Major change to World Rugby Sevens plans for 2023-2024: Men's series reduced to 12 teams
The men's World Rugby Sevens series will be reduced from 16 to 12 teams from December 2023. At that point, the women's series will be aligned with the current 12 teams. Both men and women will compete in seven 'super' events over seven months, with organizers and dates to be announced in the coming months.
The top 8 teams after the sixth tournament compete for the seventh tournament championship, and the bottom 4 teams compete against the top 4 teams in the new Contenders series, with 4 entering the next season's 12-team pool.
The World Rugby press release did not reveal whether a play-off format would be used to determine the bottom four teams at the end of the season, or whether the bottom four teams would be placed in the end of season standings (13 to 16). be eliminated and will not return to the World Rugby Sevens Series until 2024-2025.
The season continues in Dubai next weekend, with the men's team having completed the first of eleven races and the women's team entering the first of seven races in Dubai. The men's team is currently 10th after one game. Last season the men finished 14th and the women 7th.
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World Rugby has created an exciting new framework for the future of the Rugby Sevens World Series. The revamped series will feature seven festival-style events in seven months across seven iconic destinations around the world, with the top twelve men's and twelve women's teams slated for December 2023.
- The revamped Sevens series will feature seven rounds in seven iconic destinations around the world over seven months starting in December 2023
- The men's and women's series have been completely merged and equal, and the number of men's teams has been reduced from 16 to 12, in line with the Olympic format
- The annual "Grand Finals" event will crown the series champion and give four men's and women's teams the chance to advance to the Challenger Series
- An innovative vision for a leading sports and entertainment brand, expanding the event experience and embracing youth culture
- Sponsor, contest dates and new brand identity to be announced in the coming months
- The current edition of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series will take place in Dubai on December 2-3 and Cape Town on December 9-11
World Rugby has created an exciting new framework for the future of the Rugby Sevens World Series, which will further embrace the 'sports entertainment' DNA, bringing together sport and fans in some of the world's most popular venues. Entertainment is combined in a festive atmosphere.
The revamped Rugby Sevens World Series will feature seven festival-style events over seven months in seven iconic destinations around the world, featuring the top 12 men's and 12 women's teams, and is expected to open in December 2023.
Aimed at attracting a younger, more diverse global fan base, while generating more revenue to reinvest in players and teams, the transformed series hosting model will see World Rugby partner with organizers to take greater responsibility. The organization responsible for organizing the event.
Following the impressive record in women's rugby, the series will be fully gender-balanced, with both men and women competing in all seven rounds, ensuring equal opportunities for female athletes to showcase their talents on the world's biggest stages.
After consultation with participating countries, the men's series will be reduced from 16 teams to 12 teams, in line with the Olympic format, and the number of men's and women's teams will generally be balanced, while providing opportunities for more optimized competition arrangements.
The annual "Grand Finals" event takes place in the seventh round, with the top eight teams competing for the series title after six rounds, while the ninth through twelfth place teams join the challengers of the top four teams . The series is high: four-team relegation play-off for the next series. The four teams not selected compete in regional competitions to qualify for the next Challenger Series, a series of twelve men's and twelve women's teams competing in the second tier of international rugby sevens.
In another groundbreaking development, men's and women's teams will receive equal entry fees, with World Rugby investing 70% more in entry fees under the new model.
Player wellbeing remains paramount and the reduced number of matches will allow players to perform at their best every time they take to the pitch, while also supporting the ambition to host more environmentally sustainable matches earlier this year under directed by the World Rugby Environment Agency. The 2030 Sustainable Development Plan was launched.
The new series followed an extensive and inclusive consultation process involving participating team representatives, existing tournament organizers, player welfare representatives and fans.
Talks are underway with potential hosting destinations following an unprecedented level of hosting interest. Confirmed sponsors, race dates and new brand identity will be announced in the coming months, with the first running of the revamped series set to run from December 2023 to June 2024.
The ongoing HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series continues with the next two rounds taking place in Dubai on December 2-3, followed by Cape Town on December 9-11.
Alan Gilpin, CEO of World Rugby, said: “A reimagined Rugby Sevens World Series will transform the game globally. Research shows that Rugby Sevens attract new rugby fans and attracting new rugby fans is critical, especially among emerging countries. Rugby and the new audience World Rugby is fully committed to the sustainability, innovation and success of rugby sevens as a highly influential and successful The Olympic Movement has a bright future.
“We have consulted extensively with a range of stakeholders to achieve our shared goal of expanding the reach of rugby by making it more relevant and accessible to more young people, more often than not, while ensuring the sanctity of player welfare and the status of rugby continues to improve successful placement of rugby sevens in the Olympic sport.
“Achieving full gender equality across the men's and women's series not only reflects our commitment to accelerating the women's game, but also recognizes the powerful figures who inspire new generations of fans around the world.
“The increased opportunities for a promotion path for Challenger Series teams to reach the top of the Rugby Sevens World Series is also an important development, giving more teams the opportunity to earn a place in the Rugby Sevens competition each year ."
Richard Heaselgrave, World Rugby's Head of Revenue and Fan Engagement, said: "The simple aim of the revamped series is to grow the sport by attracting more fans, generating more revenue and reinvesting in performance and delivering a greater , better, more engaging and entertaining event. . event experience for fans in the stadium, participate online or watch broadcasts from around the world.
“The series will chase the sun and put fans at the heart of the event, bringing together the best of sports and entertainment to create unforgettable live event experiences and a festive atmosphere across seven iconic global destinations that will enhance the appeal of Sevens Football and new players will attract audiences. .
“We will continue to build the Series as a global sports and entertainment brand by expanding our event experience. The Series provides an exciting opportunity to develop a world-class event that brings together top-level sport, live music, culinary experiences, retail and the arts. , culture Integrate mass participation to give fans the flexibility to watch, play and participate in a range of event experiences.
"Rugby Sevens is a sport like no other. The action is non-stop. The Sevens World Series will showcase some of the world's most impressive athletes in a multi-day festival of live festivities and entertainment. Physical and technical skills. The future of rugby Sevens, it's very clear."