Australian Rugby will apply to host a round of the IRB Sevens World Series from 2015/16 following the IRB’s announcement that it is seeking expressions of interest to host a round of the annual men’s series as well as the Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018.
General Manager of Rugby Sevens at the Australian Rugby Union, Anthony Eddy, said: “In light of the IRB confirming its tender process for the IRB Sevens World Series from 2015/16, Australian Rugby can confirm it has every intention of maintaining a leg of the Series.
“With the Series already visiting some of the world’s biggest cities, the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow just around the corner, as well as the Rugby Sevens featuring in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, the sport continues to grow in both popularity and exposure.
“The Australian public loves to embrace the concept of Rugby Sevens, from the quality of play on the field to the social aspect that surrounds the event.”
The current HSBC Sevens World Series comprises nine tournaments with 16 teams competing in each over two or three days. The 2012/13 Series attracted a new record global television audience with 4,504 hours shown by 38 broadcasters to 390 million homes across 149 territories. Over 600,000 fans were in attendance across the nine events.
