Argentina Sevens leg postponed
The International Rugby Board on Thursday confirmed that the Unión Argentina de Rugby (UAR) has postponed hosting its round of the 2012/13 HSBC Sevens World Series.
The decision follows a review of all operational requirements by the Union taken in full consultation with all stakeholders. The UAR will now focus on ensuring the delivery of an outstanding Sevens event in 2013/14 as well as the successful inauguration of Argentina into The Rugby Championship this year.
IRB Chairman Bernard Lapasset said: "The IRB understands and fully supports what was a very difficult decision for the UAR. They have kept us fully informed throughout the review process and we believe that the decision they have taken is in the best interests of the Union, Argentinean Rugby and the HSBC Sevens World Series."
"The Union is dedicated to the delivery of a memorable and successful series event that showcases rugby in South America. By extending the delivery timescale we can work in partnership with the UAR and all stakeholders to ensure that the event in 2013/14 achieves all strategic aims, is beneficial for rugby in Argentina and South America and secures its place on the series as one of the must see events."
UAR President Luis Castillo said: "This has been a difficult decision to take as we are excited about our HSBC Sevens World Series hosting opportunity. However, the logistical challenges are too significant to successfully deliver an event this year that is beneficial for all stakeholders and we would like to thank the IRB for their support and understanding in this matter. We are now all focused on ensuring that all the processes are in place to ensure that our debut in 2013/14 is a successful one."
IRB Council Member for Argentina Agustín Pichot added: "We have worked tirelessly to deliver the outstanding event for teams, fans and Argentinean Rugby. However, we must ensure that player preparation time is paramount and unfortunately we cannot guarantee the logistics that achieve this important consideration this year.
"However, we are determined to resolve these issues in partnership with the IRB ahead of next year's tournament with a considerable lead-in time and in the meantime look forward to our Rugby Championship debut."
The 2012/13 HSBC Sevens World Series will comprise nine rounds:
Gold Coast (Australia) – October 13-14 2012
Dubai – November 30 – December 1
Port Elizabeth (South Africa) – December 2012 (Date TBC)
Wellington (New Zealand) – February 1-2 2013
Las Vegas (USA) – February 8-10 2013
Hong Kong – March 22-24 2013
Tokyo (Japan) – March 30-31 2013
Glasgow (Scotland) – May 4-5 2013
London (England) – May 11-12 2013
Rugby World Cup Sevens 2013 – June 28-30, Moscow (Russia)
