World Rugby awards hosting rights for Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 to South Africa
Kenya Rugby Sevens team, Morans, were crowned champions of Safari Sevens after beating South Africa at Rugby Football Union Grounds on Sunday, Oct 20, 2019. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]
South Africa will host the Rugby World Cup Sevens in 2022.
The World Rugby Council awarded the hosting rights of the premier tournament to South Africa on Tuesday.
It will be the first time that Rugby World Cup Sevens will be hosted by an African country.
The anticipated tournament will be played during September of that year (2022) considering the international calendar, including the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series and the Commonwealth Games that will take place in Birmingham, England, on July 2022.
Competition exact dates will be confirmed later.
World Rugby Chairman Sir Bill Beaumont said: “Congratulations to South Africa on being elected Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 hosts. We were impressed with South Africa’s detailed and comprehensive bid and we look forward to working in partnership with them on another inspiring and record-breaking tournament.
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“South Africa has a proven track record of delivering a sell-out event in the HSBC Cape Town Sevens, which is an esteemed tournament on the world series and will be of huge value to the planning and execution of Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022.
“About to make its second appearance on the Olympic Games programme at Tokyo 2020, rugby sevens is an innovative and thriving format of the game that has enormous appeal, and we are excited about the positive impact that another successful Rugby World Cup Sevens will have on our sport.
“We would like to thank all of the unions who expressed an interest in hosting this growing event and hope to welcome them back to bid for future events as rugby sevens continue to go from strength to strength.”
The appointment of South Africa falls at the beginning of an Olympic season for rugby sevens as the sport prepares to make its second Olympic Games appearance at Tokyo 2020.
The Kenya national men’s rugby Sevens team, Shujaa, could be without their talisman Collins Injera at next weekend’s Africa Sevens-cum-2020 Olympic qualifiers slated for Johannesburg, South Africa.
Injera, sustained an arm injury at the Safari Sevens two weeks ago where he was making his first appearance in national colours since June last year.
The Kenya Morans survived a second half scare from South Africa to edge the Blitzboks 19-14 in an entertaining Safari Sevens final at the RFUEA ground on Sunday last week.
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