World_Rugby_Sevens_Challenger_Series

World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series

World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series

Annual series of international rugby sevens tournaments

The World Rugby Sevens Challenger (formerly the World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series) is an annual series of rugby sevens tournaments for national teams run by World Rugby that includes men's and women's events. Sponsored by banking group HSBC, it is the second tier of competition below the World Rugby Sevens Series. Teams on the respective men's and women's tours of the Challenger Series compete for promotion to the first tier as a core team.[1][2]

Quick Facts Sport, First season ...

The inaugural men's tour for the Challenger Series in 2020 featured events in Chile and Uruguay.[1][3] Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, World Rugby postponed the final event in Hong Kong until October 2020.[4][5]

The women's tournament for the Challenger Series in the 2020 season was announced as a stand-alone event hosted in South Africa.[6] On 13 March 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, World Rugby postponed the Challenger Series women's event without rescheduling a future date.[7] Subsequently, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Japan was awarded promotion to the Men's World Rugby Sevens Series as the overall points leader in the Challenger Series. However, no women's team was promoted.[8]

Teams

The 12 men's teams and 12 women's teams expected to compete at the 2024 Challenger Series.

Men's teams

Women's teams

Seasons

2020 logo

2020

Further information: 2020 Men's series and 2020 Women's series

The first season of the challenger series was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic with the 2020 women's tour to South Africa being cancelled altogether and the men's final knock-out event planned for Hong Kong also cancelled.[9][4]

The 2020 men's tour was played over two rounds hosted in Chile and Uruguay.[3] Japan, as the top-placed team on the standings after the two completed events, was awarded the Challenger Series title and promoted to the World Rugby Sevens Series as a core team for the 2020–21 season.[9]

2022

Further information: 2022 Men's series and 2022 Women's series

The second season of the Challenger Series was played as a single tournament on 12–14 August 2022 in Santiago, Chile at the Estadio Santa Laura,[10] with the men's and women's winners gaining promotion as core teams on the World Rugby Sevens Series for the 2022–23 season.[11]

2023

Further information: 2023 Men's series and 2023 Women's series

The third season of the Challenger Series was played over two rounds on 20–22 and 28–30 April in Stellenbosch, South Africa,[12] with the men's winners gaining qualification to the 2023 core team qualifier event in London and the women's winners gaining qualification as a core team on the World Rugby Sevens Series for the 2023–24 season.[13]

2024

Further information: 2024 Men's series and 2024 Women's series
Uruguay men's team and China women's team celebrating at the Sevens Challenger Montevideo

The fourth season of the Challenger Series will be played over three rounds on 12–14 January in Dubai, UAE, 8-10 March in Montevideo, Uruguay, 18–19 May in Kraków, Poland (women), and 18–19 May in Munich, Germany (men). The top four placed men's and women's teams, based on cumulative series points at the conclusion of the third round, will secure their opportunity to compete in the promotion and relegation play-off competition at the SVNS Grand Final in Madrid on 31 May – 2 June against the teams ranked ninth to 12th from 2023–24 SVNS.[14]

Historical results

Results by season – Men

Summary of the top six placegetters for each series:

More information Series, Season ...

Participation history – Men

More information Team ...

Results by season – Women

Summary of the top six placegetters for each series:

More information Series, Season ...

Participation history – Women

More information Team ...

References

  1. [1]
    "World Rugby launches Sevens Challenger Series". SportBusiness. 17 December 2019. Archived from the original on 16 February 2020.
  2. [2]
    Nelson, Adam (12 February 2020). "World Rugby unveils inaugural women's HSBC Sevens Challenger Series event". Sport Business. Archived from the original on 16 February 2020.
  3. [3]
    "New Challenger Series to boost rugby sevens' expansion". World Rugby. 17 December 2019. Retrieved 7 January 2020.
  4. [4]
    "World Rugby update on COVID-19 response measures and statement from Sir Bill Beaumont". World Rugby. 20 March 2020.
  5. [5]
    "World Rugby Statement: Singapore and Hong Kong Sevens rescheduled". World.Rugby. 13 February 2020.
  6. [6]
    "Sport: PNG to feature in women's Sevens Challenger Series". Radio New Zealand. 12 February 2020. Archived from the original on 14 February 2020. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
  7. [7]
    "World Rugby Statement: HSBC World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series postponed". World Rugby. 13 March 2020.
  8. [8]
    "Plans revised for HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2021". World Rugby. 29 July 2020. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
  9. [9]
    "New Zealand awarded titles as HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2020 concluded". Asia Rugby. 1 July 2020. Archived from the original on 1 July 2020.
  10. [10]
    "Sevens Challenger Series 2022 | World Rugby".
  11. [11]
    "Teams aim for promotion at World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series in Chile - HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series".
  12. [12]
    worldrugby.org. "World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series 2023 schedule announced | World Rugby". www.world.rugby. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
  13. [13]
    worldrugby.org. "Sevens Challenger Series 2022 | World Rugby". www.world.rugby. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
  14. [14]
    "World Rugby HSBC Sevens Challenger 2024 schedule announced". world.rugby. Retrieved 22 November 2023.
  15. [15]
    "New Zealand awarded titles as HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2020 concluded". Asia Rugby. 1 July 2020. Archived from the original on 1 July 2020.
  16. [16]
    "Teams aim for promotion at World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series in Chile". world.rugby. World Rugby. 13 July 2022.
  17. [17]
    worldrugby.org. "Captains ready to chase promotion at World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series 2023 | World Rugby". www.world.rugby. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
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