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San Francisco’s scenic AT&T Park will host the Rugby World Cup Sevens from July 20 to 22 in 2018. USA Rugby confirmed the dates at the waterfront stadium, more commonly known as the home of Major League Baseball team San Francisco Giants but also reconfigurable to host field sports such as football or soccer. With a capacity of 42,000 it’s hoped the tournament will sell out on each of its three days.
While the prestige of the event is lessened slightly with the arrival of the Olympic 7s, it remains a high profile event that brings out the best available players for each country. It also allows the British sides – England, Scotland, and Wales – to compete individually instead of under their Olympic banner of Great Britain. Its 24 team design is twice that of the Olympics, while 16 women’s teams will also take part, four more than the Olympic or a typical HSBC Women’s Sevens Series event.
The event comes five years after the previous Rugby World Cup Sevens, held in Moscow in 2013. New Zealand won both the men’s and women’s brackets but the tournament itself was largely panned for its lack of pre-tournament marketing, poor attendance, and substandard production that saw several matches blacked out due to torrential rain. Originally intended to take place every four years in accordance with the Rugby World Cup XVs, the tournament was shifted forward by one year to accommodate the Olympic timetable.
