World Rugby has today announced the start of the countdown to tickets going on sale for Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022, to be hosted in Cape Town, South Africa on 9-11 September.
Ticket sales will open on Monday, 28 February for the three-day event which will see the eyes of the global rugby family turned on South Africa the best players in the world from 40 teams battle for the title of men’s and women’s world champions.
Cape Town will provide a picturesque and iconic backdrop to the tournament and organisers are planning for a packed stadium with more teams, more action and more at stake than ever seen before at a Cape Town event.
Ticket sales will go live at 07:00 GMT (09:00 SAST) on Monday, 28 February at www.rwcsevens.com.
The 2022 edition of Rugby World Cup Sevens follows a hugely successful event in San Francisco, USA in 2018. It was New Zealand who came out on top in both the men’s and women’s tournaments – beating England and France respectively in the finals, and will be looking to defend their titles in Cape Town.
As regular hosts of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series, Cape Town is a highlight in every team’s calendar and will provide the perfect location for RWC Sevens to continue the strong momentum from the Tokyo Olympic Games to engage and inspire many more new players and fans around the world.
World Rugby Chairman Sir Bill Beaumont said: “The announcement of the ticket sales dates is a major milestone as momentum builds on the road to what promises to be a fantastic Rugby World Cup Sevens in a hugely popular destination for sevens.
“Cape Town has a strong track record of hosting world-class rugby sevens competitions and fans can look forward to a feast of entertainment over three action-packed days, while the teams will be looking forward to playing in front of a passionate and knowledgeable crowd.
“Following in the footsteps of rugby sevens highly impactful second appearance at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, the Rugby World Cup Sevens in Cape Town will provide a perfect platform for the best players in the world to showcase the speed, skill and drama of rugby sevens and inspire many more new players and fans around the world.
“We will continue to work closely with the SA Rugby Union and all other stakeholders to ensure the delivery of a safe and secure world class event for players, teams and fans to enjoy.”
Jurie Roux, CEO of SA Rugby, said: “The opportunity of seeing the best rugby teams on the planet vying for the title of world champions hasn’t been experienced in South Africa since 1995, which will make this a very special occasion.
“World Cups are unlike any other rugby tournament; for its duration the eyes of the rugby world will be on South Africa, as all roads lead to Cape Town.
“It’ll be bigger, bolder and brighter than anything we have put on before and will climax with the lifting of the Melrose Cup and the Women’s Rugby World Cup Sevens trophy on a do-or-die final day.
“This will be a premium experience at a premium event, clearly distinguishable from a World Series tournament, and I am sure the local and global audience will be keen to show their support.”
Six teams previously unseen at the Cape Town event – such as Colombia (women) and Hong Kong and Korea (men) – have already qualified to join five pre-qualified women’s teams and eight pre-qualified men’s teams, which include both the South Africa men’s and women’s teams.
In total 21 teams have already secured their place in Cape Town and over the forthcoming months attention will turn to the regional competitions as the 19 remaining spots will be filled from around the globe.
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The event will be the first return of international rugby sevens to Cape Town in almost three years. The 2020 and 2021 Cape Town Sevens events both fell victim to the impact of the pandemic, meaning Rugby World Cup Sevens will be the first chance since for fans to enjoy the unique spirit and atmosphere of rugby sevens again.
Tickets will cost between R150 ($9.90 / €8.65 / £7.30) and R1,750 ($115 / €100 / £85) with most tickets (72%) priced between R250 ($16.50 / €14.50 / £12.15) for category D on Day One to R1,350 ($89 / €78 / £66) for Category B on Day Three.
Discounted family and scholar tickets and packages as well as a ‘Party Stand’ package will also be available.
Roux added: “The global vaccine roll-out has allowed the return of capacity crowds around the world and we’re expecting that experience to return to South Africa by the time of Rugby World Cup Sevens.
“The health and safety of athletes and fans will be of the highest priority, and the current expectation is that all attendees will need to be vaccinated to gain entry. That requirement may be dropped in due course at which point the requirement will be removed.”
Details of event hospitality as well as tour and travel packages will be announced in due course.
Supporters wishing to receive updated information directly to their inbox can sign up for the Rugby World Cup Sevens Newsletter at www.rwcsevens.com/signup.
Source: world.rugby