Rugby sevens: England seal spot for Team GB at Rio Olympics

England hammered Rio 2016 Olympic hosts Brazil 56-7

England have booked a rugby sevens place for Team GB at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in 2016, but lost in their semi-final of the final Sevens World Series event at Twickenham.

The home side surprisingly went down 43-12 to the USA.

The pacy Americans pulled off another shock in the final, rattling in another seven tries to beat Australia 45-22.

"It's fantastic to welcome rugby sevens to Team GB," said Mark England, Britain's chef de mission for Rio.

"It's hugely exciting to know we will be represented in the sport at an Olympics for the first time."

England were nominated to contest the race to Rio on behalf of Team GB.

The top four in the overall Sevens World Series standings automatically qualify for the Olympics, with the other places to be decided through regional qualifiers.

Favourites Fiji went down to 33-7 to Australia in the other semi-final, but had already clinched the overall title in Saturday's pool games.

Meanwhile, England's women retained hopes of qualification for Rio after winning the Plate final 19-0 against France at The Stoop.

They lie sixth in the overall standings, two points behind France and the United States, with only the Netherlands leg of the series left to play on 22-23 May.

Australia won the women's London round, overhauling Canada in the dying seconds of the final to win 20-17.