The incredible drama of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series provided four women's and four men's qualifiers for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where hosts France will also be competing.

This leaves the six regions ready to provide a men's and women's qualifier while the 12th team to compete in each tournament at the biggest of sporting events will come from a final repechage competition at a date and venue to be announced.

South America, guaranteed to be represented by Los Pumas Sevens, who secured their ticket for Paris by finishing second in the 2023 men’s Series, will host six men's and seven women's national teams dreaming of reaching the Games in Montevideo this weekend.

With action starting on Saturday at 09:00 local time (GMT-3), the identity of the two teams that will travel to Paris will be known on Sunday as the sun sets at the Estadio Charrúa. The Sudamérica Rugby Sevens will be available to watch on Sudamérica Rugby’s YouTube channel.

The second and third placed men’s and women’s teams will have a second opportunity to find their way to Paris at a later stage through the repechage.

In the women’s competition, Brazil are aiming for their third consecutive Olympic Games appearance, having been hosts of Rio 2016 and a qualifier for Tokyo 2020.

Colombia, who qualified for Rio, are always a contender as are Argentina. Yet, Paraguay cannot be discarded as the Yacarés have grown since embracing high performance. Perú, Chile and Uruguay complete the line-up.

Speedster Bianca Silva, currently playing for the Nagato Blue Angels in Japan, returns to the Brazilian team having missed the whole 2023 Series.

Brazil captain María Fioravanti said: “We had a very strong preparation, taking into account that we played in the Series.

“We needed to rest, both mentally and physically, and the break helped us regain our confidence as we will be defending the South American title. But, it is not about what happened before but what we achieve now.”

Brazil have won each of the 20 South American Sevens they have played to date. In 2015, the team did not participate in the tournament that doubled as Olympic qualifier and was won by Colombia.

“We will be fully focused knowing that we want that place in Paris,” Fioravanti concluded.

The round-robin tournament will produce a winner, and the last game, scheduled for Sunday at 17:43 local time (GMT-3), will potentially be decisive as it pitches the two leading teams from the region, Brazil and Colombia, against each other.

Unfortunately, the Colombian Tucanes will miss their perennial leader María Camila Lopera, a veteran of Rio 2016, who was an 11th hour withdrawal through injury.

Los Pumas Sevens open a window of opportunity

With Argentina's place in Paris already secured, the men's tournament will feature six nations. Los Pumas Sevens' earlier qualification opens up a huge Olympic opportunity for a second team.

Uruguay, who narrowly missed out on securing safety and their place as a core team for the 2024 Series, are playing at home and are therefore the team to beat.

“It is a unique opportunity,” Los Teros Sevens captain Diego Ardao (pictured) said. “Argentina securing their ticket makes this opportunity more palpable.

“It will be a tough challenge because without Los Pumas Sevens, every nation will be going for the qualifying spot.

“We have a rhythm and experience in sevens that other teams don’t have; from that intensity and volume we have to showcase our advantage. Also playing at home will be big as we train every day there and we know the place inside out. Hopefully, the people will come.”

Chile and Brazil played in the World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series in South Africa earlier this year, with little success, yet will push Uruguay all the way.

The Brazilians will have two Olympians in their squad in Laurent Bourda-Couhet and captain Moisés Duque, whose older brother Lucas, another member of the 2016 team, is the coach.

Chile, on the other hand, have included a number of players recently named in the pre-Rugby World Cup 2023 training squad, many of whom are regular 15s players. They include Matías Garafulic and Marcelo Torrealba, try scorers when Chile beat USA to qualify for France 2023.

Fixtures (all times GMT-3)

Women’s:

Saturday
09:00   Colombia v Argentina
09:23   Brazil v Perú
09:46   Chile v Uruguay
11:46   Brazil v Argentina
12:09   Chile v Perú
12:32   Uruguay v Paraguay
14:32   Colombia v Perú
14:55   Brazil v Paraguay
15:18   Argentina v Chile
17:18   Paraguay v Colombia
17:41   Perú v Uruguay

Sunday
09:00   Paraguay v Chile
09:46   Argentina v Uruguay
11:23   Colombia v Chile
11:46   Perú v Argentina
12:09   Brazil v Uruguay
14:04   Chile v Paraguay
14:27   Brazil v Perú
14:50   Colombia v Uruguay
16:53   Paraguay v Argentina
17:43   Brazil v Colombia

Men's

Saturday
10:09   Brazil v Colombia
10:32   Chile v Paraguay
11:18   Uruguay v Perú
12:55   Brazil v Chile
13:18   Uruguay v Colombia
13:41   Paraguay v Perú
16:04   Colombia v Perú
16:27   Brazil v Paraguay
16:50   Chile v Uruguay

Sunday
09:46   Colombia v Paraguay
10:09   Uruguay v Brazil
10:32   Chile v Perú
12:55   Colombia v Chile
13:18   Uruguay v Paraguay
13:41   Brazil v Perú
16:28   Fifth place play-off
17:18   Third place play-off
18:08   Final