Changes Coming to World Rugby Sevens Circuit According to Uruguay Report: Reducing Core Teams from 12 to 8
The following article in elobservador.com.uy was written by Ignacio Chans and claims the World Rugby Sevens Series will limit the number of teams to 8 next season on the circuit. It implies teams like Uruguay and Canada won’t be going up to the main series next year regardless of the outcome of the promotion tournament.
According to the article there is still some benefit to finishing top 4 in the promotion tournament as it guarantees support money from World Rugby, it will include participation in second tier tournaments next season and several end of season tournaments that will include 12 teams. There’s been no confirmation by World Rugby, Americas Rugby News ran the story as well. You can follow the reporter Ignacio Chans on his X account.
This is how he summarized the future SVNS competition:
How will the rugby sevens circuit be in 2026-2028 – Global SVNs: 6 stages, 8 teams -SVNs2: 3 stages, 6 teams (4 best from the LA repechage + 2 best from the Challenger) – Challenger: 1 stage, 8 teams – Championship Series: 3 stages, 12 teams (8 from the global SVNs + 4 from the SVNs2)
Elobservador.com article auto translated from Spanish
The World Sevens Tour suffers another painful downturn due to World Rugby’s financial crisis: this is what the new competition will look like and how it affects Tier 2 teams.
World Rugby will again reduce the number of teams on the World Tour, but they still have the chance to play six stages next year and maintain £300,000 in financial support.
The Teros Sevens are preparing for the World Sevens Tour playoffs, which will be played on May 3 and 4 in Los Angeles, with bad news on the horizon: whatever happens, they won’t be able to remain on the main tour.
World Rugby has already decided that starting next season, the circuit will be reduced from 12 to eight teams in the main category, a further reduction after it was reduced from 16 to 12 two seasons ago.
Rugby’s world governing body argues that the series remains in deficit, and that with its financial statements in deep red since the pandemic, it cannot allocate the same amount to subsidize the sport.
The cut had already been reported by the Spanish newspaper El Periodico, and now some more details have been revealed, having been announced to the participating teams, including the players.
So why will the eight teams in the Los Angeles playoffs compete? The top four teams will be eligible for three competitions next year, and the option of three more tournaments at the end of the season against the top teams. They will also retain, for the first year, the £300,000 prize pool awarded to all teams in the Main Circuit.
What the new Circuit will be like
According to the project already shared with the unions, the Circuit will have six base stages with the top eight teams, both men’s and women’s. In addition, there will be three second divisions, among the next six teams (ranked 9th to 14th in the world). Of those six, four will be the best from the Los Angeles Repechage, and the other two will emerge from a Challenger to a single stage, in which eight teams will participate in each division (the teams ranked 13th to 20th in the world).
The season will feature three final tournaments, with 12 teams per division: the top eight and the best four from the second division.
Thus, qualifying among the top four in the Los Angeles playoffs guarantees access to those three stages of the second division, to play for four places in the final three rounds, and also secures £300,000 for the season. A consolation prize for a sport that continues to shrink, but which, given the circumstances, is indispensable.
The model will remain in place until the end of the Olympic cycle (July 2028), although the £300,000 funding is only guaranteed for the first season.
The Circuit had already been reduced at the end of 2023, when it went from 16 to 12 teams. Uruguay had finished in 11th place, but had to play a playoff anyway and lost its category, which it regained the following year.
This year they finished 10th out of 12, so they will once again play in the playoffs, although this time they have no chance of staying up.
I have seen firsthand the growth and improvement in rugby sevens over the last 20 plus years. World Rugby has now with the brush of pen returned it back to that level for the majority of countries. The impact will be felt not just at the number 9-12 but 9-40. My prediction is that we will soon be left with Hong Kong and Dubai. I guess we can only say C’est la vie.