Olympic Rugby: How to Watch Team USA

In case you haven’t heard, rugby returns to the Summer Olympics next week for the first time since 1924, when the French rioted over an American gold-medal victory. We don’t expect any similar fireworks this time around, but there should be some great sevens rugby played at Deodoro Stadium in Rio de Janeiro. 

There are three pools of four teams each. The top two teams in each pool will qualify for the quarterfinals (6). In addition, the two best third-place teams (based on total points, then point differential), also advance, for a total of eight. 

2016 Olympics: Rugby Schedule

The USA women’s and men’s rugby teams will see live TV coverage beginning Saturday, August 6. All team USA pool matches will be aired live on NBCSN, CNBC and USA cable networks. 

Two of the women’s and all men’s quarterfinal matches will be live regardless of the teams advancing. If the USA women do not win their pool, and do not finish second-best among the third-place teams, we will not see this game on live TV.  

Note: Times listed below are Eastern Time (ET). Times subject to change. Check http://www.nbcolympics.com/rugby for updates. 

Women

Pool A: USA, Fiji, Australia, Columbia
Pool B: New Zealand, Kenya, France, Spain
Pool C: Great Britain, Brazil, Canada, Japan  

Men

Pool A: Fiji, USA, Argentina, Brazil
Pool B: South Africa, Australia, France, Spain
Pool C: Great Britain, New Zealand, Japan, Kenya