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HSBC SVNS: A new dawn for the sport of rugby sevens

Argentina's Rodrigo Isgro scores a try in the 2022 London final versus Fiji (Photo by Luke Walker/Getty Images)

Rugby sevens is about to undergo a transformative change with the launch of HSBC SVNS, a revamped and rebranded global celebration of the sport. The new series aims to supercharge rugby’s growth and appeal by providing immersive experiences and turning the events into ultimate festivals.

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HSBC SVNS will take place across eight iconic cities, aligning all locations for the first time. The brand identity reflects summer vibes; attracting a younger, leisure-hungry audience. The annual series will be the go-to destination for people seeking a great time, combining sport, entertainment, and culture against stunning backdrops.

The festivals will feature the world’s best men’s and women’s sevens athletes, offering a global stage for 12 teams at each location. The event dates and venues are set, starting in Dubai in December and concluding with the grand final in Madrid in June 2024.

HBSC SVNS – Festival dates

  • Dubai, UAE – 2-3 December, 2023;
  • Cape Town, South Africa – 9-10 December, 2023;
  • Perth, Australia – 26-28 January, 2024;
  • Vancouver, Canada – 23-25 February, 2024;
  • Los Angeles, USA – 2-3 March, 2024;
  • Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR China – 5-7 April 2024
  • Singapore, Singapore – 3-5 May 2024;
  • Madrid, Spain – 31 May-2 June, 2024.

HSBC SVNS  is not just about the on-field action; it embodies a festival atmosphere with sun-soaked days, music, food, and well-being. Each destination will showcase its unique local flavour, enhancing the overall excitement and enjoyment of the events. Various competitive and social sports will be available, catering to different interests.

The competition format has been revamped to maximize drama and excitement. Based on cumulative series points, the top eight teams will compete in the new ‘winner takes all’ grand final in Madrid where the men’s and women’s champions will be crowned.

Additionally, Madrid will host a relegation play-off competition involving teams ranked ninth to 12th, as well as the top four teams from the World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series.

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HSBC SVNS is also committed to gender parity, featuring combined men’s and women’s competitions across all seven rounds and the grand final. World Rugby has increased its investment in participation fees by 70 per cent, demonstrating a commitment to sustainable growth.

World Rugby chief executive Alan Gilpin expressed his excitement about HSBC SVNS and its potential to broaden the sport’s reach and appeal. “We are excited to be launching HSBC SVNS, the supercharged new identity for our Olympic format, with iconic destinations and a new concept on and off the field, broadening the reach and appeal of the sport beyond its traditional audiences,” he said.

“Our ambition is for SVNS to be at the forefront of our growth strategy, appealing to a younger, leisure-hungry audience. In eight iconic destinations played over seven months, we will bring together a truly immersive festival of rugby, music, food and experiences to create the ultimate weekend-long get-together for young people, the hottest ticket and open a new era for the sport.

“For the first time in rugby sevens history, all locations will be centrally run, meaning that the overall experience is the same and we can optimise commercial revenue for reinvestment, including playing our part in ensuring that sevens is a viable career path for the talented players and Olympians.”

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The HSBC SVNS series aims to attract a younger audience by creating an immersive festival that combines rugby, music, food, and experiences. The centrally-run locations allow for a consistent experience and optimize commercial revenue for reinvestment.

To mark the launch, the ‘Destination: SVNS’ campaign celebrates the vibrant brand and positions SVNS as the ultimate summer-style destination, offering entertainment and immersive experiences from sunrise to sunset. The series was developed through extensive consultation with teams, tournament hosts, players’ representatives, and fans.

HSBC continues its support of rugby sevens as the title partner of SVNS in a four-year deal. The bank’s CEO, Noel Quinn, expresses pride in the opportunities created through their partnership with World Rugby, including expanding the sport into new markets and supporting the growth of women’s rugby.

HSBC ambassador and former USA 7s captain Abby Gustaitis added: “Having recently come to the end of my HSBC SVNS playing career, I am so delighted that the next generation of female sevens players will be part of a series that is completely equal in terms of schedule and pay.

“HSBC has been a huge supporter of the growth of the women’s game and today’s announcement is a huge step in making rugby a sport that is fully equal for all.”

HSBC boss Quinn said: “Through many years of working closely with World Rugby to showcase and support the sport worldwide, HSBC has become synonymous with the World Rugby Sevens.

“I’m particularly proud of the new opportunities that we have helped to open up by taking the sport into new markets, supporting the growth of the women’s game and giving tens of thousands of young people the chance to try rugby for the first time.

“I’m delighted that our hugely successful partnership with World Rugby will continue for years to come, and that HSBC will be able to help the sport reach even greater heights.”

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Comments

6 Comments
A
Anthony 634 days ago

Apparently, they are so worried about money they can't afford to buy a couple E letters to fill out "Sevens."

T
Tony 635 days ago

The NZ Womens 7's Team is unrivalled by anyone and the All Black 7's are not far behind - the excellence they continually produce on the field is instrumental in growing the game world wide - their reward is to be denied the chance to play in front of their home fans - agree with Poe its all about Money.
Well done World Rugby !!

A
Alan 635 days ago

Can someone please give a REASONABLE explanation why Spain gets a tournament but there is NOTHING in New Zealand. Who have the BEST Records and are consistent Winners on the tour ?
As I Englishman THIS STINKS OF MONETARY CORRUPTION !!!!

P
Poe 638 days ago

Yeah and nothing in NZ because it's all about the money, not about the players.

C
C 638 days ago

I think tightening up seems like a good idea.
I do question some locations.
Is it not optimistic hosting in Vancouver, LA and Dubai (and even Singapore)?

Based on what I’ve seen historically we will see mostly empty stadiums due to lack of local interest in the sport.

I don’t think there is enough scarcity for people to travel to those locations for the event, when you can go to a more local event that has the same standing and importance.

Hosting in Japan for example would probably get you better turnout,

Also losing London seems like a bad thing, it seemed well supported. France also.

Ah well, good luck.

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J
John 49 minutes ago
Super Rugby draw heavily favours NZ sides but they can't win in Australia

Cheers for the comment HHT!


I think your point on unfair draw and mine, which in essence is about an unfair draw actually aid each other for a rather strong argument that the draw needs to be looked at.


I think this is a case of two things can be true at once.


I have chosen in around 1000 words to explore this particular issue with the draw I have identified.


Your point, with having the NZ teams playing each other twice on some occassions while others in Aus not is also not fair.


But with the way the table looks currently, would the NZ sides all be in the top six if the draw had been done more in line with my and your point?


For instance, 4 of the 6 Aus wins against NZ sides have come against the Highlanders, 3 in Aus, 1 in NZ.


The Landers have beaten the Blues and lost to the Canes by 2 points, those are their only two NZ games to date and they play the Chiefs this weekend. Their 3 games against the Aussie sides in Australia compared to the Blues 1 is a massive disadvantage because travel takes it’s toll.


Then looking at your example the Blues, they have the toughest season of any side by far but I would also argue that the limited travel is a massive help in preparation, recovery etc. But their draw must be looked at, any side would suffer with a draw like that.


Although I am not suggesting the Aus sides are better than the NZ sides overall, the current ledger and table set up suggests the rift is not as big currently as the underlying assertion to your argument suggests.


More will absolutley be revealed over the coming rounds as the strength of the two franchises.

7 Go to comments
J
JW 1 hour ago
'We offered him a three-year deal': Hurricanes priced out of U20 star

I see I’m not getting my point across.

If the plan from his family for him was to make more cash

Lets play along with you presumption these “shackles” existed then. Logically, as I’ve already tried to show, that makes no sense, but I’ll try to use it to show what I mean by saying/answering.. they would have got more cash by playing hard-to-get with the French clubs by returning to New Zealand and signing with the Hurricanes. Now you should see returning to NZ is not relevant to the discussion, it is also a euphemism, as he would already be (have returned) when he first decided to stay. His family would know that signing a development contract for the Hurricanes in no way legally affects his ability to take an offer in France.


Now, that wasn’t what I was saying happened, but if you can now follow that thread of logic, I’m saying its because this situation happened, signing for Toulon just months later, that you are wrong to think “returning to New Zealand” must mean he wasn’t “shackled”.


Actually, I’m not saying that he was “shackled”, the article is saying that. That is how you would read the words “His parents see that as the route they want their son to take, and we support that.” and “but it’s probably a slightly different package to what Toulon can offer” here, and I’m pretty sure in most English speaking places GD.


Of course without those statements I agree that it is very possible he’s grown, changed his mind from wanting to develop here with players and coaches he’s comfortable/friends with, to where he wants to take on the challenge of a rich and prestigious club like Toulon. A few months is perhaps enough time to people he trusts to open him up to that sort of environment even, but that’s simply not the message we go, is it? I also think you maybe have an over defense stance about thinking intrinsically or literally about money meaning he was thrown lots of dollars? It might be far from the case, but the monetary value of been given a home and jobs for the family, all the bells and whistles a wealthy club can provide etc is far removed from the mentality he’d currently be in of “cleaning the sheds” after a game. Even without real money just the life style they got given when there last would no doubt be enough to change the mind of some grown up living day to day off your own sustenance/plantation or like that they would have had.

11 Go to comments
J
JW 2 hours ago
Ex-All Black Richie Mo’unga teases return to ‘Test match setting’ in 2025

They didn’t really let him go though did they. He was gone, already signed to leave some 18 months earlier. Not much they could do.


Definitely a shame though, hence why I criticize the coaching for not unlocking that composure earlier. We would have seen he was definitely the player we need to take us through that WC, and the next, before the contract talks started. After, was too late. Conversely, if he had of continued to play the way he had been when he signed to go to Japan, I have no doubt Damien McKenzie would have been the player to lead us in 23’, and then we very likely would have won that Final. I’m not so sure Dmac would hve been good enough to get us past Ireland, Richie definitely deserves a lot of credit for simply getting us to the Final.


But that was all my message to HHT was. That class, or talent in this case, is permeant, and games like Ireland showed he did definitely had that. Obviously Richie’s got a large responsibility in realizing it sooner too, but in terms of not displaying it when it counts in 2019 or 2023, I reckon that’s on the coachs more than a lack of talent on his part, and it’s the same shame when it comes to your sentiment. If he was at the point were he could have saved out bacon against Ireland in 2022, it might not have been too late for NZR to have come in with a big contract offer. The bigger problem now is that Razor is only exasperating that problem with this new group. We now clearly know he was a big factor in Richie taking so long, because he’s replicating the same problems with the current batch. Thankfully NZR had no other option but to offer a big contract to secure Dmac this time though, regardless of how he must have felt after being treated like that.

8 Go to comments
L
Louise Hayward 2 hours ago
Zainab Alema breaking new ground: ‘I had to invest in sport hijabs to play comfortably’

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