It’s official, the inaugural Vancouver 7s is sold out. A press release from the tournament organizers says the spectator capacity of approximately 28,000 has been reached for each of the two days on March 12-13. In doing so the event will set a new live attendance record for rugby in Canada, eclipsing the previous mark of 22,566 set in Toronto when the New Zealand Maori defeated Canada in a friendly at BMO Field in November of 2013.
The new HSBC Sevens Series event is the sixth stop on this year’s circuit, and takes place at BC Place in downtown Vancouver. While the maximum stadium capacity is 54,500, the upper bowl portion will not be in use during the tournament, an arrangement commonly used in Major League Soccer events.
Several teams have already announced their squads for the North American leg of the HSBC Series that begins in Las Vegas on March 4. Among the numerous international stars set to participate are South Africa’s Bryan Habana, Australia’s Quade Cooper, and New Zealand’s Sonny Bill Williams.