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Both Australian sides have reached the quarter-finals of the season-opening Dubai Sevens with the women facing Canada and the men up against Argentina.

Australia's rugby sevens teams have both progressed to the quarter-final stages of the opening world series event after an eventful first day of action in Dubai.

Australia's women showed their intent to rebound from their Olympic blow-out as they put themselves in contention to defend their title in the UAE.

The defending world series champions had been strongly backed as potential gold medallists at the Olympics in July but had to settle for fourth place after a heartbreaking 14-12 defeat to the USA in the bronze medal match.

And led by new captain Bella Nasser, they looked determined to shake-off their Paris setback at the seven circuit's traditional curtain raiser - which they have won for the last four years - with a try-laden progression to the last eight yet again.

Tim Walsh's side opened with an emphatic 54-0 victory against China, during which two-try speedster Faith Nathan reached a landmark century of scores for her country, while women's world sevens player of the year Maddison Levi crossed three times. 

Levi bagged another four in the 42-7 rout of Fiji before Australia held off a strong Ireland side 24-5 in their final pool game to set up a quarter-final with Olympic silver medallists Canada, with either Great Britain or Japan waiting in the semis.

Olympic champions New Zealand face Ireland while the US are up against France in the other last-eight match-ups on day two.

It was not so easy for Australia's men, however, who faced an uphill battle after an opening 17-0 defeat to a South Africa side hunting a sixth straight Dubai title.

Australia's second match also ended in defeat as France held on for a 14-10 win.

But needing to win by more than seven against Kenya to stay in the competition, the men in gold powered home 31-14 with Hayden Potter (two), Michael Icely, Nathan Lawson and Henry Hutchison crossing to tee up a tough-looking last-eight showdown with unbeaten Argentina.

Fiji sealed up a rematch of the Paris Olympic final with France after coming through their pool games, but the shock of the day saw Spain defeat New Zealand 26-14 for only the third time in world series history and bagging a quarter-final with Great Britain.

New Zealand did progress, though, and will face South Africa while in the other quarter-final.