Hosts Brazil and Sudamérica Rugby Women's Sevens Championship winners Colombia are already assured of their places in the Olympic tournament, with the test event, known as the Aquece Rio tournament, due to provide them with crucial preparation for the Games.

The competition will also provide Argentina and Venezuela with a chance to test their squads ahead of the Rio 2016 repechage event in Dublin in June, which will see the final place at Rio 2016 claimed by the victorious team.

Fellow South American nations Uruguay, Chile, Paraguay and Peru are also due to appear at the test event, as sevens prepares to make its Olympic debut.

Rugby Americas President Agustín Pichot believes the competition at the Deodoro Stadium will provide the region’s best teams with an ideal opportunity to hone their skills and inspire them to strive for future Olympic qualification.

"It is a great honour for the South America region to be given the opportunity to send its best teams to the official Rio 2016 test event," he said.

“Two participating teams have already confirmed their place at Rio 2016, and Argentina and Venezuela are still in the race for a place via the final repechage tournament in June.

“The Aquece Río competition will be a great opportunity for the players to feel the Olympic vibe and further motivate them to achieve success on the Olympic Games stage this year or in the future.”

Brazil will be hopeful of achieving further success in front of their home crowd after their women’s team triumphed at an invitational rugby sevens competition on Ipanema beach during December.

Their team overcame Argentina 8-5 in the gold medal match of the beach tournament, while Argentina were triumphant in the men’s competition.

The event also saw around 500 children participate in World Rugby’s Get Into Rugby scheme, which aims to give young people the opportunity to learn rugby basics in a fun environment.

World Rugby chairman Bernard Lapasset, who claimed earlier this week that 2016 will be a "game-changing" year for the sport, believes the local population will engage with the sevens format of the game.

"We are excited about rugby sevens' debut at what promises to be a spectacular Rio 2016 Olympic Games and the opportunity to reach and inspire new audiences around the world through participation on sport's biggest stage,” he said.

"Rugby sevens' winning blend of high-octane action, close competition and entertainment is proving a hit with young audiences, broadcasters and commercial partners, and I am confident that Rio will love sevens.

“This is why we believe rugby sevens will be great for the Olympics, great for Brazil and great for rugby.

"The test event is a special and important milestone on our road to Rio 2016 and provides the Rio 2016 organisers and World Rugby with an invaluable programme of testing from volunteers to venue operations, and will be the first international rugby event to be hosted at the Deodoro Olympic Park.”