The HSBC World Rugby Sevens series returns to New Zealand
The fifteenth world kicked off Take off on the fifteenth stage of the type
1091 days after its last edition, the Hamilton Championship is back in New Zealand. The Blacks Ferns Sevens and All Blacks Sevens will be keen to defend their titles, which they won three years ago, on home soil. New Zealand captain Sam Dixon said: “We’re so happy to be playing at home again. It’s been quite a few years since we’ve been here. We have so many great memories and can’t wait to start this week. It’s true that the start was a bit difficult for us, but we bounced back.” Very well in Dubai and Cape Town and we’re now third in the standings, so we’ll try to keep that momentum going and ensure we do well here in Hamilton for our supporters.”
The stakes are higher this season because in addition to wanting to win the World Championship, it is the year of Olympic qualification. The top four men’s and women’s teams will qualify at the end of the 2023 series. The host French has already qualified. In the race for world titles, Samoa and Australia lead the series in the men’s and women’s after three and two stages, respectively. For the Black Fern Sevens captain, “It’s great to be back here in Hamilton and obviously it’s an Olympic qualifying year we want to make sure we get into the top four and qualify for Paris. But I think the most important thing is to be able to play a good game and have fun. Great momentum for women’s sports right now, which is very exciting for us and we want to keep that momentum going for the Rugby Sevens.”
To summarize
After three years, the New Zealand stage of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series returns. Blacks who hold the title in women and men are eager to defend their titles. In addition to focusing on the eventual victory of the 2023 World Championships, the main challenge remains to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
