Is SVNS set for another dramatic revamp?

NEWS: The seven-a-side version of the game, having undergone several dramatic changes in recent years, looks set for another shake-up.

World Rugby has confirmed to @rugby365com that a ‘review is ongoing’ over the format of the SVNS World Series – both men and women.

It was reported that World Rugby was planning to change the competition’s format, reducing the series from 12 to eight teams.

However, the ‘review process’ is far from concluded and suggestions that the SVNS World Series had suffered severe losses are well wide of the mark.

Rather than having suffered ‘losses’, World Rugby has made investments to the tune of €10-million (US$10,95-million) in the series this past season.

These ‘investments’ include a doubling of participation fees for teams since 2023.

World Rugby sees all its tournaments – outside of the World Cup – as ‘investments’ in the growth of the game.

The confirmation of the review process comes ahead of the Grand Finale of the 2024-25 World Series for both men and women.

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Where the stars will shine ✨

The teams fighting it out for the World Championship in @LASevensRugby #HSBCSVNS | #HSBCSVNSLAX pic.twitter.com/zuKdfvXprO

— HSBC SVNS (@SVNSSeries) April 6, 2025

New Zealand women and Argentina men were confirmed HSBC SVNS 2025 league winners in Singapore this past weekend.

The eight men’s teams who will compete in the HSBC SVNS World Championship in Los Angeles are Argentina, Fiji, Spain, South Africa, France, New Zealand, Australia and Great Britain.

The women’s teams are New Zealand, Australia, France, United States, Canada, Japan, Fiji and Great Britain.

Should the current review find that a change is required – either a reduction or increase in the number of teams – it will be the third time in the post-COVID era that the World Series has been revamped.

In 2016 rugby, a Sevens format, made a return to the Olympics, nearly 100 years since it last featured at the global event – the 1924 Paris Olympics.

The impact of COVID forced a rethink.

World Rugby first scaled it back from 11 to eight tournaments, then the men’s section was cut back from 16 teams to 12, in line with the Olympic format.

Traditional strongholds such as New Zealand, England and France (who hosted the Olympics last year) did not feature on the recent World Series circuit.

North America and Asia each hosted two tournaments.

However, a decline in spectator attendance and television viewers has resulted in a review.

@king365ed
@rugby365com