After a 90-year absence from the Olympic Games, rugby had a taste last weekend of what it will experience when it returns for the Rio 2016 Games. Passionate crowds inspired the players as the IRB Women’s Sevens World Series came Brazil for the first time. The third stage of the international touring competition took place at Arena Barueri in São Paulo, with Australia beating New Zealand in the final. The two teams – rivals across the Tasman Sea – are joint leaders in the tournament.

For New Zealand captain Huriana Manuel, the number of the Brazilian fans who attended (about 2,000) and the atmosphere they created – even in intense heat – made up for the disappointment of losing in the final.

“It was the first time we had played in Brazil and the crowd really impressed us,” she said. “They were pretty close to the pitch and were very excited, singing all the time. We've never played in front of such a noisy crowd.

“We were a little frustrated because we were defeated in the final, but the fans’ affection helped us get through this moment quickly. Brazil has the best fans in the world. We're eager to return in 2016 and meet them again,” added Manuel, who is the daughter of former New Zealand player Liza Mihinui.

The praise was even more impressive coming from a native of New Zealand, the world's most passionate rugby nation. The legendary All Blacks (the men's team) are reigning world champions and one of the most feared sports teams on the planet, while the women's team, known as the 'Black Ferns', are also the current world champions.

After the tournament, Manuel and her teammates Sarah Goss and Tyla Nathan-Wong, plus coach Sean Horan, visited Rio de Janeiro. In ‘the Marvellous City’ they gave rugby lessons to local school children on Copacabana beach and visited the Rio 2016 Organising Committee headquarters, where they received a presentation about the Games.

“We are in love with Rio. The city is really beautiful,” said Nathan-Wong. “We were able to visit Copacabana beach and Christ the Redeemer statue and we were delighted. In our visit to the committee, we got to know the projects for the Olympic Village and the Rugby and Modern Pentathlon Arena (venue that will host rugby sevens in 2016), which we liked very much. We're feeling closer to the Games.”

The full version of rugby, with 15 players in each team, was part of the Olympic programme between 1900 and 1924. Rugby sevens, a shorter version of the game in which teams are made up of seven players, will make its Olympic debut at Rio 2016.

“The Olympic comeback will be very positive for rugby,” said Goss. “Any sport that receives the Olympic seal gets more visibility and attracts more people. It will be a unique opportunity to show our sport to the world and, more directly, to Brazil. We played rugby at the beach with children and it was amazing.”

At the Rio 2016 Games, the games will take place in the Rugby and Modern Pentathlon Arena in the Deodoro neighbourhood. There will be 24 teams (12 women's and 12 men’s) with Brazil, as the host country, guaranteed their places.