In the second part of our review of the year, we look back at an historic period when rugby returned to the Olympic Games, Italy and Ireland broke new ground and the line-up for Women’s Rugby World Cup 2017 was confirmed.

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JULY

Bill Beaumont officially begins his mandate as World Rugby Chairman, declaring: “I am committed to nurturing the roots of rugby, our character-building values and ongoing financial prosperity. As Chairman, I will now work closely with our unions over the next four years to deliver a strong, sustainable game for all.”

The road to Japan gets underway for African nations as Rugby World Cup 2019 qualifiers begin in Morocco. Casablanca provides the backdrop for the triangular Rugby Africa Division 1C competition, won by the host nation after comfortable victories over Mauritius and Nigeria.

The top two African divisions are played to a conclusion too, with Namibia successfully defending their Division 1A title after wins over Uganda, Kenya and Zimbabwe, while Senegal rule the roost in 1B after snatching a 15-14 victory from the jaws of defeat in the final against Tunisia in Monastir.

AUGUST

Having waited 92 years for rugby to feature again at the Olympic Games, the sport makes a spectacular return to the world’s biggest sporting stage. The women of France and Spain have the honour of competing in the first match at Rio 2016, and it is Camille Grassineau who scores the first rugby sevens try in Olympic history as France win 24-7 at the Deodoro Stadium.

France are one of five teams to make it through to the quarter-finals with a game to spare after impressing on day one alongside HSBC World Rugby Women's Sevens Series winners Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Great Britain. The USA, Spain and Fiji eventually join them in the last eight.

Australia women's sevens: "We just won gold!"
After becoming the first Olympic rugby sevens champions in history earlier this week, World Rugby caught up with the Australia women's team about realising their gold medal dreams!

After a draw against USA in their final pool match, Australia hit their stride again in the quarter-finals against Spain, winning 24-0 to set up a semi-final showdown with Canada, who beat France in a much-tighter affair. Team GB end Fijiana’s hopes of a medal, while the last quarter-final is settled by a Portia Woodman try as New Zealand down the USA.

So, it is left to the top four seeds – Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Great Britain – to battle it out for the first Olympic sevens medals. Two tries from Emilee Cherry ensure Australia of their place in the final, where they will face New Zealand, for whom Woodman scores her second hat-trick of the competition in a comfortable win against Great Britain.

In the final, Woodman’s sin-binning proves decisive as Australia go on to win an enthralling game 24-17 thanks to tries from Emma Tonegato, Evania Pelite, Ellia Green and Charlotte Caslick. Canada join them on the podium after exacting revenge for their pool defeat at the hands of Great Britain with a 33-10 victory in the bronze medal match.

The women’s competition sets a standard which the men must live up and they do not disappoint, showing the International Olympic Committee why rugby sevens is a fantastic addition to the Olympic programme for Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020.

Japan pull off one of the biggest shocks in recent sevens history on day one when they down New Zealand for the first time in history. Trans-Tasman rivals Australia also endure a mixed day, losing to France in the first men's Olympic sevens match before beating Spain to stay in the hunt for the quarter-finals. Great Britain go unbeaten on day one, as do South Africa and world series champions Fiji, but only after surviving a scare from Argentina.

On day two, Fiji battle past New Zealand to end Gordon Tietjens' hopes of crowning his stellar coaching career with an Olympic medal, and Great Britain, South Africa and surprise package Japan join Ben Ryan’s side in the semi-final line-up following their respective victories over Argentina, Australia and France.

A powerful second-half performance sees Fiji break Japan’s resistance in the semi-final, tries from Vatemo Ravouvou, Semi Kunatani and Jerry Tuwai sealing a 20-5 win. Meanwhile, Team GB find an instant response to Kyle Brown’s try for South Africa with Dan Norton racing clear to touch down under the posts. Tom Mitchell’s conversion proves to be the final scoring act of the match.

Ben Ryan on how Fiji won their sevens gold
Olympic and double world series champions Fiji used a collection of high-intensity training, eliminating outside distractions and switching off phones for the tournament in Rio, according to head coach Ben Ryan. Here, World Rugby gets an insight into how Fiji won their first ever Olympic medal in sport, a gold in the rugby sevens.

Fiji are at their best in the final, producing a sevens masterclass that blows Great Britain away. tries from captain Osea Kolinisau, Jerry Tuwai, Jasa Veremalua, Leone Nakarawa, Vatemo Ravouvou, Josua Tuisova and Viliame Mata securing a 43-7 victory – and Fiji’s first-ever Olympic medal.

In the aftermath of the high-octane action, it is announced that 16.83 million new fans were drawn to rugby because of the Olympic Games.

SEPTEMBER

New Zealand’s men may have disappointed at sevens in Rio but the All Blacks continue to be imperious in The Rugby Championship, wrapping up their fourth title in the last five years, and 14th overall, with two rounds to spare.

Enköping, about 80km from the Swedish capital, Stockholm, provides the backdrop for the start of the European qualification process for RWC 2019 as Sweden take on the Czech Republic in Conference 1 North. Czech number eight and captain Vojtěch Havel scores a hat-trick to help the visitors to a 56-14 win. Later in the month, Poland beat Ukraine in the Rugby Europe Trophy, which also forms part of the qualification process.

The Federazione Italiana Rugby (FIR) withdraws from the Rugby World Cup 2023 host selection process, leaving three candidates in South Africa, France and Ireland.

OCTOBER

Steve Hansen’s New Zealand break the existing record for most tries (25) in a Rugby Championship/Tri-Nations campaign in their 36-17 win against Argentina in Buenos Aires, before concluding their Rugby Championship fixtures with a record 57-15 win over South Africa in Durban. The All Blacks then equal Lithuania’s record of 18-straight test victories when they beat Australia in the third and final Bledisloe Cup tie in Auckland.

The South American element of the RWC 2019 qualification process kicks off in Peru on 2 October with the Sudamérica Rugby B Championship. Colombia win the four-team tournament for the third year in a row, after victory over Venezuela in the final, to set up a winner-takes-all showdown with Rugby Americas North Championship winners Mexico in Medellin. Los Tucanes prevail 35-10 and will now meet Paraguay in Asuncion to remain on the road to Japan 2019.

Malta record their biggest-ever win in 16 years as a test-playing nation when they beat Andorra 63-15 in the Pyrenees to begin their Rugby Europe Conference 1 South campaign and RWC 2019 qualification bid in some style. Scandanavian nations Finland, Norway and Denmark all register wins in October in Conference 2 North and Austria and Slovenia start their Conference 2 South campaigns on a winning note.

Away from the RWC 2019 qualifiers, the inaugural World Rugby Americas Pacific Challenge ends in dramatic style as Argentina XV claim the title at Fiji Warriors’ expense thanks to Pedro Ortega’s last-gasp converted try at the Estadio Charrúa in the Uruguayan capital of Montevideo. Confirmation comes later that Estadio Charrúa will host World Rugby U20 Trophy in 2017.

NOVEMBER

All eyes are on Soldier Field in Chicago as New Zealand go in search of a record-breaking 19th straight test win. However, Ireland are in no mood to make it a procession and a performance of passion and no little skill sees them spoil the party and claim their first win over the All Blacks in 111 years of trying.

Ireland’s 40-29 win sets the scene nicely for a busy month ahead. The England bandwagon rolls on with victories over South Africa and Fiji but they are not the only ones celebrating a November hat-trick with Romania, Tonga and Portugal completing three straight victories too.

In Florence, Italy follow Ireland’s lead and record an historic victory over South Africa. South American nations, Brazil and Uruguay, embark on historic tours of Europe, and while they lose all three tests, the experience will no doubt stand them in good stead for the future.

In Hong Kong, Russia successfully defend their Cup of Nations title to move back into the top 20 in the World Rugby Rankings, while the RWC 2019 qualifiers continue in Europe with the Netherlands off to a flying start in their bid to win promotion from the Rugby Europe Trophy to the Championship following convincing wins over Ukraine and Moldova. Israel also go two wins from two in November in Conference 1 South, while Paraguay put Colombia's RWC dream to bed.

New Zealand are the dominant force in international women’s rugby as the busiest November period the sport has known takes hold. The Black Ferns make it five wins in five tests, following up their back-to-back successes against Australia in October, with wins over world champions England, Canada and Ireland.

Newly-crowned European women’s champions Spain beat Scotland in a two-legged play-off to book their place at Women’s Rugby World Cup 2017. The pool draw puts Las Leones in Pool B with defending champions England, USA and Italy.

Off the field, the standout performers of 2016 are acknowledged at the World Rugby Awards in London, Beauden Barrett adding his name to the long list of New Zealanders to be crowned Men's Player of the Year. New Zealand also scoop the Team of the Year and Coach of the Year prizes. Later that week, more rugby legends gather as the World Rugby Hall of Fame throws open its doors for the first time in the Warwickshire town of Rugby, the birthplace of the game.

DECEMBER

The final tier one and tier two internationals of the year take place in Lisbon and London as Portugal edge Brazil 21-17 and England overpower Australia 37-21 to complete their first perfect calendar year since 1992. Comparisons are drawn with the Rugby World Cup-winning England team of 2003 as Eddie Jones’ men equal their record of 14 consecutive wins.

The final men’s internationals of the year take place in Guatemala City though, as the host nation compete with Central American rivals Costa Rica, El Salvador and Panama for the Sudamérica Rugby C Championship. Following an earlier 53-0 win against El Salvador, Los Jaguares, the Guatemalan men’s team, defeat Costa Rica 24-16 in the final to set up a promotion/relegation decider with Ecuador, the bottom-ranked team in the Sudamérica Rugby B Championship. Panama also have cause for celebration as their 39-19 win over El Salvador in the third place play-off is their first in international rugby.

Hong Kong and Japan secure the final two places on offer at Women’s Rugby World Cup 2017 with victory over Fijiana at the Asia/Oceania qualifying tournament in Hong Kong. It is the first time Hong Kong have qualified for the competition while Japan will be making their first appearance for 15 years when the tournament kicks off in Dublin next year.

HIGHLIGHTS: South Africa start series with epic win in Dubai
South Africa kicked off their HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series campaign with a win in Dubai.

The buzz from Rio 2016 creates even more excitement as the 2016-17 HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series begins in Dubai with victories for South Africa and New Zealand in the men’s and women’s competitions. South Africa reach the final of their home round in Cape Town a week later but fall just short of winning back-to-back tournaments as England take their first Cup title since Tokyo in 2015. Despite the defeat, the Blitzboks hold a two-point lead over England as the series takes a break until Wellington Sevens at the end of January.

Now all that remains is to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. If 2017 is half as good as 2016, we'll be in for quite a treat.