World Rugby cuts back Women’s Circuit

The schedule for the 2015-16 HSBC Women’s World Rugby Sevens Series (WSWS) has been released, and as of now the circuit has been shortened to only four legs. Two of the host cities from last season, London and Amsterdam, are absent from the current schedule. Though there has been no formal announcement from World Rugby, they have indicated a desire to add a fifth stop, date and location as of now undecided.

It’s a situation that runs counter to the official position presented in the 2011-16 World Rugby (then IRB) Women’s Rugby Plan, which states that World Rugby will “look strategically at growing the [women’s] Game globally and maximising the opportunities presented.”

With so little official information available on the decision to abbreviate the WSWS, there has been speculation that logistics are at the heart of the matter. Amsterdam has fulfilled its three-year commitment to the WSWS, and became an unlikely host after the Dutch team failed to qualify for the Rio 2016 Olympics. London, meanwhile, proved to be a lackluster stop on last year’s tour, though they remain the most likely candidate should an additional tournament be added.

Others have suggested instead that World Rugby simply aren’t invested enough in the WSWS. A tweet from the official account of Stars Rugby 7s, an American developmental team, read: “It’s simply not right that men get added stops & women’s are reduced.”

Reaction from players has also been negative since World Rugby’s decision came to light, with a number citing concerns that high quality competition was being taken away heading towards the all-important Olympics. Surely World Rugby would have preferred not to open the 2015-16 WSWS amid such speculation and negativity. This season is now shaping up as a public test of their commitment to women’s sevens.

CURRENT WSWS SCHEDULE
2015, December 3-4, Dubai
2016, February 20-21, São Paulo
2016, April 8-9, Atlanta
2016, April 16-17, Langford

story by Kyle Phillips, follow Kyle on Twitter @nomadenhaft