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World Rugby has confirmed that no further World Sevens Series events will take place in 2020. Having already cancelled the remainder of the 2019-20 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the opening leg of the 2020-21 season has now suffered the same fate.
Dubai and Cape Town were set to host combined men’s and women’s events in November and December, respectively, but have now been cancelled. The Oceania leg is next on the traditional schedule with the New Zealand event typically held in the last week of January followed immediately by Australia.
The North American leg of the men’s circuit sees tournaments in Los Angeles and Vancouver held on back-to-back weekends in late February / early March, with the women’s tournaments held in Glendale and Langford later in the spring.
Delivering a meaningful calendar of events is now the challenge in the build-up to the postponed Tokyo Olympics that are now scheduled for late July, 2021. There are also three teams still to qualify for that event, with Repechage tournaments to decide one men’s team and two women’s teams. Also under question is the second-tier Challenger Series.
World Rugby CEO Brett Gosper included a statement in the media release:
“While we share in the disappointment of players, teams, fans, hosts and everyone involved with the popular events in Dubai and Cape Town, this is a prudent decision taken with the health and well-being of the global rugby community and wider society as our top priority and guided by the relevant government and international public health authority advice. We look forward to welcoming these wonderful destinations back to the Series following this year’s hiatus.
“Through the Sevens Working Group we are continuing to work very hard in close collaboration with all stakeholders, including host and participating unions, International Rugby Players, and our commercial and broadcast partners to achieve our shared objective of a spectacular return to HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series action as soon as it is safe to do so and we continue to plan and prepare for all remaining events in the 2021 Series.”
