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World Rugby has announced a change in format to its rugby sevens competition on the eve of the season finale this weekend in Carson, Calif., a move that delays the Canadian men’s bid to earn promotion back to the top tier.
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The Canadian men were relegated from the elite HSBC SVNS circuit last June and, after winning the Rugby Americas North (RAN) Sevens in November, looked to win their way back to this weekend’s promotion/relegation playoff by finishing in the top four of the second-tier Challenger Series.
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They did their part by finishing third with 48 points behind Portugal (52 points) and Germany (50). Samoa was fourth at 44.
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The four Challenger teams join Kenya, Uruguay, Ireland and the U.S. — the sides ranked eighth through 12 in the HSBC SVNS standings — in what was supposed to be a promotion/relegation playoff held in conjunction with the final event of the HSBC SVNS season at Dignity Health Sport Park.
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Under the existing format, the top four teams in this weekend’s playoff would have secured a return to the top tier. But that has changed under the new model announced Thursday.
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Starting next year, there will be a three-tiered structure to the sevens series, with the top tier reduced to eight teams from 12.
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The top eight men’s and women’s teams will compete in six Division 1 events, while six men’s and women’s sides will compete in a second division across three events. The third division will feature eight men’s and women’s teams, qualifying from regional competitions, competing in a stand-alone Challenger event.
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At the end of the season, the top four Division 2 teams will join the eight Division 1 sides in three World Championship events, for a shot at promotion.
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The top two men’s and women’s teams from Division 3 will move up to Division 2, with World Rugby saying teams can advance “from regional qualifiers to global championship contention in a single season.”
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Rugby Canada did not offer an opinion on the format change in a brief statement, saying the Canadian men “will no longer be competing for a spot in the top level this weekend.”
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“Despite the change to the series, Rugby Canada expects to have both of Canada’s sevens teams featured at B.C. Place in HSBC SVNS Vancouver next year,” it added.
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The best the Canadian men can do this weekend is to finish in the top four of the playoff, which will move them into Division 2, dubbed SVNS 2, for the 2025-26 season. The bottom four will have to start their 2025-26 season via their respective sevens regional qualifier competitions.
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World Rugby says the new competition model is designed to “deliver long-term financial sustainability and grow the global reach of rugby sevens” in the lead-up to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
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The governing body added that it is investing 10 million pounds ($18.4 million) annually into the sevens series, with “a large proportion” of that going to participating teams
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