GB Sevens restructures ahead of 2024/25 season amid Financial Pressures

The Rugby Football Union has announced a major overhaul of the Great Britain men's and women's sevens programmes ahead of the 2024/25 HSBC SVNS Series.

The current full-time model will be replaced by a streamlined camp-and-competition structure, under which players will be brought together periodically for training and tournament play, rather than being contracted year-round.

Under this revised model, existing player contracts will expire as planned at the end of July. However, players will still be scouted and selected through their home unions—England, Scotland, and Wales—to represent GB7s during the series next season.

The decision stems from a combination of persistent financial challenges in the sevens landscape and a broader strategic review into how the format can continue to play a meaningful role in developing players for the wider game.

The shift marks a significant operational change, but union officials insist the programme remains committed to GB7s’ continuity on the world stage.

RFU Performance Director Conor O’Shea explained the rationale:

“With an increasingly congested sevens calendar and crossover opportunities with the 15s game reducing, we are taking time to review how best the format can work both from a player development and financial perspective.

"The intended new format will look at ways where crossover can happen more effectively in the men’s and women’s game while reducing some of the rising costs associated with competing on a global circuit.”

O'Shea further acknowledged the Olympic funding disparity between GB7s and rival nations:

“GB7s does not receive central Olympic funding, unlike many other unions it is competing with, and we believe the model the series is run under could be more financially effective for individual unions.

"This is something we are continuing to talk to World Rugby about.”

Scottish Rugby’s Performance Director David Nucifora echoed the need for a new model that maintains the value of sevens as a development tool:

“The financial structure of the World Series over the past few years has become increasingly challenging and placed strain on the GB7s approach, which we must remodel... We hope that World Rugby will stay in dialogue with all Unions about finding a model that will allow the game to flourish.”

He also extended appreciation to those involved in the current set-up:

“I’d like to thank the players and Scottish Rugby people who have worked in the GB7s set-up this season and understand today’s news will be disappointing for them personally. We will extend relevant support to them.”

Welsh Rugby Union Interim Performance Director Huw Bevan backed the camp-based system as a pragmatic response to current constraints:

“We believe the camp-based approach we are taking will provide the best development opportunities for players from the men’s and women’s game given current financial constraints and the congested schedule.”