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World Rugby has released the locations and dates for the 2015/2016 Men’s World Series season. Coming off an exciting season in which Fiji took home the overall crown and the USA won their first-ever tournament, the HSBC World Series preps for their most important season to date. The 2015/2016 season not only sees the introduction of a number of new tournament sites, it also serves as the dress rehearsal for the 2016 Olympics in Rio.
The announcement comes along with news that World Series sponsor HSBC has signed on for an additional four years as the title sponsor of the Men’s World Series while also acquiring naming rights for the Women’s World Series. The affiliation with the Women’s World Series should help boost the Women’s series that has grown quickly.
Giles Morgan, Global Head of Sponsorship and Events, HSBC Holdings, said in a release from World Rugby: “HSBC became the first-ever title sponsor of the men’s world series back in 2010, and we are excited to not only be extending this partnership for another four years, but also to become the first-ever title sponsor of the increasingly popular women’s world series. The Olympic decision has served as a tremendous catalyst for the growth of sevens around the world, not just in participation but also through the popularity of the HSBC Sevens World Series in recent years.”
The revamped World Series will have a handful on new locales for the 2015/2016 season with Vancouver, Singapore, and Paris joining the fray. With the addition of three new tournament sites and losing two, Japan and Scotland, the HSBC World Series now sits at an even ten tournaments.
The Women’s 2015/2016 World Series dates have yet to be announced.
The new format also introduces a new time frame for the Las Vegas stop on the series. Traditionally played in mid-February, Las Vegas now gets an early March date.
USA 7s star Zack Test, who attended the event in Paris, said, “It is great for the players to know that a strong and committed sponsor is in place for the series. HSBC have been great supporters of rugby for a long time now and they really give a stability and certainty to the tournament.”
2015-16 HSBC Men’s World Rugby Sevens Series schedule
Round 1: Dubai: 4-5 December
Round 2: Cape Town: 12-13 December
Round 3: Wellington: 30-31 January
Round 4: Sydney: 6-7 February
Round 5: Las Vegas: 4-6 March
Round 6: Vancouver: 12-13 March
Round 7: Hong Kong: 8-10 April
Round 8: Singapore: 16-17 April
Round 9: Paris: 14-15 May
Round 10: London: 21-22 May
