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Women's SVNS
International series of tournaments in women's rugby sevens
International series of tournaments in women's rugby sevens
| Field | Value | |
|---|---|---|
| title | HSBC SVNS | |
| current_season | 2024–25 SVNS | |
| logo | SVNS Logo (2023).svg | |
| sport | Rugby sevens | |
| formerly | {{plainlist | |
| founded | ||
| inaugural | 2012–13 | |
| teams | 12 (2024–25) | |
| TV | List of broadcasters | |
| levels | 1 | |
| qualification | Challenger Series (until 2025) | |
| SVNS 2 | ||
| champion | (2024–25) | |
| most_champs | (9 titles) | |
| website |
the women's rugby sevens competition
- IRB Women's Sevens Challenge Cup (2011–2012)
- World Rugby Women's Sevens Series (2012–2023) SVNS 2
The World Rugby SVNS, known as the HSBC SVNS for sponsorship reasons, is a series of international rugby sevens tournaments for women's national teams run by World Rugby. The inaugural series was held in 2012–13 as the successor to the IRB Women's Sevens Challenge Cup held the previous season. The competition has been sponsored by banking group HSBC since 2015.
The series, the women's counterpart to the World Rugby Sevens Series, provides elite-level women's competition between rugby nations. As with the men's Sevens World Series, teams compete for the title by accumulating points based on their finishing position in each tournament.
History
The first 2012–13 series consisted of four tournaments on three continents. The first two events were hosted by the United Arab Emirates (specifically Dubai) and the United States, both of which host events in the men's version. The other two events were hosted by China and the Netherlands.
For the second series in 2013–14, five tournaments took place; a sixth had initially been announced, but never materialized. All nations that hosted events in 2012–13 hosted in the second season, with the added event hosted by Brazil.
The series expanded to six events for 2014–15. The Dubai, Brazil, USA, and Netherlands events remained on the schedule. China was not on the 2014–15 schedule. New rounds of the series were launched in Canada (specifically in Greater Victoria) and London. [[File:World Rugby Women's Sevens Series logo.png|thumb|upright=0.45|right|Logo 2015–16]] Initially, the 2015–16 series was announced with only four events, with London and the Netherlands dropping from the schedule, but a fifth event was eventually added, hosted by France. Events in Australia and Japan were added in 2016–17. With the USA hosting the 2018 Rugby World Cup Sevens, the USA was not on the 2017–18 schedule.
The USA Women's Sevens returned to the schedule for the 2018–19 series, but the event was moved within the season to become the opening event. The same season saw three events move to new locations. First, the USA event moved from Las Vegas to the Denver suburb of Glendale, Colorado. The Australian Women's Sevens, as well as the country's corresponding event in the men's Sevens Series, moved within Sydney from Sydney Football Stadium to Sydney Showground Stadium. This was necessary because the Football Stadium was demolished, with an entirely new stadium to be built on the same site. Finally, the France Women's Sevens, originally set for Paris, was moved to Biarritz, with the date also being moved forward by two weeks. This change was promoted by both World Rugby and the French Rugby Federation (FFR) as "enabl[ing] the FFR to maximise the visibility, attendance and impact of hosting the final round of the record-breaking series."
Tournaments
Current events
The World Rugby Women's Sevens Series expanded to eight tournaments in 2019–20. From 2020 to 2022, however, several of these events had to be cancelled due to impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
| Event | Stadium | City | Joined |
|---|---|---|---|
| UAE Dubai | The Sevens | Dubai | 2012–13 |
| RSA South Africa | Cape Town Stadium | Cape Town | 2019–20 |
| AUS Australia | Perth Rectangular Stadium | Perth | 2016–17 |
| USA USA | Dignity Health Sports Park | Los Angeles | 2023–24 (rejoined) |
| CAN Canada | BC Place | Vancouver | 2014–15 |
| USA USA | Infinity Park (5,000) | Glendale (Denver) | 2012–13 -- |
| HKG Hong Kong | Hong Kong Stadium | Hong Kong | 2019–20 |
| SGP Singapore | National Stadium | Singapore | 2023–24 |
Former hosts of current events
| Event | Stadium | City | First held | Last held |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUS Australia | Sydney Football Stadium | Sydney | 2016–17 | 2017–18 |
| Sydney Showground Stadium | Sydney | 2018–19 | ||
| Sydney Football Stadium | Sydney | 2022–23 | ||
| Western Sydney Stadium | Sydney | 2018–20 | ||
| CAN Canada | Westhills Stadium | Langford (Victoria) | 2014–15 | 2021–22 |
| USA USA | BBVA Stadium | Houston | 2012–13 | |
| Fifth Third Bank Stadium | Kennesaw (Atlanta) | 2013–14 | 2015–16 | |
| Sam Boyd Stadium | Whitney (Las Vegas) | 2016–17 | ||
| Infinity Park | Glendale (Denver) | 2012–13 | 2019–20 |
Previous events
| Event | Stadium (Capacity) | City | Joined | Ended |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CHN China | Guangzhou University City Stadium | Guangzhou | 2012–13 | 2013–14 |
| BRA São Paulo | Arena Barueri | Barueri (São Paulo) | 2013–14 | 2015–16 |
| ENG London | Twickenham Stoop | London | 2014–15 | |
| FRA France | Stade Gabriel Montpied | Clermont-Ferrand | 2015–16 | 2016–17 |
| Parc des Sports Aguiléra | Biarritz | 2018–19 | ||
| Stade Jean-Bouin | Paris | 2017–18 | ||
| Stade Ernest-Wallon | Toulouse | 2021–22 | 2022–23 | |
| JPN Japan | Mikuni World Stadium Kitakyushu | Kitakyushu | 2016–17 | 2018–19 |
| NLD Netherlands | NRCA Stadium | Amsterdam | 2012–13 | 2014–15 |
| NZL New Zealand | Waikato Stadium | Hamilton | 2019–20 | 2022–23 |
| ESP Spain | Estadio Ciudad de Málaga | Málaga | 2021–22 | |
| Estadio de La Cartuja | Seville | 2021–22 | ||
| Metropolitano Stadium | Madrid | 2023–24 |
Sponsorship
Unlike the men's Sevens Series, which has enjoyed title sponsorship by banking giant HSBC in recent years, the Women's Sevens Series did not have a title sponsor until 2015–16. HSBC is now the title sponsor of both the men's and women's series.
Historical results
Results by season – League
Summary of the top six placegetters for each series:
| Series | Season | Rds | Champion | Second | Third | Fourth | Fifth | Sixth | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | 2012–13 | 4 | {{su | a=c | w=1em | lh=1.3em | NZL}} | b=(74 pts)}} | ||||
| II | 2013–14 | 5 | {{su | a=c | w=1em | lh=1.3em | NZL}} | b=(96 pts)}} | ||||
| III | 2014–15 | 6 | {{su | a=c | w=1em | lh=1.3em | NZL}} | b=(108 pts)}} | ||||
| IV | 2015–16 | 5 | {{su | a=c | w=1em | lh=1.3em | AUS}} | b=(94 pts)}} | ||||
| V | 2016–17 | 6 | {{su | a=c | w=1em | lh=1.3em | NZL}} | b=(116 pts)}} | ||||
| VI | 2017–18 | 5 | {{su | a=c | w=1em | lh=1.3em | AUS}} | b=(92 pts)}} | ||||
| VII | 2018–19 | 6 | {{su | a=c | w=1em | lh=1.3em | NZL}} | b=(110 pts)}} | ||||
| VIII | 2019–20 | 5 | {{su | a=c | w=1em | lh=1.3em | NZL}} | b=(96 pts)}} | ||||
| The 2020–21 season was cancelled due to impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. | ||||||||||||
| IX | 2021–22 | 6 | {{su | a=c | w=1em | lh=1.3em | AUS}} | b=(80 pts)}} | ||||
| X | 2022–23 | 7 | ||||||||||
| XI | 2023–24 | 7 | ||||||||||
| XII | 2024–25 | 6 |
Season placings by team
Tally of top six placings in the series for each team, updated after the 2022–23 season:
| Team | Champion | Runner-up | Third | Fourth | Top-3 Apps | Top-6 Apps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 2 | 1 | – | 11 | 12 | |
| 3 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 12 | |
| – | 1 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 9 | |
| – | 1 | 6 | 2 | 7 | 10 | |
| – | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 11 | |
| – | 1 | – | 3 | 1 | 5 | |
| – | – | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | |
| – | – | – | 1 | – | 2 | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 5 | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 1 | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 1 |
Top 6 placings by season – Cup
Summary of the top six placegetters for the regular season (since 2024):
| Series | Season | Location | Champion | Second | Third | Fourth | Fifth | Sixth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| XI | 2023–24 | ESP Madrid | ||||||
| XII | 2024–25 | USA Los Angeles |
Women's Melrose Cup Finals
Notes
Format
Rugby sevens is a version of rugby union, invented in Scotland in the 19th century, with seven players a side on a normal-sized field.
Games are much shorter, generally lasting only seven minutes per half, and tend to be very fast-paced, open affairs. The game is both quicker and higher-scoring than 15-a-side rugby and the rules are simpler, which explains part of its appeal, and also gives players the space for superb feats of individual skill. Sevens is traditionally played in a two-day tournament format.
The women's series features 12 teams in each tournament: the remaining participants are invited on the basis of regional tournament rankings.
Each tournament uses a format similar to that of the men's series, adjusted for the lower number of teams, with pool play followed by three separate knockout tournaments.
Core teams
Prior to the inaugural season, a group of "core teams" that are guaranteed places in all series events was announced. This concept is taken directly from the men's series. Unlike the men's series, which features 15 core teams as of the 2012–13 season, the women's series began with only six.
For the 2013–14 series, the number of core teams was increased to eight, all reached the quarter final from the 2013 Rugby World Cup Sevens:
was invited to participate in all events for the 2013–14 series. This was part of an IRB initiative to help jump-start women's rugby development in the country, which is set to host the 2016 Summer Olympics.
For the 2014–15 series, the number of core teams increased to 11, and qualification was extensively revamped, changing to a system more similar to that currently used in the men's World Series. The top seven teams in the 2013–14 series retained core team status. Four additional core teams were determined in a 12-team qualifying tournament held in Hong Kong on 12–13 September 2014. World Rugby did not initially announce full details of the qualification system for future series, but eventually determined that the top nine teams from the 2014–15 series would retain their status for 2015–16, with a world qualifier following in September 2015.
A combined team replaced as a core team for the 2022–23 series.
| I | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12–13 | II | |||||||||||||||||||
| 13–14 | III | |||||||||||||||||||
| 14–15 | IV | |||||||||||||||||||
| 15–16 | V | |||||||||||||||||||
| 16–17 | VI | |||||||||||||||||||
| 17–18 | VII | |||||||||||||||||||
| 18–19 | VIII | |||||||||||||||||||
| 19–20 | IX | |||||||||||||||||||
| 21–22 | X | |||||||||||||||||||
| 22–23 | XI | |||||||||||||||||||
| 23–24 | XII | |||||||||||||||||||
| 24–25 | Total | url=http://www.irb.com/newsmedia/mediazone/pressrelease/newsid=2063752.html#irb+announces+womens+sevens+world+series | title=IRB announces Women's Sevens World Series | publisher=International Rugby Board | date=4 October 2012 | access-date=4 October 2012 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141019122715/http://www.irb.com/newsmedia/mediazone/pressrelease/newsid=2063752.html#irb+announces+womens+sevens+world+series | archive-date=19 October 2014 }} | 8 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 |
Current Core Teams
| # | Team | Core since | Best Series |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2012–13 | 1st (2024–25) | |
| 2 | 2012–13 | 1st (2021–22) | |
| 3 | 2014–15 | 2nd (2021–22) | |
| 4 | 2012–13 | 2nd (2018–19) | |
| 5 | 2012–13 | 2nd (2014–15) | |
| 6 | 2014–15 | 3rd (2021–22) | |
| 7 | 2022–23 | 7th (2022–23) | |
| 8 | 2022–23 | 5th (2024–25) |
Key: *indicates that the team was invited
Former core teams
| Team | Last season | Best Series |
|---|---|---|
| 2021–22 | 4th (2015–16) | |
| 2021–22 | 5th (2016–17) | |
| 2023–24 | 11th (2023–24) | |
| 2012–13 | 7th (2012–13) | |
| 2024–25 | 9th (2024–25) | |
| 2024–25 | 10th (2024–25) | |
| 2024–25 | 4th (2021–24) | |
| 2024–25 | 6th (2013–14) |
Promotion and relegation
In 2019, World Rugby announced a plan to create a second-tier competition that would allow the best twelve sevens teams, from their region to compete in a similar style format to the Sevens Series for the potential of gaining promotion to the World Rugby Sevens Series and becoming a core team. This breaks from the usual format of promotion and relegation in the sevens series.
From 2017–18 series to 2018–19 series the promotion/relegation was as follows:
- One team is relegated and one team is promoted each year.
- The core team that finishes bottom of the table at the end of the season series is relegated.
- The team that wins the 12-team qualifying tournament at the Hong Kong Sevens is promoted.
From 2020 onwards the style of promotion/relegation will be as such:
- One team is relegated and one team is promoted each year.
- The core team that finishes bottom of the table at the end of the season series is relegated to the Challenger Series.
- Twelve teams will compete for promotion in the Challenger Series event.
| Season | Core teams | Relegated | Promoted |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012–13 | 6 | , , | |
| 2013–14 | 8 | , , , | |
| 2014–15 | 11 | , | , |
| 2015–16 | 11 | ||
| 2016–17 | 11 | ||
| 2017–18 | 11 | ||
| 2018–19 | 11 | ||
| 2019–20 | 11 | None | |
| 2021 | 11 | Series Cancelled | |
| 2021–22 | 11 | ||
| 2022–23 | 11 | No Relegation | |
| 2023–24 | 12 | ||
| 2024–25 | 12 | , , , | No Promotion |
;Notes
Player awards by season
| Season | Rounds | Most points | Most tries | Player of the Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012–13 | 4 | NZL Portia Woodman (105) | NZL Portia Woodman (21) | NZL Kayla McAlister |
| 2013–14 | 5 | AUS Emilee Cherry (195) | AUS Emilee Cherry (33) | AUS Emilee Cherry |
| 2014–15 | 6 | NZL Portia Woodman (?) | NZL Portia Woodman (52) | NZL Portia Woodman |
| 2015–16 | 5 | CAN Ghislaine Landry (158) | NZL Portia Woodman (24) | AUS Charlotte Caslick |
| 2016–17 | 6 | CAN Ghislaine Landry (269) | NZL Michaela Blyde (40) | NZL Michaela Blyde |
| 2017–18 | 5 | NZL Portia Woodman (215) | NZL Portia Woodman (43) | NZL Michaela Blyde |
| 2018–19 | 5 | NZL Tyla Nathan-Wong (207) | IRE Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe (35) | NZL Ruby Tui |
| 2019–20 | 5 | USA Alev Kelter (171) | NZL Stacey Fluhler (31) | No award |
| The 2020–21 season was cancelled due to impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. | FRA Anne-Cécile Ciofani | |||
| 2021–22 | 6 | FRA Jade Ulutule (226) | IRE Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe (36) | AUS Charlotte Caslick |
| 2022–23 | 7 | AUS Maddison Levi (286) | AUS Maddison Levi (37) | NZL Tyla Nathan-Wong |
| 2023–24 | - | - | - | - |
Points schedule
The overall winner of the series is determined by points gained from the standings across all events in the season.
Gold, silver and bronze medals were introduced for the top three placegetters at each event in 2016–17, alongside a Challenge Trophy for lower ranked teams the former Plate and Bowl trophies.
| Place | Status | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Cup winner and gold medalist | 20 | |
| Cup runner-up and silver medalist | 18 | |
| 3rd-place play-off winner and bronze medalist | 16 | |
| 4 | 3rd-place play-off loser | 14 |
| 5 | 5th-place play-off winner | 12 |
| 6 | 5th-place play-off loser | 10 |
| 7 | 7th-place play-off winner | 8 |
| 8 | 7th-place play-off loser | 6 |
| 9 | 9th-place play-off winner | 4 |
| 10 | 9th-place play-off loser | 3 |
| 11 | 11th-place play-off winner | 2 |
| 12 | 11th-place play-off loser | 1 |
Tiebreakers Tie-breaking: Should teams finish equal on series points at the end of the season, the tiebreakers are the same as those in the men's series:
- Overall scoring differential in the season.
- Total try count in the season.
- If neither produces a winner, the teams are tied.
References
- "The History of Rugby Sevens".
- (30 June 2015). "HSBC partners with World Rugby for record-breaking sevens properties". World Rugby.
- (22 August 2013). "Schedule announced for 2013/14 Women's Series". International Rugby Board.
- (31 July 2014). "Host cities announced for women's series". International Rugby Board.
- (29 September 2017). "Sevens Series 2018 to finish in Paris as women's dates confirmed". World Rugby.
- (7 July 2018). "Schedule confirmed for HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2019". World Rugby.
- (25 May 2018). "Sydney 7s has a new home in 2019". [[Rugby Australia]].
- (19 December 2018). "Biarritz to host HSBC World Rugby Women's Sevens Series finale". World Rugby.
- (4 September 2021). "World Rugby cancels Sevens events in Cape Town and Singapore".
- (16 November 2021). "Hong Kong Sevens postponed again to November 2022". The Standard.
- (2020). "2020 Sevens series standings".
- (3 September 2021). "HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series to double-up in Canada and Dubai".
- (21 January 2022). "Fiji Men's and Women's 7s teams pull out of Spain tournaments".
- (14 January 2022). "World Sevens Series: New Zealand withdraw from Spain tournaments". Planet Rugby.
- (8 July 2014). "Women's Sevens Series places up for grabs". International Rugby Board.
- (23 May 2015). "Team GB secure Olympic qualification as Canada claim Amsterdam Sevens". World Rugby.
- (20 July 2022). "Great Britain sevens: Nations combine for 2023 World Sevens Series". British Broadcasting Corporation.
- (4 October 2012). "IRB announces Women's Sevens World Series". International Rugby Board.
- (20 August 2015). "Japan and Ireland qualify for Women's Sevens Series". World Rugby.
- (17 December 2019). "New Challenger Series to boost rugby sevens' expansion". [[World Rugby]].
- (4 November 2016). "Caslick crowned Women's Sevens Player of the Year by World Rugby". The Daily Telegraph.
- (15 October 2020). "World Rugby Awards Special Edition: Fans' Choice voting now open!".
- "Women's Sevens Series Tournament Rules". World Rugby.
- (3 October 2016). "Men's and women's sevens winners to strike gold". World Rugby.org.
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