2020 figures to be exciting and, like any year, packed with big storylines. 

Here we take a look at five of the biggest things to watch heading into the new year:

1. Men's Olympic Sevens

Let's start with the obvious. 

The Olympic gold medal has quickly become the crown jewel in the game of sevens, and at the moment it's still in Fiji's possession. 

The Tokyo 2020 games figure to be the landmark sporting event of this next year, and when it comes to the rugby sevens, there are a fair few teams that could emerge as contenders. 

In the three years since last Olympics, South Africa have won the World Series twice and Fiji have won it once, while New Zealand took the 2018 Sevens World Cup honors. 

Those three sides have unquestionably been the top dogs in recent years, but you can't count out the United States, England, Australia, Argentina, or even France. 

Ireland have also stepped onto the international stage recently, and their victory at this year's preseason AFI 7s competition certainly turned some heads. They'll have to first qualify for the Olympics through the Repechage this summer, but they, as well as Kenya, could be dark horses in Tokyo. 

2. Women's Olympic Sevens

On the women's side, Australia are the reigning gold medalists, but aren't the same runaway favorites they were in 2016. New Zealand have established themselves as major contenders, winning two of the previous three World Series circuits. 

In addition to the Aussies and the Kiwis, both North American powers Canada and the United States have genuine aspirations to grab the gold medal. 

The Eagles sevens side caught fire at the tail-end of last year, and have done a nice job of carrying that momentum into the new season. With star players like Alev Kelter, Kristi Kirche, and Naya Tapper healthy, they have a realistic shot at going all the way in Tokyo. 

3. Changing Of The Guard

Five major coaching changes will take place across the world rugby landscape as 2020 gets underway. 

New Zealand's Sir Steve Hansen, Wales' Warren Gatland, and Ireland's Joe Schmidt have all chosen to move on, while Australia's Michael Cheika and France's Jacques Brunel have both been fired. 

Ian Foster for New Zealand, Wayne Pivac for Wales, Andy Farrell for Ireland, Dave Rennie for Australia, and Fabien Galthier for France will be the next in line to take over as head coach of these elite nations. 

The road to the 2023 World Cup in France begins this year, and we'll get a first look at three of these five coaches when the 2020 Six Nations rolls around this February. 

4. Can Life Three-Peat?

Following their 30-24 defeat in the 2017 D1A National Championship game to Saint Mary's, the Running Eagles have reeled off an impressive 29 straight victories. 

The past two years, they've knocked off Cal in the title game, and are looking to become the first team to win three straight D1A championships since the competition was formed in 2011. 

Life will first have to navigate through the nation's toughest conference, the Mid-South, which features Lindenwood, Navy, Arkansas State, Davenport, and Clemson. It won't be easy, but the Running Eagles have proven year after year that they don't just rebuild, they reload. 

Can they make it eight consecutive trips to the national championship game? And, more importantly, can they three-peat and put a fifth D1A trophy in the trophy case?

5. Can Seattle Three-Peat?

No team, fan base, or city has taken to the MLR quite like the Seattle Seawolves. 

Since the league was conceived in 2018, the Seawolves have set the standard for what a professional outfit should resemble. 

Their 4,500 seat stadium, Starfire Sports Complex, has sold out every single game over the course of both seasons and the team has already sold more than 3,000 season tickets for the upcoming campaign.

The players also have extended their reach deep within the community, helping to grow and teach the sport to the youth and to club-level rugby players. 

Despite having had two coaches in two seasons, and now another new one for season three, the team has maintained a strong core players from year to year. The result has been a player-driven squad that's well-accustomed to playing together and can handle adversity in the tough games. 

The little things that Seattle do, when you add all them all up, help to make them the best team in the league. The question now is whether they pull off a third consecutive championship and continue their dominance of Major League Rugby.