a variant of rugby union in which teams are made up of seven players playing seven-minute halves, instead of the usual 15 players playing 40-minute halves.
Rugby sevens is administered by World Rugby, the body responsible for Rugby Union worldwide.The game is popular at all levels, with amateur and club tournaments generally held in the summer months. Sevens is one of the most well distributed forms of rugby, and is popular in parts of Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas, and especially in the South Pacific.
Rugby sevens is commonly referred to by rugby union media and fans as simply "sevens".