• Remodelled Sevens World Series to include seven rounds, in seven iconic global destinations, across seven months, kicking off in December 2023
• Fully combined and equal men’s and women’s Series with number of men’s teams reduced from 16 to 12, aligning with the Olympic competition model
• Annual ‘Grand Finale’ event will crown Series champions and offer pathway opportunity for four men’s and women’s teams to achieve promotion from the Challenger Series
• Innovative vision to build a leading sports and entertainment brand by widening the event experience offering and engaging with youth culture
• Hosts, competition dates and new brand identity to be unveiled in coming months
• Current edition of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series continues in Dubai on 2-3 December and Cape Town on 9-11 December

World Rugby has outlined an exciting new framework for the future of the Sevens World Series, which will see rugby sevens further embrace its ‘sportainment’ DNA, combining sport and fan entertainment in a festival atmosphere at some of the world’s best-loved locations.

The remodelled Sevens World Series will include seven festival style events, in seven iconic global destinations, across seven months, featuring the best 12 men’s and 12 women’s teams and is set to kick off in December 2023.

In a move designed to attract a younger, more diverse and global fanbase while generating greater revenues to reinvest in players and teams, the transformed Series hosting model will see World Rugby EventsCo assume greater responsibility for the delivery of the events, working in partnership with host organisations.

Following a compelling record breaking year for women’s rugby, the Series will fully embrace gender parity with all seven rounds featuring combined men’s and women’s events, ensuring that women players have equal opportunities to showcase their talents on the biggest stages around the world.

Following consultation with the participating nations, the men’s Series will reduce from 16 to 12 teams, aligning with the Olympic competition model and bringing the number of men’s and women’s teams even, while allowing for more optimal match scheduling opportunities.

An annual ‘Grand Finale’ event will take place in the seventh round, which will see the top eight ranked teams after six rounds compete to be crowned Series champions, while the teams ranked ninth to 12th will join the top four ranked teams from the Challenger Series in a high stakes relegation play-off competition which will see four teams secure their places in the next edition of the Series. The four unsuccessful teams will go into regional competitions to qualify for the next Challenger Series, which comprises of 12 men’s and 12 women’s teams competing in the second level of international rugby sevens.

In another ground-breaking development, men’s and women’s teams will receive equal participation fees, with a 70 per cent uplift in World Rugby’s investment in participation fees in the new model.

Player welfare considerations remain paramount and the reduction in the number of tournaments will allow players to perform at the very best of their ability every time they enter the pitch, while also supporting the ambition to deliver more environmentally sustainable events in line with the World Rugby Environmental Sustainability Plan 2030 launched earlier this year.

The new Series follows a widespread and comprehensive consultation process, involving representatives from participating teams, existing tournament hosts, player welfare representatives and fans.

Discussions are ongoing with potential host destinations, following unprecedented hosting interest. Confirmed hosts, competition dates and a new brand identity will be announced in the coming months, with the first edition of the remodelled Series to run from December 2023 through June 2024.

The current HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series continues with the next pair of rounds taking place in Dubai on 2-3 December, followed by Cape Town on 9-11 December.

World Rugby Chief Executive Alan Gilpin said: “The reimagined Sevens World Series will be a game-changer for the global growth of the game. Research insights have demonstrated that sevens plays a vital role in reaching and engaging new rugby fans, particularly in emerging rugby nations and with younger audiences. World Rugby is fully committed to the sustainable growth, innovation and success of rugby sevens as a highly impactful and successful Olympic sport with a bright future.

“We have consulted widely with a multitude of stakeholders to achieve our shared aim of making rugby more relevant and accessible to more young people, more of the time, and in doing so growing the reach of rugby while ensuring player welfare is sacrosanct and further cementing the successful positioning of rugby sevens on the Olympic sport programme.

“Moving to full gender parity between the men’s and women’s Series reflects not just our commitment to accelerating the women’s game, but also recognition of the powerful personalities who are inspiring a new generation of fans across the globe.

“The increased promotion pathway opportunity for Challenger Series teams to reach the pinnacle Sevens World Series is also an important development, giving more teams the chance to attain a place at the top table of rugby sevens on an annual basis.”

World Rugby Chief Revenue and Fan Engagement Officer Richard Heaselgrave said: “The simple aim of the remodelled Series is to grow the game by reaching more fans, generating greater revenues to reinvest in performance, and deliver bigger, better and more engaging and entertaining event experiences for fans in the stadium, interacting online or watching on broadcast around the world.

“Fans will be at the heart of the action as the Series will chase the sun, mixing the best of sport and entertainment to create unmissable live event experiences with a festival atmosphere in seven iconic global destinations, which will broaden rugby sevens’ appeal and attract new audiences.

“We will continue to build the Series into a global sports and entertainment brand by widening our event experience offering. The Series has a great opportunity to develop world class events that integrate top level sport, live music, culinary experiences, retail, art, culture and mass participation, providing fans with the flexibility to watch, play and engage across a range of event experiences.

“Rugby sevens is a sport like no other. The action is non-stop. The Sevens World Series will showcase the physical and skilful prowess of some of the world’s most impressive athletes in multi-day festivals of vibrant celebration and entertainment. The future of rugby sevens is very bright.”

With thanks to World Rugby

South Africa men and Australia women were once again too hot to handle in Dubai as they repeated their gold medal triumphs in style in round two of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series in front of an electric atmosphere at The Sevens Stadium.

The men’s final was a nail-biting affair as South Africa found themselves 7-5 down to Australia at half-time, but a crucial second half try from JC Pretorius gave them a hard fought 10-7 victory.

Australia won the women’s event for the second weekend in succession with a composed 15-5 final triumph over Fiji as the 2016 Olympic Champions appear to have returned to their top form.

It means that both teams have won the two rounds hosted in Dubai in November and December and head into 2022 as top contenders for the Series crowns.

READ FULL REPORT >>

VIEW ALL RESULTS >>

South Africa skipper Siviwe Soyizwapi got them off to the perfect start in the final when he scored in the first minute. However, Australia got back into things when Corey Toole showed brilliant pace down the left to level the scores up at 5-5. Dietrich Roache converted and Australia were 7-5 up at half-time.

The match winning moment came with three minutes to go when JC Pretorius secured a crucial turnover from Billy Meakes and 60 seconds later he was taking a leading role in attack, scoring an unconverted try to take South Africa into a 10-7 ahead which they held on to until the final whistle.

South Africa captain Siviwe Soyizwapi said: “It’s an unbelievable feeling and takes us back to all the hard work we put in at home to prepare us for these tournaments and this is a good reward going in to Christmas with these victories.

“Australia really took us the wire, it was a brilliant match. Credit to my boys though, we battle so hard for each other and showed grit when we had to. It is such a great way to end 2021.”

“These boys really play with heart, no one can buy that, it comes from within and it’s in our mindsets. We are part of an awesome system and the heart shown by these boys is incredible. The crowd really brought so much atmosphere and energy to the stadium.

“We are really looking forward to playing in Spain, it is really great to have a full calendar again and I’m sure the teams that missed out here in Dubai are looking forward to getting back on the Series in January.”

HSBC player of the final JC Pretorius said: “We just gel so well as a group and never give up, that is the key.”

Earlier Argentina made it two men’s bronze medals in two weeks as their two speedsters – Marcos Moneta and Luciano Gonzalez – led them to a 38-21 victory over France.

Great Britain defeated Kenya in the fifth place play-off to end up in that spot while USA were seventh. Fiji finished ninth after defeating Spain 31-7 in that play-off and Japan finished 11th.

SEE MEN’S SERIES STANDINGS >>>

In the women’s competition the large crowd of more than 35,000 inside The Sevens Stadium were treated to a thrilling contest as Australia captain Demi Hayes led her squad to another gold medal after a pulsating final against Fiji.

HSBC Player of the Final Faith Nathan gave Australia the lead with an unconverted try three minutes before the break. Nathan then set-up Madison Ashby for a crucial second unconverted try to make it 10-0 after seven minutes.

Fiji knew they needed a strong start to the second half – and they certainly got it as Reapi Ulunisau scored a five pointer less than a minute after the interval and when Lefau-Fakaosilea was yellow carded for Australia with four minutes to go things had got very interesting. However, it was Australia who managed to score next as Ashby went over for an unconverted effort to make the final score line 15-5 as Australia celebrated a perfect record in Dubai.

Australia captain Demi Hayes said “I feel really stoked and so proud of the team who have worked so hard. Winning back-to-back is harder but we had one goal in mind this weekend and that’s exactly what we did. It was amazing to have the crowd back, it’s the first time we’ve experienced it since 2019 so we were so happy to feel the support. We will have a little Christmas break but then get straight back into it and be ready for Spain.”

It was a repeat of last week’s bronze medal match in the women’s competition as France took on Russia – and in the end the result was the same too as Olympic silver medallists France ran out 28-5 winners to give them yet another podium finish.

Elsewhere, USA edged out Spain 7-5 – Alena Olsen’s conversion proving crucial – in the fifth place play-off. Ireland defeated Canada 26-12 to secure seventh place while, after a tremendous tussle with Great Britain, Brazil finished ninth with a thrilling 26-24 victory. In that play-off match Brazil’s Thalia Costa led the way with two tries and finished the tournament with six tries, a Brazilian record and a marker of the South American’s impressive improvement.

VIEW WOMEN’S SERIES STANDINGS

The Series moves on to Spain in January when rounds three and four will be hosted in Malaga and Seville on 21-23 and 28-30 January respectively as the Spanish cities welcome the Series for the first time.

VIEW SERIES SCHEDULE >>

The pools have already been confirmed for the Malaga event, which is set to include all core Series teams as New Zealand and Samoa return and Great Britain split in to the home nations of England, Scotland and Wales as we enter Commonwealth Games year. Poland will join the twelve team women’s event as the invitational team.

With thanks to World Rugby

• The Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens will not take place in November 2021 due to Covid-19 impacts, however the popular event will return to the Series on 1-3 April 2022

• The HSBC Paris Sevens women’s event, originally scheduled for May, will also not take place in 2021, meaning a total of five men’s and two women’s rounds are planned to take place in the final four months of 2021

• The health and welfare of players, teams and all involved remains the top priority as all stakeholders continue to closely monitor global developments with the COVID-19 pandemic

Following the thrilling and very successful Olympic competitions in Tokyo, rugby sevens returns to HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series action on 18-19 September with BC Place in Vancouver hosting the first event of the 2021 Series, which sees a men’s Series event combined with a women’s fast-four tournament.

The following weekend, on 25-26 September, the teams will switch venues in Canada to compete again at the Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, which will host a HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series event for the first time and was the venue of the Rugby World Cup 2006 final.

World Rugby, its event hosts and participating unions remain committed to delivering an exciting programme of series events for the world’s best men’s and women’s sevens teams. However, as with all sports of a global nature, adjustments are inevitable within a challenging and dynamic COVID-19 environment.

Due to this uncertainty, travel restrictions and other impacts of the global pandemic, the Hong Kong Rugby Union (HKRU) and World Rugby have taken the difficult decision to cancel the Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens 2021, which was scheduled for 5-7 November.

The decision follows detailed and constructive dialogue between World Rugby, the HKRU, participating unions and relevant Hong Kong government bodies, and has been taken with the health and wellbeing of the rugby community and the wider public as the top priority.

The date for the 2022 Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens has been set for 1-3 April, meaning there are just 239 days to go until international rugby sevens action returns to one of its most famous homes in Hong Kong.

It has also been decided that the HSBC Paris Sevens women’s event, which was originally scheduled to take place in Marcoussis in May, will also not take place in 2021 due to Covid-19 impacts.

The updated 2021 Series now includes five men’s and two women’s rounds planned to take place in the final four months of the year.

VIEW HSBC WORLD RUGBY SEVENS SERIES 2021 SCHEDULE

World Rugby, tournament hosts and participating unions will continue to work closely with the relevant national governments and health agencies to ensure the safe and secure delivery of the scheduled events.

The HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2022 schedule will be announced in due course in what is set to be a supercharged year for rugby sevens with the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England on 29-31 July, and Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 in Cape Town, South Africa on 9-11 September.

WATCH HSBC WORLD RUGBY SEVENS SERIES HYPE VIDEO

World Rugby Chief Executive Alan Gilpin said: “Over six days of thrilling competition at Tokyo 2020 we again witnessed the incredible skills, athleticism, determination and unique values of solidarity and respect that make rugby sevens such a unique and popular sport on the Olympic programme and with fans around the globe.

“The inclusion of rugby sevens for the first time in the Olympic Games at Rio 2016 attracted an estimated 30 million new fans globally and the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series presents us with a great opportunity to build on the positive effects of competing on the Olympic stage.

“While it is obviously very disappointing not to be able to go ahead with two of our planned Sevens Series events in Hong Kong and Paris in 2021, the decisions have been taken with the health and wellbeing of the rugby community and the wider public as top priority, and following extensive consultation with the host organisations, participating unions and relevant government bodies.

“The future of rugby sevens is very bright and players, teams and fans can look ahead to a very busy and exciting year in 2022 when the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series will be followed by Rugby World Cup Sevens in Cape Town and the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England. Fans in Hong Kong can already mark their calendars and look forward to the return of the Sevens Series on 1-3 April 2022.”

“We sincerely thank HSBC and all Series partners, hosts and participating teams for their continued commitment, support and understanding as we continue to work together to navigate the ongoing and dynamic scenario with the Covid-19 pandemic across the world.

“We continue to work with all respective governments, health agencies, stakeholders and partners to ensure the Series events meet relevant Covid-19 requirements as the health and wellbeing of players, fans and all involved remains paramount.”

HSBC Group Head of Brand and Brand Partnerships Jonathan Castleman said: “As long-term global partner to the sport of rugby sevens, we support the difficult decision taken by World Rugby, the Hong Kong Rugby Union and the French Rugby Federation not to go ahead with the Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens and HSBC Paris Sevens in 2021. While disappointing, the safety and welfare of the players and fans must remain the priority at all times.

“We are also thrilled that the Tokyo Olympics have been such an incredible showpiece for the game and a reminder of what we have all been missing. We will continue to support World Rugby as we look ahead to the remainder of 2021 and into the 2022 series to ensure that rugby sevens continues to open up and create opportunities for players, fans and the rugby community around the world.”

Courtesy of World Rugby

The victory meant the Black Ferns Sevens had two reasons to celebrate on the day as by reaching the Cup semi-finals they had confirmed their place at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games via a top four finish in the World Rugby Women’s Sevens Series 2019, their 17-7 victory over Spain giving them an unassailable lead over fifth-placed France in the standings with only one round remaining.

New Zealand now lead the standings with 92 points after their fourth title in five rounds, followed by USA (80), Canada (78) and Australia (74) with France now 14 points adrift of a coveted top four spot.

View Canada 7s results

The trans-Tasman rivalry has been the most common final on the women’s series with this the 15th occurrence in 36 tournaments, but it was in complete contrast to the 2018 final when New Zealand blew Australia away with a sublime display of attacking rugby to win 46-0.

Australia haven’t beaten New Zealand since the Sydney final in 2018, but they opened the scoring when Ellia Green got away from Michaela Blyde and the covering Tyla Nathan-Wong to score in the left corner.

The Black Ferns Sevens hit back when teenager Dhys Faleafaga shrugged off a tackle and flicked a pass over her shoulder to her captain Sarah Hirini, who coasted over with little resistance from Australia. Their second try was similar with Nathan-Wong drawing Charlotte Caslick before offloading to Niall Williams to cut through the gap and run under the posts for a 14-5 lead with a minute to play in the first half.

That was enough time, though, for Australia to respond as Alicia Quirk and Caslick combined well down the left before the latter had Emma Tonegato in support to finish off the move and cut the deficit to four at the break and keep the crowd on the edge of their seats.

New Zealand increased that lead when Hirini offloaded to Nathan-Wong, who handed off Emma Sykes to run under the posts to give herself an easy conversion, but Australia kept pushing for a way back into the game with Green intercepting Williams’ long pass to grab her second of the final with barely 30 seconds to go. The restart was adjudged to have been knocked forward, though, and from the resulting scrum Kelly Brazier kicked the ball out to start the celebrations.

“That was a tough final – we knew it was going to be tough coming up against Australia,” admitted Nathan-Wong, who was named HSBC Player of the Final for the second time this season. “Both teams came out hot, we worked hard and I’m proud of the girls going out there and executing our game plan, working hard for each other and leaving it all out there.

“Last year we put a pretty high score on Australia and we knew they wouldn’t let us get away with it again and they didn’t, so credit to them for coming out here and really working us – they scored some pretty good and long range tries but full credit to our girls for hanging in tough until the very end.

“It’s pretty fantastic to know that we’ve qualified our country for the Olympics especially as there’s only one tournament left. We’re going to want to work hard over these next few weeks, build towards our last tournament in France and hopefully go out there and put on another good show.”

Australia captain Sharni Williams said: “It was difficult but we definitely went out there and gave everything we had. We haven’t made a final since Sydney so that was good confidence for us getting back out there and getting into the final. We were a lot more physical than we have ever been and I’m very proud of the girls.”

USA win Bronze

The Women’s Sevens Eagles bounced back from a third Cup semi-final loss of the season to New Zealand by beating France 26-5 to win the bronze medal for the second year running in Langford. The first half of the bronze final was played almost entirely in France’s 22 with USA only able to make the breakthrough as half-time approached with co-captain Lauren Doyle’s leg drive taking her close enough to dive over. Kris Thomas added a second before half-time with Kristi Kirshe and Kayla Canett putting the result beyond doubt before a late consolation try for Séraphine Okemba.

In the first Cup semi-final, Blyde quickly announced her return after sitting out New Zealand’s two previous matches by running in the opening try and it got worse for USA with Alev Kelter sent off for a dangerous tackle on Ruby Tui with barely two minutes gone. Brazier increased the lead only for Naya Tapper to evade two tackles to race down the touchline for the Women’s Sevens Eagles. New Zealand weren’t to be denied a fifth successive final in Langford with Brazier completing her first series hat-trick for a 26-12 win.

The other semi-final involved the teams sitting fourth and fifth in the series standings with Australia knowing that victory would increase the gap between the teams beyond the current 10 points. Samantha Treherne gave Australia the lead after a chip and chase, but Camille Grassineau and Jade Le Pesq saw France edge ahead in their bid for a first series win over the Olympic champions. However, two quick-fire tries from Tonegato saw her become the third Australian to 100 series tries and ensure her side ran out 26-19 winners.

Earlier in the quarter-finals, New Zealand had kicked off the day’s action against Spain without two of their influential players in Blyde and Williams. It didn’t stop them overcoming Las Leonas, although they were made to work hard for the 17-7 victory. Tui acrobatically scored their first try before Nathan-Wong burst through for a 12-0 half-time lead advantage. Maria García sliced through the defence to cut the deficit but Faleafaga eased any nerves with the Black Ferns Sevens third try and the win that confirmed their qualification for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

The noise level ratcheted up a few notches as hosts Canada and USA took to the field for the next quarter-final, but it was the Women’s Sevens Eagles who struck first when Kelter took a penalty quickly and the home side didn’t react quick enough. USA continued to enjoy the best of the possession into the second half but Charity Williams then darted down the blindside and raced away to draw Canada level at 7-7. However, Kelter quickly silenced the Canadian crowd by evading two tackles and sprinting away to score the winner.

France had stuttered through day one with narrow wins over Fiji and Spain, but hit form against England to preserve their record of never failing to reach the semi-finals in Langford. Amy Wilson Hardy knocked on short of the line and then Le Pesq stole the ball and raced away for the opening try, before making another break that led to a try for Shannon Izar. Caroline Drouin added a third to put France in complete control before Wilson Hardy gave England hope. Les Bleues, though, wrapped up the win with Grassineau’s 50th series try – first France player to reach the milestone – before Emma Uren crossed for a late consolation for a 26-12.

The last quarter-final saw 2015 runners-up Russia strike first against 2018 silver medallists Australia, Elena Zdrokova finding Baizat Khamidova out on the right with a lovely looping pass. However, Australia seized control of the match as first Williams burst through the defence to give Australia the lead before Green danced around four defenders to maintain her record of scoring in every match she’s played in Langford and then created a try for Caslick. Kristina Seredina and Sariah Paki then traded tries before Tonegato made certain of a 31-12 victory for the Olympic champions.

Canada finish 5th

Hosts Canada finished off on a winning note after first-half tries from Bianca Farella (2), Julia Greenshields and Williams set them on their way to a 31-7 victory over England in the fifth place play-off.

Patricia García had earlier given Spain the perfect start in the seventh place play-off with a second-minute try but it was Russia who battled back to win 24-7 after tries from Daria Shestakova, Mikhaltsova, Zdrokova and Daria Noritsina.

In the fifth place semi-finals, Canada bounced back from their loss to USA with a dominant display against Spain, captain Ghislaine Landry crossing for two first-half tries and Williams going the length of the pitch in the 31-0 victory.

England then raced into a 12-0 lead thanks to two breaks from Ellie Kildunne, but Russia tied things up at the break with a double by their own flyer Zdrokova. England weren’t to be denied, though, with Uren grabbing a brace as they ran out 29-12 winners.

Fiji win Challenge Trophy

Fiji came out on a top in an end-to-end tussle with China to not only win the Challenge Trophy for the third series event in a row but also increase their advantage over their opponents to four points in the battle to avoid relegation. A Raijieli Davuea double had given Fiji a 19-7 lead before China fought back to tie the scores, but Vasiti Solikoviti ensured a 26-19 win for her side with a late try. Ireland finished 11th after captain Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe scored a hat-trick in their 43-5 win over invitational team Brazil.

In the first semi-final, Ireland opened the scoring from the kick-off through Murphy Crowe, but China responded with Chen Keyi selling a superb dummy to go over for their first try. Gu Yaoyao then hit the line at pace for number two before Gao Yueying found Yu Liping on the right to make it 19-7. Both sides then lost a player to the sin-bin before Murphy Crowe scored her second of the match but it wasn’t enough to prevent China reaching a second Challenge Trophy final of the season. Fiji were more convincing winners over Brazil in the other semi-final, Asinate Savu scoring a hat-trick in an impressive display of power from the Pacific islanders that saw them run out 31-12 winners.

The final tournament on the HSBC World Rugby Women’s Sevens Series takes place in Biarritz, France on 15-16 June.

Courtesy of World Rugby

Canada come into their home tournament in buoyant mood after ending a two-year wait for a Cup title with a dramatic victory over England in the final in Kitakyushu last month, and will be hoping for their first success on Canadian soil.

Fixtures and results

Captain Ghislaine Landry said: “We’re just building the belief after Kitakyushu – it was a tough tournament for six games and to come away with the win was a good demonstration of what we’re capable of doing.

“The energy all week has been buzzing – we can feel it in our team and in the community so hopefully we’re going to take that, put it on our backs and carry it forward.”

Canada will face Olympic champions Australia, Ireland and this weekend’s invitational team Brazil in Pool A.

Pool B sees Kitakyushu runners up England and defending HSBC Canada Women’s Sevens champions New Zealand paired with Russia and China.

England captain Abbie Brown said: “The shock results in Kitakyushu are exactly the reason that I love sevens. We’ve been through a lot as a squad and actually it’s that progress and hard work that’s getting us to where we want to be.

“We know that the teams in our pool are going to come out fighting. Russia are a very physical team, as are China, and New Zealand are obviously world-class, so it’s going to be a tough pool but every pool is at the moment. We’re looking forward to the challenge.”

Kitakyushu bronze medallists USA, meanwhile, will tackle France, Fiji and Spain in Pool C.

The top four teams in the 2019 series will secure their place at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, joining already qualified Japan as the host nation, and avoid having to negotiate the regional qualifiers or global repechage tournament.

The first of those places could be confirmed in Langford this weekend with New Zealand currently leading the way with 72 points, followed by Canada (66), USA (64) and Australia (56) with France (46), Ireland (38) and England (37) hoping to close the gap to the top four with a strong tournament.

New Zealand captain Sarah Hirini said: “We want to keep in that top four because we definitely want to be in Tokyo next year and qualifying through the series this season will make it a lot easier for next year. I think we’re progressing really well and obviously still leading in the series so we’re pretty happy with how we’re going at the moment.”

The action gets underway at Westhills Stadium at 10:22 local time (GMT-7) on Saturday with New Zealand against Russia, the side that ended their record-equalling 37-match winning run with a 17-17 draw in Kitakyushu.

Follow all the action.

Courtesy of World Rugby

Ellie Kildunne  Photo: Mike Lee – KLC fotos for World Rugby

After missing Sydney and Hamilton earlier this season through injury, Ellie Kildunne will make her return in Japan this weekend.

Having progressed through the England Women pathway to earn a contract with England Sevens at the start of the 2018/19 season, Emma Hardy is selected to represent England in her first World Series tournament in Kitakyushu.

Captain Abbie Brown will lead the side as they face USA, Ireland and Fiji in Pool C in the group stage of the competition on day one.

Commenting on selection Bailey said: “It’s great to have Ellie Kildunne back in the squad for this tournament; she is a really important player for us who has worked really hard rehabbing.

“Additionally, we’re excited for Emma Hardy who has performed well in training to earn her first World Series selection.”

Held at the Mikuni World Stadium, Kitakyushu is the fourth round of the 2019 HSBC World Rugby Women’s Sevens Series.

Bailey added: “The period of time since our last World Series tournament at the end of January has been invaluable to us as a squad.

“With there being some changes to the team in recent months this time has allowed us to train with a consistent group of players and really focus on ourselves and the talented group that we have.

“We had a great training tournament in France last month which has given the squad great confidence and renewed energy going into these weeks leading into Japan where we will face a very competitive pool.”

Claire Allan, Heather Fisher and Deborah Fleming were all unavailable for selection due to injury.

England Women Sevens squad for Kitakyushu:

Lizzie Adam
Holly Aitchison
Abbie Brown ©
Abi Burton
Emma Hardy
Megan Jones
Ellie Kildunne
Alex Matthews
Celia Quansah
Helena Rowland
Emma Uren
Amy Wilson Hardy

England’s Pool C fixtures, all times BST, streamed live on WorldRugby.org:

England v USA, 02:52, Saturday 20 April
England v Ireland, 05:14, Saturday 20 April
England v Fiji, 07:58, Saturday 20 April

Courtesy of World Rugby

Jonathan Castleman, HSBC Global Head of Brand Partnerships said: “The HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series is in an exciting period of explosive growth and remains a constantly changing frontier full of potential. The impressive growth of the women’s game is undoubtedly one of the biggest drivers of this, with new talent emerging and more eyeballs than ever before on the women’s series. With this in mind, today’s announcement is hugely exciting for us and we look forward to continuing our role as an active partner, working alongside World Rugby and the local unions, to help rugby sevens thrive around the world for years to come.”

Rugby sevens continues to grow, engage and attract global audiences. In 2018, the world series saw record-breaking fan engagement figures with an increase of 60 per cent across video views when compared with 2017 and attracted more than 749,800 attendees to events globally.

The growth trend continued in broadcast viewing figures with Nielsen research recording a 39 per cent increase in live broadcast audiences across both men’s and women’s series, from nine million in 2017 to 12.6 million viewers in 2018.

Next season’s series will be vital as qualified core men’s and women’s teams prepare to compete not only on the world series but also at the Olympic Games which takes place from 27 July-1 August at Tokyo Stadium.

With the newly-expanded women’s series, qualified teams will have more high quality, competitive playing opportunities than ever before as they prepare to participate at Tokyo 2020.

The full men’s and women’s HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2019-20 schedule and dates will be confirmed at a later stage in 2019.

Courtesy of World Rugby

The pools and match schedule have been announced for the HSBC USA Women’s Sevens in Glendale, the new opening round of the HSBC World Rugby Women’s Sevens Series 2019.

Hosted at Infinity Park in Glendale, Colorado, from 20-21 October, the HSBC USA Women’s Sevens features the 11 series core teams and invitational team Mexico.

With teams returning to action for the first time since Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018 in July, the stage is set for a thrilling weekend in Colorado with the HSBC World Rugby Women’s Sevens Series the first step on the road to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

Defending series champions Australia will face Russia, Spain and Mexico in Pool A.

Rugby World Cup Sevens winners New Zealand are joined in Pool B by hosts USA, returning core team China and England.

France and Canada, who finished third and fourth respectively in the 2018 series, take their place in Pool C alongside Fiji and Ireland.

World Rugby Chairman Bill Beaumont said: “With the addition of Glendale, the women’s series increases to six rounds this year, in line with our ambitions to provide more high-quality competition under the wider Women’s Plan 2017-25.

“With the world series also acting as principle route for qualification for Tokyo 2020, we expect this season to be more competitive than ever as teams compete for a place at the Olympic Games.

“After an outstanding Rugby World Cup Sevens in San Francisco, which attracted record audiences, we are delighted to be back in the US and looking forward to watching an action-packed weekend of high octane and fast-paced sevens rugby.”

Tickets for the HSBC USA Women’s Sevens 2018 tournament are one sale now via USAwomens7sGlendale.com.

For more information on the HSBC World Rugby Women’s Sevens Series click here.

Courtesy of World Rugby

Rugby sevens continues to engage global audiences and break new ground. The men’s and women’s HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2018 saw record-breaking fan engagement figures with more than 120 million video views, a 60 per cent increase on 2017.

The HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2019 will be hotly contested as 15 core men’s teams and 11 core women’s teams compete for the title, and with the series acting as the principal route for qualification for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, it promises to be once again highly competitive.

This season, the HSBC World Rugby Women’s Sevens Series increases to six rounds with USA Rugby hosting the new opening round in Glendale, Colorado, on 20-21 October, 2018.

Rounds two and three are combined events alongside the men’s series, taking place in Dubai on 29-30 November, 2018 and Sydney on 1-2 February, 2019 before standalone events in Kitakyushu, Japan, on 20-21 April and Langford, Canada, on 11-12 May. The HSBC World Rugby Women’s Sevens Series 2019 will culminate in Paris, 31 May-1 June.

The series opens in Dubai on 30-1 December, 2018, before teams move on to Cape Town in South Africa the following week.

In the New Year, teams will travel to Hamilton, New Zealand, on 26-27 January, 2019 before both men’s and women’s teams are welcomed to Sydney, Australia, for three days of action packed rugby sevens from 1-3 February.

The fifth and sixth rounds will be hosted in Las Vegas, USA, on 1-3 March and Vancouver, Canada, on 9-10 March, before teams travel to Hong Kong on 5-7 April and Singapore on 13-14 April for rounds seven and eight respectively.

The penultimate round of the series will take place again in London on 25-26 May with Paris hosting the finale on 1-2 June.

World Rugby Chairman Bill Beaumont said: “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.

“Rugby sevens has seen record growth in awareness in recent years with its inclusion in the Olympics having a profound effect on the sport, attracting an estimated 30 million fans globally. 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.

“The world series is truly one of rugby sevens’ flagship competitions and we are looking forward to watching teams once again compete at the highest level for not only for the coveted world series title, but also Olympic qualification.”

Leanne Cutts, HSBC Group General Manager and Group Head of Marketing, said: “As a long-term partner of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series, we can take great pride in the work we’ve done with World Rugby to help deliver the record growth and expansion the game has enjoyed in recent seasons.

“The men’s and women’s games on the pitch are more spectacular than ever. With electrifying athletes, jaw-dropping skills and fascinating personalities, we firmly believe rugby sevens is as entertaining as any sport out there. With the sport’s second Olympics now on the horizon in 2020, there are significant opportunities to engage even more new players, fans and countries.”

The 2019 series also welcomes Japan’s men and China’s women as core teams after they won the Hong Kong qualifier in April.

HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series Men’s Schedule*
(*All fixtures and venues correct at time of publication/subject to change)

Dubai, UAE, 30th November – 1st December 2018 **
Cape Town, South Africa, 8th – 9th December, 2018
Hamilton, New Zealand, 26th – 27th January 2019
Sydney, Australia, 2nd – 3rd February 2019 **
Las Vegas, USA, 1st – 3rd March, 2019
Vancouver, Canada, 9th – 10th March, 2019
Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 5th – 7th April, 2019
Singapore, Singapore, 13th – 14th April, 2019
London, England, 25th – 26th May, 2019
Paris, France, 1st – 2nd June, 2019**

HSBC World Rugby Women’s Sevens Series*
(*All fixtures and venues correct at time of publication/subject to change)

Colorado, USA, 20th – 21st October, 2018
Dubai, UAE, 29th – 30th November, 2018**
Sydney, Australia, 1st – 3rd February, 2019 **
Kitakyushu, Japan, 20th – 21st April, 2019
Langford, Canada, 11th – 12th May, 2019
Paris, France, 31st May – 2nd June, 2019 **

**Combined events

Courtesy of World Rugby

In a move that will align the annual series with the Olympic Games, World Rugby has also announced an exciting restructuring of the final competition day, driving greater meaning for teams and fans.

The traditional Cup, Plate, Bowl and Shield winners format will be replaced by two competitions. The top two teams in each pool will progress to the Cup competition and the chance to win a gold medal, while lower ranked teams will contest a new Challenge Trophy competition.

The restructure means that each series event will climax with the 13th-place positional play-off, followed by the Challenge Trophy (ninth place), the fifth place play-off, bronze medal match and the gold medal match (Cup winners).

The structure is similar to that operated at the Monaco and Dublin Olympic Games repechage events in June. The number of matches the teams play across each event remains the same, as does the points distribution.

World Rugby Chairman Bill Beaumont said: “Rugby sevens continues to go from strength to strength after a hugely successful Olympic Games debut and we are very much looking forward to what promises to be a very exciting and competitive men’s and women’s series.

“This is the first season within the Tokyo 2020 cycle and therefore the timing of these adjustments makes sense. They are designed to enhance fan understanding of the schedule and format, while providing teams with the opportunity to win a medal, as is fitting with an Olympic sport.”

With series anticipation and interest on a high after what was widely regarded as a hugely successful Olympic Games debut, the men’s and women’s series kick off in Dubai on 1 December, before the men’s series moves on to Cape Town, South Africa.

Report courtesy of World Rugby