International Sevens Challenger tournament coming to South Africa

The World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series 2023 has been announced with a pair of three-day combined men’s and women’s events taking place at Markötter Stadium in Stellenbosch on 20-22 and 28-30 April, 2023.

The teams that win the men and women’s tournaments will have a chance to play in the Sevens World Series 2024, which is the biggest international rugby sevens tournament.

The tournament copies the Olympic Games competition format, with the 12 teams drawn into three pools of four.

The top two from each as well as the two best third-placed finishers will qualify for the knockout stages with quarter-finals and semi-finals leading to the bronze and gold medal matches.

The World Rugby Chief Competitions and Performance Officer, Nigel Cass, said “The World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series is a vital competition for the continued development of international rugby sevens around the globe.”

He also added “The Challenger Series provides a clear pathway to reach the Sevens World Series, and teams from all six World Rugby regions have the opportunity to achieve their dreams and reach the pinnacle level of international rugby sevens through their efforts in the Challenger Series.”

SA Rugby CEO, Jurie Roux, also said “We are very grateful to have the opportunity to host the two Challenger Series tournaments next year.

The improvement across the board in Sevens Rugby over the last few years, and the competitiveness between all teams, makes for a superb product and we can’t wait to deliver these tournaments in Stellenbosch.

With Rugby Sevens part of the Olympic Games, it will be a big occasion for all the teams involved and we would love nothing more than to see our own Springbok Women’s Sevens team play in Paris in 2024 – this could be the first step to achieving that dream.”