Sevens

Rugby sevens has a long history that dates back to the 19th century. This variant of the game was founded in Melrose, Scotland in 1883 and it quickly grew in popularity. By 1900, Rugby 7s tournaments had been hosted in India, New Zealand, Australia and Ireland.

Fast forward to 1921 and the first rugby sevens tournament was held in England. Following this, the game exploded in popularity during the 1920s and 30s, when new competitions launched across the globe. This culminated in the 1970s with the launch of the first international rugby sevens tournament: the Hong Kong Sevens.

Since the turn of the millennium, rugby sevens has grown in popularity once again. From the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series to the Rugby World Cup Sevens and the Olympics, the sport continues to expand its reach and attract new players and fans alike.

Following the Hong Kong Sevens, a wave of international rugby sevens competitions were launched. This included the World Rugby Sevens Series, the World Rugby Women’s Sevens Series and Rugby World Cup Sevens. Additionally, rugby sevens was added to the Commonwealth Games in 1998 and made its Summer Olympics debut in 2016. 

Today, rugby sevens is played across the world, including in Australia, Canada, Fiji, Japan, Kenya, Portugal, Samoa, South Africa, Tonga and New Zealand. It has also become popular in minor rugby-playing nations, such as Dubai, Hong Kong, Poland and Singapore.

The highlight of the rugby sevens calendar is the HSBC Sevens Series, which was rebranded in 2024 as HSBC SVNS. Organised by World Rugby and sometimes referred to as World Rugby Sevens, this tournament includes an annual series of rugby sevens events that feature the world’s best men’s and women’s rugby sevens teams. 

The 2024 HSBC SVNS Series takes place across eight exciting events. The Series started in Dubai in December 2023 and will run until June 2024. Finals Day is set to be held in Madrid, Spain.