GOLD MEDAL-WINNING AUSSIE WOMEN TO SET 2017 HSBC SYDNEY 7s ALIGHT

Aug 26 • General News, International, Sevens Rugby • 1364 Views • Comments Off on GOLD MEDAL-WINNING AUSSIE WOMEN TO SET 2017 HSBC SYDNEY 7s ALIGHT

The Australian Rugby Union (ARU) today announced the all-conquering Qantas Australian Women’s Sevens team will play in an official HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series event in Sydney in 2017.

The victorious Rio Olympic Games Gold medallists will feature alongside the Qantas Australian Men’s Sevens team, in an expanded three-day HSBC Sydney 7s at Allianz Stadium from February 3-5.

NSW Minister for Trade, Tourism and Major Events and Minister for Sport, Stuart Ayres said the event promises to attract a huge crowd to Sydney.

“The Sydney 7s was one of the best events of this year, and the addition of Australia’s first ever Women’s World Series event will make the 2017 event even better. It will also be a great event for the NSW economy, with thousands of domestic and international visitors expected to travel to Sydney to be part of the action.”

ARU CEO, Bill Pulver said: “The success of our Women’s Sevens team in Rio captivated the nation and put the sport of Rugby Sevens on the map, both here in Australia and all over the world.

“Fans will now be able to watch this history-making team in action on home soil with Sydney securing an official HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series tournament for women, to be played alongside the men’s tournament which was a huge success in 2016.

“Being crowned World and Olympic Champions in the same year was an astonishing achievement given this group of players were brought together just three short years ago, and now many of the players have become household names in Australia as a result of their Gold medal success.

“I am incredibly excited for our Women’s team to have the opportunity to play in an official tournament in front of their home fans and I’m sure that everyone who comes along to the HSBC Sydney 7s will be equally in awe of the exciting brand of Rugby they play.”

HSBC Australia CEO, Tony Cripps said: “HSBC has been a long-standing supporter of rugby across all forms of the game and we are proud to sponsor the first ever Women’s Sevens series in Australia. The women’s game is currently the fastest growing sport in the world and the addition of a women’s event at the HSBC Sydney Sevens tournament is testament to how far the sport has come in the past three decades. We look forward to further supporting rugby from grassroots to the most elite levels.”

Sydney Cricket and Sports Ground Trust Chairman Tony Shepherd said: “The inaugural Sydney 7s this year set a new benchmark in terms of atmosphere, with sellout crowds lapping up one of the world’s most exciting and engaging sporting spectacles.

“Our gold medallists, and their Sevens counterparts from around the world, are fantastic role models on and off the field as the rise of elite women’s sport continues and takes its rightful place.

“As Chairman of the SCG Trust, I’m delighted that we offer the ultimate stages – Allianz Stadium and the SCG – for our female heroes.

World Rugby Chairman, Bill Beaumont said: “Australia’s women have shown themselves to be at the very top of Rugby Sevens and their performances in last season’s series and the Olympic Games in Rio were inspirational, not only to Australians but also to women and girls around the world who dream of someday standing on that podium with gold medals around their necks.

“The HSBC Sydney 7s will be a great opportunity for fans to pay tribute to the players and cheer them on. Of course, there will be plenty of teams keen to spoil the home team’s party so we can expect two days of fantastic competition and world-class Sevens action. I’d like to thank the ARU for staging this tournament and for their ongoing commitment to Women’s Rugby.”

The inaugural HSBC Sydney 7s in February 2016 attracted sell-out crowds at Allianz Stadium on both days of competition. The Qantas Australian Men’s Sevens team came within minutes of capturing the title, falling to trans-Tasman rivals New Zealand at the death in an epic final.

The event has been secured for Sydney by the NSW Government, through its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW, in partnership with the ARU.

Tickets for the 2017 HSBC Sydney 7s will be on sale from October. Fans can receive alerts to ticketing updates for the HSBC Sydney 7s by registering at http://sydney7s.com.au/.

HSBC World Rugby Women’s Sevens Series dates and venues:

Dubai: 1-2 December, 2016
Sydney: 3-5 February, 2017
Kitakyusyu: 22-23 April
Victoria, Canada: 27-28 May
Clermont-Ferrand: 24-25 June