‘Never been a bigger year’: Why rugby sevens is set to reach new heights
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With the new-look SVNS Series nearing its first-ever Grand Final in Madrid, and with the Paris Olympics just around the corner, World Rugby CEO Alan Gilpin believes this is the biggest year in the already-decorated history of sevens.
As has been tradition on the circuit, Dubai hosted the first event of the revamped Series before the 12 best international teams in women’s and men’s sevens turned their focus to tournaments in Cape Town, Perth, Vancouver and Los Angeles.
It was then Hong Kong Stadium’s turn to welcome fans from all over the world across a phenomenal long weekend. The Series will soon head to Singapore from May 3-5 before the inaugural Grand Final and play-off events in Madrid from May 31 to June 2.
Civitas Metropolitan Stadium, which is the home of Spanish football giants Atletico Madrid, will host the Grand Final to determine the HSBC SVNS champions and the four playoff sides who will have earned core status for the 2024/25 season.
But as Alan Gilpin told reporters on day three at the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens, “The excitement doesn’t stop there” with sevens set to get the Paris Olympics party started at Stade de France in 120 days.
“As you know, (there has) never been a bigger year for sevens. A really exciting reset in the Series, again hopefully you can agree we’ve seen some amazing rugby throughout the whole Series, particularly the last couple of days here,” Gilpin said.
“That continues into Singapore now where the league regular season winner will now be crowned, and then the excitement builds into Madrid where we have our end-of-season playoffs and grand finale.
“The excitement doesn’t stop there because the reason it’s such a big year for sevens is we’ve got an incredible Paris Olympics coming up in 120 days’ time, so rugby sevens will kick off Paris 24. We’re the first sport to start the Games in 120 days from today.
“It’s a hugely exciting year for sevens. I think we’ve seen the players and the fans really step up to that. Delighted to be here and looking forward to the rest of a great day.”
SVNS Series veteran Charlotte Caslick is primed for a third Olympic Games in 2024 after an impressive season so far with Australia. Caslick, 29, was part of the trailblazing Aussie women’s side that claimed Olympic gold at the Rio Games in 2016.
That Olympic gold had an undeniable impact on sport in Australia. The Aussies became icons back home, with sevens inspiring many as it played a leading role in both the growth and promotion of women’s sport.
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As SVNS Series regular Isabella Nasser, who has enjoyed a breakout season with Australia in 2023/24, told RugbyPass last year, the success of that champion team was a motivating “turning point” as the Olympic hopeful switched her focus towards sevens.
Rugby sevens has come a long way in less than a decade. There are countless stories that could be told about how sevens has made a difference in the lives of people all over the world since becoming an Olympic sport.
“It’s been massive. Let’s just take the example of rugby sevens in Asia, we know that there is funding available to national governing bodies, not just in Asia but throughout the world, that wouldn’t be there but for Olympic status for sevens,” Gilpin explained.
“We had a brilliant debut in Rio in 2016, obviously Abby (Gustaitis – who was sitting next to Gilpin) was part of what we did in Tokyo. It was devastating to be in the Tokyo Games a year late with no fans… we’re so excited about Paris. It’s going to be an amazing six days.
“Paris will be our big platform, our kind of coming of age of rugby sevens in the Olympics. We’re in the Stade de France, we know it’s going to be full, it’s going to be buzzing for rugby, we get to kick off the Games.
“We’re in conversation with LA28, that’s why LA is such an important part of the sevens program for us. We’re in conversation with Brisbane 32 so we feel like we’re a proper Olympic citizen as a sport which is really important.
“That allows us to continue to drive funding into not just the elite end of the sport that we’re seeing here but more kids around the world have more opportunities to play.
“It’s a really important opportunity for the sport as a whole.”
Comments on RugbyPass
I bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
19 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
7 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
19 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
9 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
9 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
28 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
19 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
28 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
19 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
90 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
4 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
9 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
19 Go to comments