World Rugby confirm schedule for 2019 edition of Sevens Series

World Rugby has announced the schedule for the men's and women's 2019 edition of HSBC Sevens Series that will also serve as the basis for the 2020 Olympics qualification in Tokyo.

The tournament will feature 15 teams competing in the men's competition and 11 from women's and will kick-off from October.

The men's competition will once again be a 10-round affair but there has been an increase in women's contest that will have six rounds now.

“As we enter an Olympic Games qualifying year, the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series promises to again be highly competitive as both men’s and women’s teams look to secure their place, via the world series, at Tokyo 2020," World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont said.

“Rugby sevens has seen record growth in awareness in recent years with its inclusion in the Olympics having a profound effect on the sport, attracting an estimated 30 million fans globally. The series continues to capture the imagination of global audiences with record-breaking fan engagement figures of over 120 million video views recorded this year.

“The world series is truly one of rugby sevens’ flagship competitions and we are looking forward to watching teams once again compete at the highest level for not only for the coveted world series title, but also Olympic qualification.”

Women's competition will begin on 20th and 21st October in Colorado and will be followed by Dubai, Sydney, Japan, Langford and Paris legs with the tournament coming to a conclusion in May.

The men's series will begin with Dubai leg in November and will be followed by Cape Town, Hamilton, Sydney, Las Vegas, Vancouver, Hong Kong, Singapore, London and Paris that will conclude on 2nd June.

Leanne Cutts, HSBC Group General Manager and Group Head of Marketing, said: “As a long-term partner of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series, we can take great pride in the work we’ve done with World Rugby to help deliver the record growth and expansion the game has enjoyed in recent seasons.

“The men’s and women’s games on the pitch are more spectacular than ever. With electrifying athletes, jaw-dropping skills and fascinating personalities, we firmly believe rugby sevens is as entertaining as any sport out there. With the sport’s second Olympics now on the horizon in 2020, there are significant opportunities to engage even more new players, fans and countries.”

The Women's competition will also see the addition of teams from Japan and China after they won the qualifiers in April.

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