World Rugby launch new 7s format starting 23/24 season

HSBC SVNS, World Rugby’s revamped and rebranded global celebration of rugby sevens across eight iconic cities has been launched as a rugby event, festival and a must-attend experience set in some of the world’s most exciting locations. 

With a bold ambition to supercharge rugby’s global reach and appeal by being more relevant and accessible to younger, leisure-hungry audiences, HSBC SVNS aims to deliver the ultimate immersive experiences, a unique festival of sport, entertainment and culture set against stunning backdrops.

Launching in December 2023, HSBC SVNS festivals will provide the annual platform for the world’s best sevens athletes to shine with 12 men’s and women’s teams sharing a global stage at the same location.

The tournament will get underway in Dubai on 2-3 December before making stops in Cape Town (South Africa), Perth (Australia), Vancouver (Canada), Los Angeles (USA), Hong Kong SAR (China), Singapore (Singapore) before the final stop in Madrid (Spain).

World Rugby Chief Executive Alan Gilpin said: “We are excited to be launching HSBC SVNS, the supercharged new identity for our Olympic format, with iconic destinations and a new concept on and off the field, broadening the reach and appeal of the sport beyond its traditional audiences. 

“Our ambition is for SVNS to be at the forefront of our growth strategy, appealing to a younger, leisure-hungry audience. In eight iconic destinations played over seven months, we will bring together a truly immersive festival of rugby, music, food and experiences to create the ultimate weekend-long get together for young people, the hottest ticket and open a new era for the sport. 

Each event is designed to enable the world’s top players to be at their best. Following consultation with players, fans, broadcasters and unions, the competition format has been revamped with SVNS set to deliver even more drama, excitement and jeopardy.

The top eight placed teams, based on cumulative series points, at the conclusion of Singapore SVNS will secure their opportunity to compete in the new ‘winner takes all’ Grand Final in Madrid, where the women’s and men’s SVNS champions will be crowned. 

The drama does not end there. Madrid will also play host to the high stakes relegation play-off competition where teams ranked ninth to 12th will join the top four teams from the World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series. The top four placed teams of this play-off will secure their place on next year's SVNS. 

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Under the new model, SVNS delivers gender parity with all seven rounds and the Grand Final featuring combined men’s and women’s competitions and equal participation fees, with a 70 per cent uplift in World Rugby’s investment in participation fees as a commitment to sustainable growth. 

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Equal share of the spotlight: Fully combined and equal men’s and women’s festivals with number of men’s teams reduced from 16 to 12, aligning with the Olympic competition model.

Jeopardy right to the end: Annual ‘Grand Final’ will crown SVNS champions and offer pathway opportunity for four men’s and women’s teams to achieve promotion from the World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series

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Promotion and relegation reimagined: The teams ranked ninth to 12th will join the top four teams from the World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series in a high stakes relegation play-off competition which will see the top four teams secure their places in the next edition of SVNS.

Opportunity for all: 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.

Be there: HSBC SVNS 2024 gets underway in Dubai, UAE on 2-3 December, 2023 and serves as a crucial build-up to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

More information regarding the Challenger Series, including dates, locations and competing teams will be announced at a later stage.

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HSC SVNS – Festival dates 

Dubai, UAE – 2-3 December, 2023

Cape Town, South Africa – 9-10 December, 2023

Perth, Australia – 26-28 January, 2024

Vancouver, Canada – 23-25 February, 2024

Los Angeles, USA – 2-3 March, 2024

Hong Kong SAR, China – 5-7 April 2024

Singapore, Singapore – 3-5 May 2024

Madrid, Spain – 31 May-2 June, 2024

All dates and venues correct at time of publication and are subject to change.