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World Rugby reveal major shake-up of Sevens format
By Ian Cameron
World Rugby have revealed a major shake-up of the Rugby Sevens World Series format which is set to be introduced at the end of 2023. The new schedule will see the number of host cities reduced to seven as the organisation bids to simplify and improve the current offering. Crucially, both male and female athletes will be paid the same.
The number of teams competing in the men’s World Series will also drop from 16 to 12, mirroring the number of teams that qualify for the Olympic Games every four years.
As part of the shake-up, there will be the introduction of a two-league system with promotion and relegation. Sides from the elite 12-team World Series can be relegated to the Challenger Series and likewise, Challenger Series contenders can be promoted to the World Series.
Speaking to RugbyPass, Richard Heaselgrave, the World Rugby chief revenue and fan engagement officer, said the new format was about entertainment and simplifying the product for both rugby fans and people new to the sport, summing up the new vision as: "Food, music and mass participation at seven iconic venues around the world, venues you would want to go to."
Host events will take place over three days and will be as much about entertaining the fans off the field as on it, with festival-style music and off-field entertainment and food central to programming. The aim for each venue is to host at least 80,000 fans across the span of three days.
The new vision for the tournament came about as the result of two seasons of forced introspection care of the global pandemic. "After about two years over the course of the pandemic, the rugby world consulted to get Sevens to be more popular. Simple as that. Popular in terms of fan engagement and fans watching and also in terms of the profitability of the series, so that we can pay Sevens players more money to compete so they can have a more aspirational career in rugby.
World Rugby have looked at the current circuit venues - at what has worked and what hasn't. "We wanted to look at not just the size of the events that could be staged at a venue, but also to introduce the sport to new markets," continued Heaselgrave.
Key to the new premise is equal pay for both male and female athletes, with World Rugby paying unions the same amount for the men's and women's programmes. "The basic principle of the new model is we pay the athletes 70 per cent more [than current wages], that's baked into the business model.
"Unless it's a dream that boys and girls around the world can play sevens and for it to be a viable career, you will lose athletes to other sports. Key to this is no gender difference. We pay the men and the women the same. The conditions are exactly the same for the men and women, and that's a first for Sevens."
The venues are yet to be finalised, with the World Series competing in its current format for one more season.
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John, McKenzie was 10 years ago and he only lasted 15 months until the disgustingly unfair affair that brought him down. I thought that if he didn't get another gig over Eddie V2 then he was done. I read that he had been approached but declined to put his name in the ring.
There are no potential Wallaby coaches outside of McKellar unless you have some inside info?
Go to commentsThe way they are defending is sometime pathetic to be honest. Itoje is usually on the inside of the rush and he is paired with a slower tight forward. Unable to keep up with the rush we have seen the line become disconnected on the inside where the big boys are. How many times have we seen Earl rush past the first receiver almost into no mans land covering no attacker. It looks like a system without any guidance. Tome Wright, Ikitau and a number of Wallabies went back to this soft centre as did Williams, Jordan and several others. Also when the line is broken the multiple lines of defence seems to be missing. The rush is predicated on a cover and recovery system with multiple lines of defence but with England you dont see it any more. Fitness and conditioning seems to be off as well as players are struggling to keep up with the intensity of the rush. Felix Jones has left a huge hole. The whole situation was and is a mess. Why they insist on not letting him go and having him work remotely is beyond me. Its leading to massive negative press and is a hot button issue thats distracting from the squad. Also the communication around Jones and his role has been absolute rubbish and is totally disjointed. While some say he is working remotely and playing a role others are saying theres been no contact. His role has not been defined and so people keep asking and keep getting different answers. England need a clean break from him and need to start over. Whatever reason for his leaving its time to cut the rope before the saga drags the whole Borthwick regime down. As for Joe El Abd well good luck to him. He is being made to look like an amateur by the whole saga and he is being asked to coach a system thats not his and which has been perfected and honed since 2017 by Nienaber, Jones, Erasmus and Co and which was first started by White in 2004. He is literally trying to figure out a system pioneered by double world cup winning coaches at the highest level and coach it at the same time. Talk about being on a hiding to nothing.
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