Monday afternoon, Gareth Rees, Canada’s most decorated rugby player and co-chair of the Canada Sevens Bid Committee made the announcement that The World Rugby Sevens Series is coming to Vancouver in March 2016. The Vancouver event joins the already announced World Rugby Women’s Rugby Sevens Series Tournament to be held this April in Langford/Victoria BC. To celebrate the two events, Rugby Canada embarked on a Try Relay, starting at the Provincial Legislature, the Women’s Squad, lead by World Rugby’s Player of the Year Magli Harvey, ran the ball through Victoria to Helijet to board a flight to Vancouver where she handed the ball to the Men’s squad who ran through the streets of Vancouver to Robson Square for the announcement.
Held over two-days in March 2016 in BC Place, the Canada Sevens will feature the world’s top 16 countries as they compete in the global HSBC Sevens World Series. Twenty nations were bidding for inclusion in the global Sevens Series, in succeeding Canada joins the list of prestigious tournaments held in; Hong Kong, Dubai, Australia, England, Scotland and United States.
With Rugby returning to the Olympic Games in 2016, the Sevens Series will serve as the qualifying tournament and will put the spot Last season, Canada’s men’s team placed in 6th place and the women were 3rd in their series.
World Rugby Women’s Seven Series takes place in Langford, BC April 18 – 19, 2015. Tickets are on sale now.
Canada Sevens Men’s Tournament will take place March 2016, exact dates to be determined.