Rugby World Cup Sevens will be hosted in San Francisco

The 2018 men’s and women’s Rugby World Cup Sevens will be hosted in San Francisco, bringing the sport in the United States a significant event which organisers and the governing body World Rugby hope will spread its appeal there.

The Giants Stadium in San Francisco, supported by Avaya Stadium in San Jose, will be the venues for the world’s top men’s and women’s rugby sevens players to showcase their talent ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

The dates for the tournaments — the men’s has 24 teams while the women’s boasts 16 — will be announced in due course.

New Zealand won both titles in Moscow in 2013.

“Rugby sevens continues to go from strength to strength, proving a hit with fans, broadcasters and sponsors around the globe with its winning blend of compelling and competitive action, global destinations and festival atmosphere,” said World Rugby chairman Bernard Lapasset.

“Rugby World Cup Sevens is at the heart of the success story and we are delighted to be awarding these prestigious hosting rights to USA Rugby after a competitive process.

“I am sure that the San Francisco Bay area, with its major event experience and passion for sport, will be a popular and spectacular Rugby World Cup Sevens host,” added the 67-year-old Frenchman.

Nigel Melville, chief executive of USA Rugby, said it was a real boost for the game in the country where it is growing with more than one million men, women and children now regularly playing.

“We are delighted to be chosen to host the 2018 Rugby World Cup Sevens and look forward to delivering a fantastic rugby sevens experience,” said the 54-year-old former England international scrum-half.

“Hosting a Rugby World Cup is an important step forward for rugby in the USA and will bring high levels of visibility and interest for the game in the country. We will also be using the opportunity to develop Impact 2018, a national legacy programme for the whole USA Rugby community.”

With rugby sevens set to make its Olympic Games debut in Rio de Janeiro next year, World Rugby took the decision in 2014 to move Rugby World Cup Sevens back one year into the middle of the Olympic cycle to maximise the sport’s integration on to the Olympic Games programme.