About the sport and tournament
THE SINGAPORE SEVENS
Singapore had its first taste of hosting the World Rugby Sevens Series in 2002 when it was awarded the rights to stage a leg of the series. New Zealand won the inaugural Singapore Sevens cup following a 21-17 win over Argentina.
With the event cancelled in 2003 due to the SARS outbreak, Singapore subsequently hosted the series for the next three years from 2004 to 2006, when South Africa, New Zealand and Fiji were crowned champions.
After a 10-year hiatus, Singapore returned to the world stage in 2016 with a four-year agreement with World Rugby to stage a leg of the HSBC World Sevens Series at the National Stadium through until 2019.
The 2016 edition saw over 52,000 spectators attend the event across two days and witness underdogs Kenya record their first-ever series win, with a stunning 30-7 victory against Sevens powerhouse Fiji. In 2017, it was Canada’s turn to shine, as they too clinched their first-ever Series title, beating rivals USA 26-19 in the final.
Over the years, the Singapore leg of the World Rugby Sevens Series was starting to attract international attention and a reputation for laying on a family-orientated experience comprising the very best of Sevens rugby, in-stand entertainment and a party atmosphere to match.
In 2018, Fiji clinched their second Singapore Sevens title with a 28-22 win over Australia in the final. Singapore was ranked the second-best tournament, behind Vancouver, of the 10 legs that make up the World Rugby Sevens Series in 2018 and the best event in Asia.
The 2019 edition saw the event record its highest ever attendance, with over 56,000 spectators witnessing the action across the weekend. South Africa took the title after inching past Fiji in a 20-19 thriller.
Following the continued success of the tournament, together with the growth potential that the Singapore Sevens brings to the game of rugby in South East Asia, Singapore has secured the rights to stage the event for another four years until at least 2023.
