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YEAR IN REVIEW 2015 WORLD RUGBY 51ABOVEAustralia’s men celebrate Olympic qualificationArgentina’s men and Colombia’s women emerged victorious in Santa Fe. The North American event followed a week later and saw the USA claim both titles after two days of competition in the searing Californian heat. It was the same scenario in Europe, where France’s men and women both qualified after winning their respective Rugby Europe Grand Prix Series titles, the men having reeled off 18 straight victories to win in Moscow, Lyon and Exeter.Johannesburg was the venue for both of Africa’s regional qualifiers, albeit nearly two months apart. South Africa’s women won the Rugby Africa Sevens in September but after their National Olympic Committee declined the invitation to play in Rio, the qualification place was accepted by runners-up Kenya. In November, Kenya’s men booked their ticket to Rio 2016, albeit only after Dennis Ombachi’s try with the final play sealed a 21-17 win over Zimbabwe.Australia’s men, who had just missed out on a top four spot in the world series, justified their pre-tournament favourites’ tag in the Oceania Rugby Sevens, a 50-0 win over surprise finalists Tonga taking their points tally in six matches to 297 with just one try against them in the debit column. The women’s event also went according to the form book with Fiji putting 55 unanswered points on Samoa in the final in Auckland.Like USA and France, Japan had double cause for celebration after winning their respective Asian qualifiers. Following on from the men’s 24-12 win over hosts Hong Kong in early November, the Sakura Sevens, as the Japanese women’s team are known, booked their passage to Rio after winning both of the qualification tournaments in Hong Kong and Tokyo.This leaves only one place remaining in both the men’s and women’s events and these will be filled by the winners of the respective global repechage tournaments in Monaco and Dublin next June. Competing in the men’s event in Monaco on 18-19 June will be: Uruguay, Chile, Canada, Mexico, Spain, Russia, Germany, Ireland, Hong Kong, Korea, Sri Lanka, Tonga, Samoa, Zimbabwe, Morocco and Tunisia. A week later in Ireland, it will be the women’s turn with Argentina, Venezuela, Mexico, Trinidad and Tobago, Russia, Spain, Ireland, Portugal, Tunisia, Zimbabwe, Madagascar, Samoa, Cook Islands, Kazakhstan, Hong Kong and China taking part.Men’s tournamentArgentinaAustraliaBrazilFijiFranceGreat BritainJapanKenyaNew ZealandSouth AfricaUSARepechage winnerQUALIFIED TEAMSWomen’s tournamentAustraliaBrazilCanadaColombiaFijiFranceGreat BritainJapanKenyaNew ZealandUSARepechage winner ROAD TO RIO | WORLD IN UNION