By Nick Mulvenney
RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Rugby will return to the Olympic arena for the first time since 1924 when 14 women from France and Spain take to the pitch on Saturday for the opening match of the sevens competition at the Rio de Janeiro Games.
A feast of almost non-stop action played out at a furious pace can be expected at the Deodoro Stadium over the six days of competition.
Although the first match will be contested by Europeans, it is the southern hemisphere nations who are expected to be vying for the medals come the end of both the women's tournament and the Aug. 9-11 men's competition that follows.
Australia, who get their Pool A campaign underway against Colombia on Saturday, won the fourth world series earlier this year and so will start as favourites for women's gold.
"Tall poppies," coach Tim Walsh told Reuters before the squad departed for Brazil. "You've got to come in as favourites and people are going to come after you."
Chief among the teams coming for the Australians will be their neighbours New Zealand, who won the first three world series crowns.
Coach Sean Horan freely admits that his team, which features prolific try scorer Portia Woodman, treated the 2015-16 world series as an "interview" for the Olympics and New Zealand will duly be expected to top Pool B.
Canada, who are in Pool C, are the northern hemisphere's best hopes of gold medal success with Britain and France close behind.
As in the women's competition, the 12 men's teams are split into three pools with the top two and best two third-placed sides advancing to the quarter-finals after the round robin matches.
Fiji, who have won the last two world sevens series, are favourites to top Pool A, while a New Zealand side featuring twice 15-man World Cup winner Sonny Bill Williams will be expected to do the same in Pool C.
Speedster Seabelo Senatla will do South Africa's chances of topping Pool B no harm, while Britain, Australia and the United States will also be hoping to be amongst the medallists on Aug. 11.