USA round added to HSBC World Rugby Women’s Sevens Series

World Rugby has announced USA Rugby will host the opening round of the HSBC World Rugby Women’s Sevens Series next season in Glendale, Colorado.

The announcement of this new addition brings the number of rounds on the women’s series to six, guaranteeing more competitive playing opportunities for series participants on their route to qualification for the 2020 Olympics.

The new HSBC USA Women’s Sevens round kicks off on 20-21 October, followed by existing rounds Dubai, Sydney, Kitakyushu, Langford and Paris.

The tournament will be held at Infinity Park, the state-of-the-art 4,000 seat stadium in the heart of Glendale, Colorado’s rugby epicentre and premier setting for rugby in the USA.

World Rugby Chairman Bill Beaumont today said, “We are delighted to be expanding the HSBC World Rugby Women’s Sevens Series next season, creating and delivering more high-performance quality competitions for participating teams, which is a key strand of the wider Women’s Plan 2017-25.”

“Rugby sevens have played an important role in the growth and development of the women’s game and the outstanding success of the women’s sevens competition at Rio 2016, delivered a huge boost globally in terms of participation, profile and engagement,” he said.

“In recent times we have seen the world series continue to win new fans and inspire players worldwide with its mix of impressive skill, high-octane rugby and exciting atmosphere.”

USA Rugby General Manager of Women’s High Performance, Emilie Bydwell, said “We are thrilled to have a HSBC World Rugby Women’s Sevens Series stop return to the United States next season.”

“With the considerable growth of women’s rugby, having a home tournament provides an access point for the community with our Women’s Eagles Sevens.”

“Glendale is an incredible venue and the opportunity to kick off an Olympic Qualification Season at home in front of our athletes’ family, friends and fans is amazing,” she said.

“Subsequently, followed up by the Women’s Eagles home match against the Black Ferns just two weeks later, demonstrates the commitment to driving the Women’s game forward in this country.”