Story highlights Olympics sees surge in sevens interest

World Cup takes place July 20-22

Calendar announced for next season

(CNN) The inclusion of rugby sevens in the Olympic Games has had "profound effect on the sport," attracting an estimated 30 million fans globally, according to World Rugby.

As the sport's organizers announced the schedule for the 2019 series, World Rugby confirmed that the next edition would also serve as the main route for qualification for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

Rugby sevens made its Olympic debut at Rio 2016, with Fiji winning the country's first ever medal by taking gold.

"As we enter an Olympic Games qualifying year, the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series promises to again be highly competitive as both men's and women's teams look to secure their place, via the world series, at Tokyo 2020," said World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont.

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"The series continues to capture the imagination of global audiences with record-breaking fan engagement figures of over 120 million video views recorded this year," added Beaumont.