World Sevens Series: Encyclopedia - World Sevens Series

World Sevens Series

The World Sevens Series is an international rugby union series of tournaments run by the International Rugby Board. The tournaments span the globe, with the following events included in the 2005-06 tour:

• Dubai (Dubai Exiles Rugby Ground): December 1-2, 2005
• South Africa, aka George (Outeniqua Park, George): December 9-10, 2005
• New Zealand (Westpac Stadium, Wellington): February 3-4, 2006
• USA (Home Depot Center, Carson, California): February 11-12, 2006
• Hong Kong (Hong Kong Stadium): March 31-April 2, 2006
• Singapore (TBC; most likely National Stadium): April 8-9, 2006
• Paris (TBC): May 27-28, 2006
• England (Twickenham, London): June 3-4, 2006

The most famous Sevens event, the Hong Kong Sevens, returns to the series after a one-year hiatus in 2004-05 for the IRB Rugby World Cup Sevens, which was held in Hong Kong in March 2005 and won by Fiji.

Sevens is a stripped-down version of rugby union, with seven players on each side rather than fifteen. Games are much shorter, seven or ten minutes each half, and tend to be very fast-paced, open affairs. Sevens is traditionally played in a two-day tournament format, with the Hong Kong Sevens being the most famous.

New Zealand and Fiji are traditionally the strongest teams, although recently Australia, Samoa, England, South Africa, Argentina and France have all won tournaments. England and South Africa won tournaments in both the 2003-04 and 2004-05 seasons; France won an event in 2004-05, and Argentina won an event in 2003-04.

World Sevens Series - 2005-06 results

This includes all matches that award points toward the series championship. Points are awarded as follows:

• Cup winner (first place): 20 points
• Cup runner-up: 16 points
• Losing Cup semifinalists: 12 points
• Plate winner (fifth place): 8 points
• Plate runner-up: 6 points
• Losing Plate semifinalists: 4 points
• Bowl winner (ninth place): 2 points

• Dubai
  • Cup: England 28–26 Fiji
  • Losing Cup semifinalists: Samoa, South Africa
  • Plate: New Zealand 19–7 France
  • Losing Plate semifinalists: Argentina, Australia
  • Bowl: Wales 19–5 Canada
• South Africa
  • Cup - Fiji 21–19 Argentina
  • Losing Cup semifinalists: England, South Africa
  • Plate - Samoa 17–5 New Zealand
  • Losing Plate semifinalists: Australia, France
  • Bowl: Wales 34–14 Portugal
• New Zealand
  • Cup - TBD
  • Losing Cup semifinalists: TBD
  • Plate - TBD
  • Losing Plate semifinalists: TBD
  • Bowl: TBD
• USA
  • Cup - TBD
  • Losing Cup semifinalists: TBD
  • Plate - TBD
  • Losing Plate semifinalists: TBD
  • Bowl: TBD
• Hong Kong
  • Cup - TBD
  • Losing Cup semifinalists: TBD
  • Plate - TBD
  • Losing Plate semifinalists: TBD
  • Bowl: TBD
• Singapore
  • Cup - TBD
  • Losing Cup semifinalists: TBD
  • Plate - TBD
  • Losing Plate semifinalists: TBD
  • Bowl: TBD
• England
  • Cup - TBD
  • Losing Cup semifinalists: TBD
  • Plate - TBD
  • Losing Plate semifinalists: TBD
  • Bowl: TBD
• Paris
  • Cup - TBD
  • Losing Cup semifinalists: TBD
  • Plate - TBD
  • Losing Plate semifinalists: TBD
  • Bowl: TBD

World Sevens Series - Current table

Fiji: 36
England: 32
South Africa:24
Argentina: 20
Samoa: 20
New Zealand: 14
France: 10
Australia: 8
Wales: 4

World Sevens Series - Previous Series Winners

• 2000 - New Zealand
• 2001 - New Zealand
• 2002 - New Zealand
• 2003 - New Zealand
• 2004 - New Zealand
• 2005 - New Zealand

See also

• Rugby sevens
• Hong Kong Sevens

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "World Sevens Series", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki