In a significant statement from the International Olympic Committee, their executive board have announced that they will retain all 28 sports that featured at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games for the 2024 Olympic Games programme. The move means that Olympic sevens will go on beyond the 2020 Games in Tokyo.

As they said in their statement today: “In another decision regarding the Olympic programme, the Executive Board approved the overall composition of the sports programme for the Olympic Games 2024 to include all 28 sports on the programme of the Olympic Games Rio 2016.”

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Talking of the announcement, World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont said: “While the IOC Session will ultimately consider this recommendation, World Rugby, like the entire global rugby family, is very excited by today’s Executive Board’s recommendation.

“I would like to thank the IOC President Thomas Bach and the IOC Executive Board for placing their continued trust in rugby, and our national member unions, players and passionate fans for making sevens the best it can possibly be.

All smiles: World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont

“We now await the decision of the IOC Session and continue to be fully committed to the Olympic Charter and the highest standards of anti-doping as we look to what promises to be a spectacular Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and, hopefully, beyond.”

The IOC are expected to announce where the 2024 Olympic Games will be held in an extraordinary IOC session in Lausanne over 11 and 12 July. They will decide which city out of Paris and Los Angeles will hold the games in 2024 – with the city losing out to be slated as the hosts for 2028.