Rugby Australia has confirmed a shift to the Next Gen 7s calendar for the 2026 season in the quest to better align it with the SVNS World Series.
The Next Gen 7s series will kick off on February 15 in Ballina. after previously being played in August last year.
It will be held over a four round tournament, with further rounds set to be held in Canberra and Sydney between the Queensland Reds, NSW Waratahs and ACT Brumbies.
These events will be positioned between the SVNS World Series events in Vancouver and New York in March.
The tournament will conclude with the finals in Sydney on April 12, with the Reds out to defend their crown.
"The Next Gen 7s series was a fantastic success last season with an Australia A side selected going on to win the Dubai 7s Invitational in December,” Rugby Australia Head of Women’s Pathways Lachlan Parkinson said.
“The opportunity to bring the tournament forward in 2026 as part of a wider women’s rugby strategy will provide players with greater development during the season."
The likes of the Levi sisters – Maddison and Teagan, Faith Nathan, Madison Ashby, Kaitlin Shave and Ruby Nicholas are among a plethora of talent that have come through the competition since 2017 and have starred on the World Series.
“The tournament exposes future talent to a high-level competition alongside a mix of athletes who have competed at the highest level," Parkinson added.
“The inclusion of the ACT Brumbies last year and players from affiliated states showed the growth of the programs in Australia and the strong pathways available for players and coaches to select future teams across both Sevens and XVs.”
Further details around the location of the final three rounds will be confirmed in the coming weeks.
Sunday 15 February 2026
9.30am - Waratahs v Reds
11.00am - Reds v Brumbies
12.30pm - Brumbies v Waratahs
2.00pm - Waratahs v Reds
3.30pm - Reds v Brumbies
Sunday 1 March 2026
9.30am - Waratahs v Brumbies
11.00am - Reds v Waratahs
12.30pm - Brumbies v Reds
2.00pm - Waratahs v Brumbies
3.30pm - Reds v Waratahs
Sunday 22 March 2026
9.30am - Brumbies v Reds
11.00am - Waratahs v Brumbies
12.30pm - Reds v Waratahs
2.00pm - Brumbies v Reds
3.30pm - Waratahs v Brumbies
Saturday 12 April 2026
9.30am - 1st position table v 2nd position table
1100am - 2nd position table v 3rd position table
12.30pm - 1st position table v 3rd position table
2.00pm - 2nd position finals table v 3rd position finals table
3.30pm - 1st position finals table v winner of 2 v 3
Round 1: Lennox Head, Ballina
Round 2: Sydney, NSW
Round 3: Canberra, ACT
Round 4: Sydney, NSW
