Sevens Rugby has been revamped to make the tournament more than just a sporting event, it will now be a festival celebrating each host city, the sport, equality and so much more!
Cape Town, South Africa (21 July 2023) – Cape Town will be among eight host cities for an exciting revamp of the HSBC Sevens Series starting in December. The rebranded HSBC SVNS festivals will feature 12 men’s and women’s teams chasing the ultimate prize, while also providing fans with a unique festival of sport, music, food and immersive experiences.
The City of Cape Town will be hosting the sevens for the seventh time this upcoming season. In the years it has been hosted in the Mother City, the tournament has attracted 650,000 spectators. The event has also contributed over R3 billion in economic activity to Cape Town. Additionally, over 2 000 jobs were created for the last edition held in December 2022.
The new format is sure to add even more to these numbers! The new format is focusing on “summer vibes” and that “festival feel”. The festival will highlight the culture of each host city as well as the foodie options popular to each city.
Not only will the festival promote fun, equality is on the cards too! According to World Rugby, 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.
“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.
“For the first time in rugby sevens history, all locations will be unified under the same approach, meaning that the overall experience is the same and we can optimise commercial revenue for reinvestment, including playing our part in ensuring that sevens is a viable career path for the talented players and Olympians. – World Rugby Chief Executive Alan Gilpin
The City of Cape Town is excited to be hosting the event again this year.
‘Cape Town’s inclusion in the remodelled Sevens Series is a massive feather in our cap. Cape Town Sevens has been one of the flagship events hosted in our city for nearly a decade, has proven a popular event with record attendance every single year and provides the best live experience for spectators.
The City of Cape Town has been supporting the event since it moved from Gqeberha to Cape Town and we are looking forward to continue our partnership with the organisers to ensure an exciting experience for spectators,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security Alderman JP Smith.
HBSC SVNS – Proposed 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
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