Hong Kong Sevens set for mid-April and chosen to launch controversial World Championship
World Rugby confirm calendar for elite division of revamped circuit, lower-tier nations in dark over tournament dates and destinations
The 2026 Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens has been scheduled for mid-April and confirmed as the opening leg of the inaugural HSBC SVNS World Championship.
Hong Kong remain in the dark, however, over their precise route into the elite competition, three weeks before the city teams begin their campaigns with an Asia Rugby Sevens Series (ARSS) competition in Hangzhou.
Kai Tak Stadium will stage its second Hong Kong Sevens from April 17 to 19. The 2025 edition, which concluded with Argentina’s men and New Zealand’s women toasting success, began three weeks earlier, on March 28.
Valladolid, in Spain, and the French city of Bordeaux have been picked to host the second and third world championship legs.
Moving the tournament to a later date will scupper plans to combine the Sevens with one of the city’s major cultural events, Art Basel, which next year takes place from March 27 to 29.
World Rugby tore up their former sevens model after the 2024-25 season, citing a desire to “create a financially sustainable event ecosystem which provides a clear pathway for the future for international rugby sevens”.