IRB Sevens World Series
Encyclopedia
The IRB Sevens World Series, known officially as the HSBC Sevens World Series as of the 2010-11 season, through sponsorship from banking group HSBC
, and also sometimes called the World Sevens Series, is a series of international rugby union sevens
tournaments organised for the first time in the 1999-2000 season. The tournaments, run by the International Rugby Board
, feature national sevens teams. The series was first formed to develop an elite-level competition series between rugby nations and develop the Sevens game into a viable commercial product for the IRB.
Teams compete for the Sevens World Series title by accumulating points based on their finishing position in each tournament. Each season's circuit currently consists of nine tournaments in eight countries, and visits five of the six populated continents. Australia
, the United Arab Emirates
, South Africa
, New Zealand
, the United States
, Hong Kong
, Japan
, Scotland
and England
each host one event. Depending on the venue and scheduling of the quadrennial Rugby World Cup Sevens
, one of the tournaments may be folded into the World Cup. For example, because the 2005 World Cup
was held in Hong Kong and scheduled for roughly the same time as the annual Hong Kong Sevens
, the Hong Kong Sevens was folded into the World Cup. However, none of the 2008–09 events were folded into the 2009 World Cup
, as that year's World Cup fell three weeks after the USA Sevens
and three weeks before the Hong Kong Sevens.
which granted them status as the first ever title sponsor of the IRB Sevens World Series. Through the accord, HSBC acquired title naming rights to all tournaments in the IRB Series, beginning with the Dubai Sevens on 3 December.
is a stripped-down version of rugby union
from Scotland
with seven players each side on a normal-sized field. Games are much shorter, lasting only seven or ten minutes each half, and tend to be very fast-paced, open, affairs. The game is quicker and higher-scoring than 15-a-side rugby and the rules are far simpler, which explains part of its appeal. It also gives players the space for superb feats of individual skill. New Zealand
has been by far the dominant force in the IRB World Sevens Series, winning eight out of the 11 seasons. However, in recent years, several other teams have successfully challenged New Zealand's dominance. Fiji
, long a power in sevens, were winners in 2005-06; South Africa
won in 2008–09; and Samoa
claimed the 2009–10 crown. Other strong contenders in recent years have included England
, Australia, and Argentina
, all of whom have won an event within the last two seasons. Many minor rugby nations have become competitive as well. Four of the current 12 "core teams" that participate in all series events represent nations that are not within the traditional top tier of the 15-man game—Samoa, Fiji, Kenya
, and the USA
.
Sevens is traditionally played in a two-day tournament format, with the Hong Kong Sevens (an anomaly as a three-day event) being the most famous. Before each season, 12 "core teams" are announced, based on their performances in recent seasons. Each team has a guaranteed place in all of that season's events. The 2011–12 core teams are:
The most recent addition to the roster of core teams was the USA, which replaced its neighbor Canada
for 2008–09.
In a normal event, 16 teams are entered; in Hong Kong, 24 teams enter. The participants are the 12 core teams, plus sufficient invitees to fill out the field. The IRB operates satellite tournaments in each continent alongside the Sevens World Series which serve as qualifiers for Series events.
In each tournament, the teams are divided into pools of four teams, who play a round-robin within the pool. Points are awarded in each pool on a different schedule from most rugby tournaments—3 for a win, 2 for a draw, 1 for a loss, 0 for a no-show. In case teams are tied after pool play, the tiebreakers are:
As of the 2009–10 series, four trophies are awarded in each tournament. In descending order of prestige, they are the Cup, whose winner is the overall tournament champion, Plate, Bowl and Shield. In Hong Kong, the Shield was awarded for the first time in 2010. Each trophy is awarded at the end of a knockout tournament.
In a normal event, the top two teams in each pool advance to the Cup competition. The four quarterfinal losers drop into the bracket for the Plate. The Bowl is contested by the third and fourth-place finishers in each pool, while the Shield is contested by the losing quarterfinalists of the Bowl.
In the Hong Kong Sevens, the six pool winners, plus the two highest-finishing second-place teams, advance to the Cup. Starting with the 2010 event:
A third-place match is now conducted between the losing Cup semifinalists in all tournaments; this was introduced for the 2011–12 series.
Source
16-team events (all except for Hong Kong)
24-team event (Hong Kong)
If two or more teams are level on series points at the end of the season, the following tiebreakers are used to determine placement:
HSBC
HSBC Holdings plc is a global banking and financial services company headquartered in Canary Wharf, London, United Kingdom. it is the world's second-largest banking and financial services group and second-largest public company according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine...
, and also sometimes called the World Sevens Series, is a series of international rugby union sevens
Rugby sevens
Rugby sevens, also known as seven-a-side or VIIs, is a variant of rugby union in which teams are made up of seven players, instead of the usual 15, with shorter matches. Rugby sevens is administered by the International Rugby Board , the body responsible for rugby union worldwide...
tournaments organised for the first time in the 1999-2000 season. The tournaments, run by the International Rugby Board
International Rugby Board
The International Rugby Board is the governing body for the sport of rugby union. It was founded in 1886 as the International Rugby Football Board by the unions of Scotland, Wales and Ireland. England refused to join until 1890. The International Rugby Football Board changed its name to the...
, feature national sevens teams. The series was first formed to develop an elite-level competition series between rugby nations and develop the Sevens game into a viable commercial product for the IRB.
Teams compete for the Sevens World Series title by accumulating points based on their finishing position in each tournament. Each season's circuit currently consists of nine tournaments in eight countries, and visits five of the six populated continents. Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, the United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
each host one event. Depending on the venue and scheduling of the quadrennial Rugby World Cup Sevens
Rugby World Cup Sevens
The Rugby World Cup Sevens is the premier international Rugby sevens competition. The event is organised by the sport's governing body, the International Rugby Board , and is contested by the men's national sevens teams every four years. The inaugural tournament was held in 1993 in Scotland, the...
, one of the tournaments may be folded into the World Cup. For example, because the 2005 World Cup
2005 Rugby World Cup Sevens
-The winning team::Fiji national rugby sevens team*Waisale Serevi*Sireli Bobo*Vilimoni Delasau*William Ryder*Marika Vunibaka*Semisi Naevo*Nasoni Roko*Ifereimi Rawaqa*Jone Daunivucu*Lepani Nabuliwaqa*Norman Ligairi*Viliame Satala*Apolosi Satala...
was held in Hong Kong and scheduled for roughly the same time as the annual Hong Kong Sevens
Hong Kong Sevens
The Hong Kong Sevens is considered the premier tournament on the IRB Sevens World Series in rugby sevens—a variant of rugby union....
, the Hong Kong Sevens was folded into the World Cup. However, none of the 2008–09 events were folded into the 2009 World Cup
2009 Rugby World Cup Sevens
The 2009 Rugby Sevens World Cup was the fifth edition of the Rugby sevens world cup. The International Rugby Board selected Dubai in the United Arab Emirates as the host venue for the tournament ahead of bids from four other countries. The format included nine direct qualifiers and a further...
, as that year's World Cup fell three weeks after the USA Sevens
USA Sevens
The USA Sevens is an annual rugby sevens tournament held in the United States. A part of the IRB Sevens World Series, it currently takes place on Saturday and Sunday during the second weekend of February...
and three weeks before the Hong Kong Sevens.
Tournaments
As of the current 2011–12 series, there are nine legs of the World Series tour, after the IRB's announcement on 18 August 2011 that Japan would become the newest stop on the circuit. Prior to this announcement, the IRB had contemplated adding two stops to the previously eight-event circuit. Trevor Gregory, vice-president of the Asian Rugby Football Union, believed that destinations in South America and Asia could be added, and that Tokyo would be added in 2012 or 2013.- Australia – Gold Coast SevensGold Coast SevensThe Gold Coast Sevens is an annual rugby union sevens tournament held in Gold Coast, Australia. It´s held at the Robina Stadium since 2011 and is part of the IRB Sevens World Series.-Results:-External links:*...
(Skilled Park): late November (2 days)- The Australian leg was previously known as the Adelaide SevensAdelaide SevensThe Adelaide Sevens is a rugby union sevens tournament, part of the IRB Sevens World Series. The competition is currently held at the Adelaide Oval, South Australia. The inaugural competition, the 2007 Adelaide Sevens, took place on 7 and 8 April and replaced the Singapore Sevens...
, and was held in early April.
- The Australian leg was previously known as the Adelaide Sevens
- UAE – Dubai SevensDubai SevensThe Dubai Sevens is an annual rugby union sevens tournament held in Dubai, UAE. Through the 2007 edition, it was held at the Dubai Exiles Rugby Ground, but in 2008 it moved to The Sevens, a new stadium built to host the 2009 Rugby World Cup Sevens. The 2009 competition took place between 3-5...
(The SevensThe Sevens (stadium)The Sevens, also written as "7he Sevens", is a purpose-built rugby sevens stadium in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.It was the venue for the first HSBC A5N Youth Rugby Festival in February 2009.-External links:* * *...
): early December (2 days) - South Africa – South Africa SevensSouth Africa SevensSouth Africa Sevens is an annual rugby sevens tournament held in South Africa each year. It is part of the IRB Sevens World Series.As of the 2010–11 series, 12 tournaments have been held in South Africa—one in Stellenbosch, two in Durban, and nine at the most recent location, George...
(Nelson Mandela Bay StadiumNelson Mandela Bay StadiumNelson Mandela Bay Stadium is a 48,000-seater stadium in Port Elizabeth.The five-tier, R2 billion Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium was built overlooking the North End Lake, at the heart of the city. It is one of three coastal stadiums built in anticipation of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. It regularly hosts...
, Port Elizabeth): mid December (2 days)- The 2011–12 edition will be the first in Port Elizabeth. Previously, the South African leg was held at GeorgeGeorge, Western CapeGeorge is a city with 203,253 inhabitants in South Africa's Western Cape province. The city is a popular holiday and conference centre and the administrative and commercial hub of the Garden Route.- Location :...
.
- The 2011–12 edition will be the first in Port Elizabeth. Previously, the South African leg was held at George
- New Zealand – Wellington SevensWellington SevensThe Wellington Sevens or the New Zealand International Sevens is an annual rugby sevens tournament held in Wellington, New Zealand. The tournament, the third on the IRB Sevens World Series circuit, is played at Wellington's Westpac Stadium in early February and includes teams from 16 countries...
, (Westpac StadiumWestpac StadiumWestpac Stadium, is a major sporting venue in Wellington, New Zealand. Due to its shape and silver coloured external walls, it is colloquially known as The Cake-Tin to the locals and other New Zealanders...
, WellingtonWellingtonWellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
): early February (2 days) - USA – USA SevensUSA SevensThe USA Sevens is an annual rugby sevens tournament held in the United States. A part of the IRB Sevens World Series, it currently takes place on Saturday and Sunday during the second weekend of February...
(Sam Boyd StadiumSam Boyd StadiumSam Boyd Stadium is a football stadium located in Whitney, Nevada, an unincorporated community in the Las Vegas metropolitan area; the mailing address of the stadium is "Las Vegas". The stadium is named after Sam Boyd, a major figure in the hotel/casino industry in Las Vegas. The stadium consists...
, Las Vegas): mid February (3 days in 2012, normally 2 days) - Hong Kong – Hong Kong SevensHong Kong SevensThe Hong Kong Sevens is considered the premier tournament on the IRB Sevens World Series in rugby sevens—a variant of rugby union....
(Hong Kong StadiumHong Kong StadiumHong Kong Stadium is the main sports venue of Hong Kong. Redeveloped from the old Government Stadium it reincarnated as Hong Kong Stadium in 1994...
): late March (3 days) - Japan – Japan SevensJapan SevensThe Japan Sevens is an annual rugby union sevens tournament held in Tokyo, Japan. It´s held at the Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium since 2011 and is part of the IRB Sevens World Series....
(Chichibunomiya Rugby StadiumChichibunomiya rugby stadiumin the Aoyama district of central Tokyo is the spiritual home of Japanese rugby union and the headquarters of the Japan Rugby Football Union.-Facilities:...
, TokyoTokyo, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
): end March/early April (2 days) - Scotland – Edinburgh SevensEdinburgh SevensThe Emirates Airline Edinburgh Sevens, also known as the Edinburgh 7s and Scotland Sevens, is a rugby union sevens tournament, part of the IRB Sevens World Series, held at Murrayfield in Edinburgh, Scotland. It will have the honour of being the last event in each season's IRB Sevens...
(MurrayfieldMurrayfield StadiumMurrayfield Stadium is a sports stadium located in the west end of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Its all-seater capacity was recently reduced from 67,800 to 67,130 to incorporate the largest permanent "big screen" in the country though it still remains the largest stadium in Scotland and one...
, Edinburgh, Scotland): early May (2 days) - England – London SevensLondon SevensThe London Sevens is an annual rugby sevens tournament held at Twickenham in London each year. It is part of the IRB Sevens World Series. The current titleholders are Australia, who beat South Africa in the final at Twickenham on 23 May 2010.- External links :...
(TwickenhamTwickenham StadiumTwickenham Stadium is a stadium located in Twickenham, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is the largest rugby union stadium in the United Kingdom and has recently been enlarged to seat 82,000...
): mid May (2 days)- The Scotland and England legs have changed their order on the schedule; previously, the Scotland leg was the last.
Air time
According to the IRB, the tour received 1147 hours of air time in 2005–06; 530 of which was live, and was broadcast to 136 countries. By 2008–09, the hours of air time had increased to over 3,300, with 35 broadcasters airing the series in 139 countries and 15 languages. Broadcast time saw further increases for 2009–10, with 3,561 hours of air time (1,143 hours live) carried by 34 broadcasters in 141 countries and 16 languages. In 2010–11, 3,657 hours of coverage were aired (1,161.5 hours live), with the same number of broadcasters as the previous season but six new countries added. For that season, Sevens World Series programming was available in 332 million homes worldwide, with a potential audience of 760 million.Sponsorship
In early October, the International Rugby Board announced that they had concluded a 5-year deal with HSBCHSBC
HSBC Holdings plc is a global banking and financial services company headquartered in Canary Wharf, London, United Kingdom. it is the world's second-largest banking and financial services group and second-largest public company according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine...
which granted them status as the first ever title sponsor of the IRB Sevens World Series. Through the accord, HSBC acquired title naming rights to all tournaments in the IRB Series, beginning with the Dubai Sevens on 3 December.
Seasons
| Season | Rounds | Champion | Top Scorer | Most tries | Player of the Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999-00 1999-00 World Sevens Series -Itinerary:*Dubai December 1999*Stellenbosch, South Africa December 1999*Punta Del Este, Uruguay 7-8 January 2000*Mar del Plata, Argentina 12-13 January 2000*Wellington, New Zealand 5-6 February 2000*Hong Kong*Fiji*Brisbane, Australia*Tokyo, Japan March 2000.... |
10 | (186 points) |  Fiji Vilimoni DelasauVilimoni Delasau Vilimoni Waqatabu Delasau is a Fijian rugby union footballer. He plays as a wing. His nickname is Delz.-Career:... (83) |
No Award | |
| 2000-01 2000-01 World Sevens Series -Itinerary:*Dubai*New Zealand*Hong Kong*London*Cardiff*Durban*Kuala Lumpur-Standings:... |
9 | (162 points) |  New Zealand Karl Te NanaKarl Te Nana Karl Te Nana is a rugby player from New Zealand.-Playing career:A professional rugby union player, Te Nana won a gold medal as part of the New Zealand Seven's rugby team at the 2002 Commonwealth Games.. He is 8th highest try scorer in Rugby Sevens history, having scored 113 tries for New Zealand... (42) |
No Award | |
| 2001-02 2001-02 World Sevens Series -Standings:... |
11 | (198 points) |  South Africa Brent RussellBrent Russell Robert Brent Russell is a South African rugby union player. He is a "utility back" who plays for Clermont in the French Top 14. Previously, he had played with Saracens in England, and before that the Natal Sharks in the Currie Cup and the Sharks in the Super 14 for many years... (46) |
No Award | |
| 2002-03 2002-03 World Sevens Series -Itinerary:*Dubai*Georgia*New Zealand*Hong Kong*Brisbane*Cardiff-Standings:... |
7 | (112 points) | Fiji Nasoni Roko Nasoni Roko Nasoni Rokobiau, born 29 November 1979, in Vunidawa, Fiji is a rugby union player. Rokobiau has represented Fiji in their Rugby Sevens team, as well as Fiji 'A' in the 15 man form of the game. He has played Sevens for Fiji since 2002, representing his country in many International Rugby Board... (39) |
No Award | |
| 2003-04 2003-04 World Sevens Series -Itinerary:*Dubai*Georgia*New Zealand*USA*Hong Kong*Singapore*Bordeaux*London-Standings:... |
8 | (128 points) | South Africa Fabian Juries Fabian Juries - External links :**... &  England Rob ThirlbyRob Thirlby Rob Graham Thirlby born in Penzance, Cornwall is a Cornish rugby union footballer who plays on the wing or full back for Yatton whilst also acting as the video analyst for Gloucester Rugby... (39) |
England Simon Amor Simon Amor Simon Daniel Edward Amor is an English rugby union footballer who plays at scrum-half or fly-half for London Scottish and is a former captain of the England Sevens squad... |
|
| 2004-05 2004-05 World Sevens Series The 2004-05 IRB Sevens World Series, was the sixth of an annual series of rugby union sevens tournaments for full national sides run by the International Rugby Board since 1999-2000. The defending series champions were New Zealand, who won the 2003-04 series.... |
7 | (116 points) |  Samoa David LemiDavid Lemi David Lemi is a professional rugby player who plays on the wing for Glasgow Warriors in the RaboDirect Pro12 after signing from London Wasps in November 2011. Weighing in at 75 kg and only measuring 1m75, he is one of the smaller professional rugby players... (46) |
New Zealand Orene Ai'i |
|
| 2005-06 2005-06 World Sevens Series The 2005-06 World Sevens Series was the seventh in an annual series of rugby union sevens tournaments run by the International Rugby Board since 1999-2000. The participating teams in each World Sevens Series are full national sides.... |
8 | (144 points) | England Ben Gollings Ben Gollings Ben Gollings is a rugby union footballer who plays fly-half for Rugby Lions and formerly for England Sevens.-Career:... (343) |
Samoa Timoteo Iosua (40) |
Samoa Uale Mai Uale Mai Uale Mai Vala is a rugby union player and currently plays for the country's national teams, Manu Samoa and Samoa Sevens. He is a former captain of the Samoa Sevens team which represent Samoa internationally in the IRB Sevens World Series. He is Sevens rugby's most capped player and is considered... |
| 2006-07 | 8 | (130 points) | Fiji William Ryder (416) |
Samoa Mikaele Pesamino Mikaele Pesamino Mikaele Pesamino is a rugby union player in the Samoa Sevens team. He is one of the highest point scorers in the 2009–2010 IRB Sevens World Series.Pesamino was born in Vailele on the island of Upolu in Samoa.... (43) |
New Zealand Afeleke Pelenise Afeleke Pelenise Afeleke Pelenise is a New Zealand Rugby union player who plays for the New Zealand Sevens team.-Career highlights:*New Zealand Sevens 2005–present*New Zealand Under 21s 2002*Canterbury 2005*Canterbury Development 2003, 2004... |
| 2007-08 | 8 | (154 points) | New Zealand Tomasi Cama Jr. (319) |
South Africa Fabian Juries Fabian Juries - External links :**... (41) |
New Zealand DJ Forbes DJ Forbes DJ Forbes is a New Zealand Rugby union player who is currently captain of the New Zealand Sevens team... |
| 2008-09 | 8 | (132 points) | England Ben Gollings Ben Gollings Ben Gollings is a rugby union footballer who plays fly-half for Rugby Lions and formerly for England Sevens.-Career:... (260) |
 Kenya Collins InjeraCollins Injera Collins Injera is a rugby player from Kenya. He is known for his achievements with Kenyan national rugby sevens team.- Career :... (42) |
England Ollie Phillips Ollie Phillips (rugby union) Ollie Phillips is a rugby union footballer who plays at wing or full back for Stade Français and England Sevens.- External links :*... |
| 2009-10 2009–10 IRB Sevens World Series The 2009–10 IRB Sevens World Series was the eleventh of an annual series of rugby union sevens tournaments for full national sides run by the International Rugby Board since 1999–2000. Samoa won the series crown for their first time.... |
8 | (164 points) | England Ben Gollings Ben Gollings Ben Gollings is a rugby union footballer who plays fly-half for Rugby Lions and formerly for England Sevens.-Career:... (332) |
Samoa Mikaele Pesamino Mikaele Pesamino Mikaele Pesamino is a rugby union player in the Samoa Sevens team. He is one of the highest point scorers in the 2009–2010 IRB Sevens World Series.Pesamino was born in Vailele on the island of Upolu in Samoa.... (56) |
Samoa Mikaele Pesamino Mikaele Pesamino Mikaele Pesamino is a rugby union player in the Samoa Sevens team. He is one of the highest point scorers in the 2009–2010 IRB Sevens World Series.Pesamino was born in Vailele on the island of Upolu in Samoa.... |
| 2010-11 2010–11 IRB Sevens World Series The 2010–11 IRB Sevens World Series was the 12th annual series of rugby union sevens tournaments for full national sides run by the International Rugby Board since 1999–2000.... |
8 | (166 points) | South Africa Cecil Afrika Cecil Afrika Cecil Afrika is a South African rugby union player. He is currently part of the South African sevens team where he plays at Flyhalf.-Career:Afrika represented the South African Schoolboys in 2006... (381) |
South Africa Cecil Afrika Cecil Afrika Cecil Afrika is a South African rugby union player. He is currently part of the South African sevens team where he plays at Flyhalf.-Career:Afrika represented the South African Schoolboys in 2006... (40) |
South Africa Cecil Afrika Cecil Afrika Cecil Afrika is a South African rugby union player. He is currently part of the South African sevens team where he plays at Flyhalf.-Career:Afrika represented the South African Schoolboys in 2006... |
Past tables
| Points | Team |
|---|---|
| 166 | |
| 140 | |
| 127 | |
| 122 | |
| 120 | |
| 80 | |
| Points | Team |
|---|---|
| 164 | |
| 149 | |
| 122 | |
| 108 | |
| 96 | |
| 80 | |
| Points | Team |
|---|---|
| 132 | |
| 102 | |
| 98 | |
| 88 | |
| 68 | |
| 64 | |
| Points | Team |
|---|---|
| 154 | |
| 106 | |
| 100 | |
| 94 | |
| 54 | |
| 43 | |
| Points | Team |
|---|---|
| 130 | |
| 128 | |
| 122 | |
| 92 | |
| 52 | |
| 38 | |
| Points | Team |
|---|---|
| 144 | |
| 122 | |
| 110 | |
| 76 | |
| 72 | |
| 64 |
| Points | Team |
|---|---|
| 116 | |
| 88 | |
| 86 | |
| 76 | |
| 68 | |
| 46 |
| Points | Team |
|---|---|
| 128 | |
| 122 | |
| 98 | |
| 84 | |
| 74 | |
| 60 |
| Points | Team |
|---|---|
| 112 | |
| 108 | |
| 94 | |
| 82 | |
| 66 | |
| 58 | |
| Points | Team |
|---|---|
| 198 | |
| 136 | |
| 126 | |
| 122 | |
| 108 | |
| 90 | |
| Points | Team |
|---|---|
| 162 | |
| 150 | |
| 124 | |
| 92 | |
| 82 | |
| 50 | |
| Points | Team |
|---|---|
| 186 | |
| 180 | |
| 118 | |
| 82 | |
| 80 | |
| 60 | |
Overall table from 1999-2000 to 2010-11
| 1 | 1,579 | |
| 2 | 1,346 | |
| 3 | 1,086 | |
| 4 | 998 | |
| 5 | 990 | |
| 6 | 808 | |
| 7 | 562 | |
| 8 | 247 | |
| 9 | 209 | |
| 10 | 175 | |
| 11 | 148 | |
| 12 | 114 | |
| 13 | 66 | |
| 14 | 63 | |
| 15 | 29 | |
| 16 | 23 | |
| 17 | 20 | |
| 18 | 16 | |
| 19 | 10 | |
| 20 | 8 | |
| 20 | 8 | |
| 20 | 8 | |
| 23 | 5 | |
| 24 | 4 | |
| 24 | 4 | |
| 24 | 4 | |
| 24 | 4 | |
| 27 | 2 | |
| 27 | 2 | |
| 27 | 2 | |
| 30 | 1 | |
| 30 | 1 |
Format
SevensRugby sevens
Rugby sevens, also known as seven-a-side or VIIs, is a variant of rugby union in which teams are made up of seven players, instead of the usual 15, with shorter matches. Rugby sevens is administered by the International Rugby Board , the body responsible for rugby union worldwide...
is a stripped-down version of rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
from Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
with seven players each side on a normal-sized field. Games are much shorter, lasting only seven or ten minutes each half, and tend to be very fast-paced, open, affairs. The game is quicker and higher-scoring than 15-a-side rugby and the rules are far simpler, which explains part of its appeal. It also gives players the space for superb feats of individual skill. New Zealand
New Zealand national rugby union team (sevens)
The New Zealand national rugby union sevens team is the New Zealand representative team in rugby union sevens and competes in the IRB Sevens World Series, Rugby World Cup Sevens and the Commonwealth Games.-IRB Sevens:...
has been by far the dominant force in the IRB World Sevens Series, winning eight out of the 11 seasons. However, in recent years, several other teams have successfully challenged New Zealand's dominance. Fiji
Fiji national rugby union team (sevens)
The Fiji Sevens side is one of the most popular and successful Sevens teams in the world and has won the Hong Kong Sevens a record nine times since its inception in 1976. Fiji has also won the Sevens World Cup twice, winning that event in 1997 and 2005...
, long a power in sevens, were winners in 2005-06; South Africa
South Africa national rugby union team (sevens)
The South African national rugby union sevens team compete in the World Sevens Series, the Rugby World Cup Sevens and the Commonwealth Games.-Current squad:2011–12 IRB Sevens World Series 14-man squad :#Cecil Afrika...
won in 2008–09; and Samoa
Samoa national rugby union team (sevens)
The Samoa national rugby union team represent Samoa internationally in rugby sevens, a competitive sports tournament titled the IRB Sevens World Series which takes place annually in seven countries; United Arab Emirates, South Africa, New Zealand, United States, Hong Kong, Australia, England and...
claimed the 2009–10 crown. Other strong contenders in recent years have included England
England national rugby union team (sevens)
The English national rugby union sevens team compete in the World Sevens Series, Rugby World Cup Sevens and the Commonwealth Games.-Honours:* 1973 International Seven-A-Side Tournament - Winners* Rugby World Cup Sevens Winners 1993* Hong Kong Sevens Winners 2002* Hong Kong Sevens Winners 2003*...
, Australia, and Argentina
Argentina national rugby union team (sevens)
The Argentina national rugby union sevens team compete in the World Sevens Series, Rugby World Cup Sevens.-Current squad:A 12-man squad for the 2010–11 IRB Sevens World Series:#Santiago Bottini#Francisco Cuneo#Gonzalo Gutierrez Taboada#Francisco Merello...
, all of whom have won an event within the last two seasons. Many minor rugby nations have become competitive as well. Four of the current 12 "core teams" that participate in all series events represent nations that are not within the traditional top tier of the 15-man game—Samoa, Fiji, Kenya
Kenya national rugby union team (sevens)
The Kenya national rugby union sevens team compete in the IRB Sevens World Series and Rugby World Cup Sevens. They are currently one of the 12 "core teams" of the IRB Sevens, with a guaranteed place in all eight events each season....
, and the USA
United States national rugby union team (sevens)
The United States National Rugby Union Sevens team competes in the IRB Sevens World Series, Rugby World Cup Sevens, World Games, and Pan American Games. The Team will also represent the United States in the Summer Olympics beginning in 2016. Under current head coach Al Caravelli the Eagles have...
.
Sevens is traditionally played in a two-day tournament format, with the Hong Kong Sevens (an anomaly as a three-day event) being the most famous. Before each season, 12 "core teams" are announced, based on their performances in recent seasons. Each team has a guaranteed place in all of that season's events. The 2011–12 core teams are:
The most recent addition to the roster of core teams was the USA, which replaced its neighbor Canada
Canada national rugby union team (sevens)
The Canadian national rugby union sevens team compete in the IRB Sevens World Series, Rugby World Cup Sevens, Pan American Games and the Commonwealth Games.-Current squad:12-man squad for the 2011 Dubai Sevens:-See also:* World Sevens Series...
for 2008–09.
In a normal event, 16 teams are entered; in Hong Kong, 24 teams enter. The participants are the 12 core teams, plus sufficient invitees to fill out the field. The IRB operates satellite tournaments in each continent alongside the Sevens World Series which serve as qualifiers for Series events.
In each tournament, the teams are divided into pools of four teams, who play a round-robin within the pool. Points are awarded in each pool on a different schedule from most rugby tournaments—3 for a win, 2 for a draw, 1 for a loss, 0 for a no-show. In case teams are tied after pool play, the tiebreakers are:
- Head-to-head result between the tied teams.
- Difference in points scored and allowed during pool play.
- Difference in tries scored and allowed during pool play.
- Points scored during pool play.
- Coin toss.
As of the 2009–10 series, four trophies are awarded in each tournament. In descending order of prestige, they are the Cup, whose winner is the overall tournament champion, Plate, Bowl and Shield. In Hong Kong, the Shield was awarded for the first time in 2010. Each trophy is awarded at the end of a knockout tournament.
In a normal event, the top two teams in each pool advance to the Cup competition. The four quarterfinal losers drop into the bracket for the Plate. The Bowl is contested by the third and fourth-place finishers in each pool, while the Shield is contested by the losing quarterfinalists of the Bowl.
In the Hong Kong Sevens, the six pool winners, plus the two highest-finishing second-place teams, advance to the Cup. Starting with the 2010 event:
- The losing quarterfinalists in the Cup competition will contest the Plate competition.
- The four remaining second-place teams and the four best third-place teams, which contested the Plate in previous years, now compete for the Bowl.
- The remaining eight teams in the competition, which contested the Bowl in previous years, now compete for the Shield.
A third-place match is now conducted between the losing Cup semifinalists in all tournaments; this was introduced for the 2011–12 series.
Statistics
Players in bold were active in the 2009–10 series.| Player | Nationality | Tries |
|---|---|---|
| Santiago Gomez Cora Santiago Gomez Cora Santiago Gómez Cora is a rugby union sevens player for Argentina . As of June 2008, he holds the all-time record for number of tries scored on the IRB Sevens World Series circuit with 230 tries. Gomez Cora is now a full-back for the Pumas. In March 2008 it was confirmed he would move to Welsh club... |
230 | |
| Ben Gollings Ben Gollings Ben Gollings is a rugby union footballer who plays fly-half for Rugby Lions and formerly for England Sevens.-Career:... |
220 | |
| Fabian Juries Fabian Juries - External links :**... |
179 | |
| Mikaele Pesamino Mikaele Pesamino Mikaele Pesamino is a rugby union player in the Samoa Sevens team. He is one of the highest point scorers in the 2009–2010 IRB Sevens World Series.Pesamino was born in Vailele on the island of Upolu in Samoa.... |
158 | |
| Uale Mai Uale Mai Uale Mai Vala is a rugby union player and currently plays for the country's national teams, Manu Samoa and Samoa Sevens. He is a former captain of the Samoa Sevens team which represent Samoa internationally in the IRB Sevens World Series. He is Sevens rugby's most capped player and is considered... |
136 | |
| Collins Injera Collins Injera Collins Injera is a rugby player from Kenya. He is known for his achievements with Kenyan national rugby sevens team.- Career :... |
124 | |
| Nasoni Roko Nasoni Roko Nasoni Rokobiau, born 29 November 1979, in Vunidawa, Fiji is a rugby union player. Rokobiau has represented Fiji in their Rugby Sevens team, as well as Fiji 'A' in the 15 man form of the game. He has played Sevens for Fiji since 2002, representing his country in many International Rugby Board... |
123 | |
| Karl Te Nana Karl Te Nana Karl Te Nana is a rugby player from New Zealand.-Playing career:A professional rugby union player, Te Nana won a gold medal as part of the New Zealand Seven's rugby team at the 2002 Commonwealth Games.. He is 8th highest try scorer in Rugby Sevens history, having scored 113 tries for New Zealand... |
113 | |
| Humphrey Kayange Humphrey Kayange Humphrey Kayange is a Kenyan rugby union player. Kayange is well known within the rugby sevens community, as he has produced some of the best performances for the Kenya national sevens side. He is the captain of the team.-Career:... |
112 | |
| Amasio Raoma | 112 | |
| Tafai Ioasa Tafai Ioasa Tafai Ioasa is a New Zealand Rugby union player who has play for New Zealand Sevens team. Now plays his rugby in Japan for Fukuoka Sanix Blues.-Career highlights:*New Zealand Sevens 2001–present... |
111 | |
| Alafoti Fa'osiliva Alafoti Fa'osiliva Alafoti Fa'osiliva is a rugby union player in the national Samoa Sevens team representing Samoa internationally. The team are the current champions of the 2009–10 IRB Sevens World Series... |
108 | |
| Peter Miller Peter Miller Peter Miller is an Australian rules footballer who played for the Fremantle Dockers in 1995. He was a predraft selection from East Perth in the WAFL in the 1994 AFL Draft and played mainly as a rover.... |
107 | |
| Dave Moonlight Dave Moonlight David James Moonlight is a retired Canadian rugby union player. He played on the wing for Canada. He made his debut against England at Twickenham on November 13, 2004. Moonlight played his last Test against the United States of America at Edmonton on June 26, 2005... |
107 | |
| Richard Haughton Richard Haughton (rugby player) Richard Haughton is a rugby union footballer who plays on the wing for London Wasps in the Aviva Premiership, England Saxons and England Sevens. He previously played for Saracens.... |
106 | |
| William Ryder | 105 | |
| Marius Schoeman | 103 | |
| Rob Thirlby Rob Thirlby Rob Graham Thirlby born in Penzance, Cornwall is a Cornish rugby union footballer who plays on the wing or full back for Yatton whilst also acting as the video analyst for Gloucester Rugby... |
101 | |
| Zar Lawrence Zar Lawrence Zar Lawrence is a New Zealand Rugby union player who plays for the New Zealand Sevens team and for Bay of Plenty in the Air New Zealand Cup.-Career highlights:*New Zealand Sevens 2005–present*NZ Maori 2006... |
100 |
Points schedule
The season championship is determined by points earned in each tournament. The IRB introduced a new scoring system for the 2011–12 series, in which all teams participating in a tournament are guaranteed points. Initially, the IRB announced the new points schedule only for the standard 16-team events; the allocations for the Hong Kong Sevens will be announced later.16-team events (all except for Hong Kong)
- Cup winner (1st place): 22 points
- Cup runner-up (2nd place): 19 points
- Cup third-place play-off winner (3rd place): 17 points
- Cup third-place play-off loser (4th place): 15 points
- Plate winner (5th place): 13 points
- Plate runner-up (6th place): 12 points
- Losing Plate semi-finalists (joint 7th place): 10 points
- Bowl winner (9th place): 8 points
- Bowl runner-up (10th place): 7 points
- Losing Bowl semi-finalists (joint 11th place): 5 points
- Shield winner (13th place): 3 points
- Shield runner-up (14th place): 2 points
- Losing Shield semi-finalists (joint 15th place): 1 point
24-team event (Hong Kong)
- To be announced
If two or more teams are level on series points at the end of the season, the following tiebreakers are used to determine placement:
- Overall difference in points scored and allowed during the season.
- Total try count during the season.
- If neither of the above produces a winner, the teams are considered tied.
See also
- Rugby sevensRugby sevensRugby sevens, also known as seven-a-side or VIIs, is a variant of rugby union in which teams are made up of seven players, instead of the usual 15, with shorter matches. Rugby sevens is administered by the International Rugby Board , the body responsible for rugby union worldwide...
- Hong Kong SevensHong Kong SevensThe Hong Kong Sevens is considered the premier tournament on the IRB Sevens World Series in rugby sevens—a variant of rugby union....
- Rugby World Cup SevensRugby World Cup SevensThe Rugby World Cup Sevens is the premier international Rugby sevens competition. The event is organised by the sport's governing body, the International Rugby Board , and is contested by the men's national sevens teams every four years. The inaugural tournament was held in 1993 in Scotland, the...