Rugby: Australia, Kenya qualify for Olympics

Pama Fou and captain Ed Jenkins scored two tries each as Australia's men's rugby sevens side qualified for next year's Rio Olympics with a comprehensive 50-0 victory over Tonga in the final of the Oceania qualifying tournament.

The Australians underlined their superior skills and fitness from regular competition in the World Sevens Series against the Tongans, who are not one of the core teams on the circuit, in yesterday's final in west Auckland.

The 25-year Fou, a former representative volleyball player, was superb on the wing, while Jenkins also exploited the width and speed his team were able to deliver against Tonga.

"Our journey starts now," Jenkins said in a televised interview. "We took the long road to get there but we finally did it, now we just have to enjoy the next year and what is to come."

The Tongans had upset World Sevens Series regulars Samoa 41-5 to make the final, but were unable to contest in the tackle or at the breakdown with the same ferocity as they had against their fellow Pacific Islanders.

Tonga and Samoa can still secure a berth for Rio at a final playoff tournament next June.

Fiji and New Zealand were not present in Auckland having already qualified for the men's tournament in Rio after finishing in the top four of the world series, while the Australian and New Zealand women's teams had also qualified.

The trans-Tasman neighbours will be joined by Fiji in Rio after Rusila Nagasau scored four tries in a 55-0 rout over Samoa in the women's final.

"We have been working very hard, we couldn't wait for this moment and nothing was going to stop us from coming here and doing our job," said Fiji's Rebecca Tavo, a former captain of Australia's women's side.

"It means so much for Fiji. We have got some awesome girls waiting back home to get on this team."

Kenya claim African spot

Kenya booked their place in the men's rugby sevens at the Olympic Games next year in dramatic fashion on Sunday after winning the African qualification tournament in Johannesburg.

Dennis Ombachi scored the winning try after the final buzzer had sounded as Kenya edged Zimbabwe 19-17 in the decider to seal their trip to Rio de Janeiro.

They join South Africa as the continent's two confirmed representatives after the Springboks sealed their place by finishing second in the 2014-15 Sevens World Series.

Zimbabwe, Tunisia and Morocco, who made up the rest of the top four in the African qualifier, now take part in a final qualification tournament involving 16 teams who fell short in their respective continental championships.

The date for that event has not yet been set, but must take place by the end of June next year. Only the winning team will play at the Olympics, completing the 12-team field.

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