24.4 C
Cape Town
Wednesday, January 21, 2026

Get ready for revamped HSBC SVNS festival!

Published on

 

Cape Town has been confirmed as one of the eight iconic destinations that comprise HSBC SVNS, World Rugby’s revamped and rebranded global celebration of rugby sevens that  launched this week.

 

The 2023 edition will be the seventh time that the Mother City has hosted the HSBC Sevens Series, with the party landing on our shores between 9 and 10 December.

 

World Rugby Chief Executive Alan Gilpin says their ambition is for SVNS to appeal to a ”younger, leisure-hungry audience.”

 

In eight iconic destinations played over seven months, we will bring together a truly immersive festival of rugby, music, food and experiences to create the ultimate weekend-long get together for young people, the hottest ticket and open a new era for the sport.

 

The City of Cape Town has welcomed the announcement of Cape Town’s inclusion, which has attracted 650 000 spectators in the eight years it has been hosted in the Mother City.

 

The event has also contributed over R3 billion in economic activity to Cape Town.

 

The Mayoral Committee Member JP Smith says it’s another feather in Cape Town’s cap to be included in the new look SVNS series.

 

Cape Town Sevens has been one of the flagship events hosted in our city for nearly a decade, has proven a popular event with record attendance every single year and provides the best live experience for spectators. The City of Cape Town has been supporting the event since it moved from Gqeberha to Cape Town and we are looking forward to continue our partnership with the organisers to ensure an exciting experience for spectators.

 

For this season, the top eight placed teams, based on cumulative series points, and at the conclusion of Singapore SVNS will secure their opportunity to compete in the new ‘winner takes all’ Grand Final in Madrid, where the women’s and men’s SVNS champions will be crowned.

 

Madrid will also play host to the high stakes relegation play-off competition where teams ranked ninth to 12th will join the top four teams from the World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series. The top four placed teams of this play-off will secure their place on next year’s SVNS.

 

Under the new model, SVNS delivers gender parity with all seven rounds and the Grand Final featuring combined men’s and women’s competitions and equal participation fees, with a 70 per cent uplift in World Rugby’s investment in participation fees as a ”commitment to sustainable growth.”

 

 

HBSC SVNS – Festival dates:

 

  • Dubai, UAE – 2-3 December, 2023
  • Cape Town, South Africa – 9-10 December, 2023
  • Perth, Australia – 26-28 January, 2024
  • Vancouver, Canada – 23-25 February, 2024
  • Los Angeles, USA – 2-3 March, 2024
  • Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR China – 5-7 April 2024
  • Singapore, Singapore – 3-5 May 2024
  • Madrid, Spain – 31 May-2 June, 2024

 

For the latest information on tickets, fans should visit the new SVNS.com website.

 

ALSO READ: Springboks need BIG miracle at Rugby Championships

Liesl Smit
Liesl Smit
Liesl is the Smile 90.4FM News Manager. She has been at Smile since 2016, with nearly 20 years experience in the radio industry, including reading news, field reporting and producing. In 2008 she won the Vodacom Journalist of the Year Award, Western Cape region. liesl@smile904.fm

Latest articles

Ramaphosa approves salary increases for public office bearers

 President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced salary increases for public office bearers of between 3.8% and 4.1%, depending on the category of position they hold. In...

Suspected arsonist arrested after caught on camera setting alight vegetation along the M5

 As the Western Cape and City of Cape Town grapples with a series of devastating fires this fire season, many believe arson to be...

Calls for Accountability After SANDF Appears to Defy Ramaphosa on Iran Naval Drill

 Political parties are calling for accountability after the SANDF's apparent defiance of President Cyril Ramaphosa regarding Iran's participation in the recent naval exercise, Will...
error: Content is protected !!