World Rugby statement: Madrid Grand Final

Madrid will host the Grand Final of the reimagined World Rugby Sevens Series for three years from the 2023/24 season, World Rugby and the city of Madrid have confirmed. Reflecting the mantra of Madrid Es Rugby, the city is staking its claim to ignite a passion for the sport, with the Civitas Metropolitano Stadium a spectacular backdrop for the inaugural Grand Final in June 2024.

A statement read: “The city will welcome the finest Sevens players on the planet and fans from around the world in the height of Europe’s summer for a three-day festival of breath-taking competition on the field, supported by a world-class entertainment offering.

“Madrid will sit at the heart of the remodelled Sevens World Series, which will feature seven festival-style events, in seven iconic global destinations, across seven months, showcasing the best 12 men’s and 12 women’s teams. It is set to kick off in December 2023 and the full line-up of iconic hosts will be revealed in June.

“A new concept for the Series that puts excitement at the heart of the fan experience, the Grand Final will see jeopardy introduced, meaning every match counts in the race to be crowned Series champions.

“The Grand Final will see the top eight ranked teams after six rounds compete to be crowned Series champions, while the teams ranked ninth to 12th will join the top four ranked teams from the Challenger Series in a high stakes relegation play-off competition which will see four teams secure their places in the next edition of the Series.

“The four unsuccessful teams will go into regional competitions to qualify for the next Challenger Series, which comprises of 12 men’s and 12 women’s teams competing in the second level of international rugby sevens.”

Speaking in Madrid, World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont said: “We are delighted to be welcoming Madrid, one of the world’s great cities, to the World Rugby Sevens Series from 2023/24.

“With rugby on a major growth trend in Spain, Madrid’s hosting comes with the full support of the city who want to make ‘Madrid Es Rugby’ and I am sure the combination of Madrid, an iconic stadium, a new Grand Final format and a soon to be revealed entertainment offering will make this event a must-attend for sports and entertainment fans.”

Madrid City Mayor Jose Luis Martinez Almeida added: “This will be the most important sporting event that Madrid will have in the coming years. We are thankful to World Rugby for choosing our city to host the World Rugby Sevens Series Grand Final.

“For us, it is a big responsibility to hold the final event of the Series. Not only because of the fans that will come to the city, nor for all the exposure we will have, but especially for what holding this event truly means for the future.

“The future of the children whose dreams are around a rugby ball. That is the reason why we want, together with the Spanish National Union and World Rugby, to drive different initiatives to make grassroots rugby grow in our city.”

The statement continued: “Under the new model, the men’s and women’s teams for the first time will receive equal participation fees, with a 70 per cent uplift in World Rugby’s investment in participation fees for the competing teams.

“Player welfare considerations remain paramount and the reduction in the number of tournaments will allow players to perform at the very best of their ability every time they enter the pitch, while also supporting the ambition to deliver more environmentally sustainable events in line with the World Rugby environmental sustainability plan 2030 launched earlier this year.

“The new Series follows a widespread and comprehensive consultation process, involving representatives from participating teams, existing tournament hosts, player welfare representatives and fans.”