Supporters can now plan their trip to San Francisco for Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018 as tournament organizers announced that the three-day festival of world-class rugby will be held from July 20-22. Tickets for RWC Sevens 2018 will go on sale in mid-summer this year.
Iconic AT&T Park, home of the San Francisco Giants, will provide the spectacular backdrop to the tournament that features 24 men’s and 16 women’s teams competing for the title of world champions. The 42,000-seat ballpark located along the waterfront in downtown San Francisco, is one of the most highly rated sports venues in the entire country. With its breathtaking views and classic design, AT&T Park was chosen as the 2008 Sports Facility of the Year by Sports Business Journal and Sports Business Daily as part of the inaugural Sports Business Awards program.
“We are thrilled to be hosting this prestigious World Rugby tournament in 2018. Since our ballpark opened in 2000, we have hosted many world-class events,” said San Francisco Giants President and CEO Larry Baer. “To now have the opportunity to welcome the top rugby sevens players and their fans from all over the world to AT&T Park is a great honor for us.”
The 2018 RWC Sevens Tournament will be the seventh staging of the tournament, which has previously been held in Edinburgh, Hong Kong (twice), Mar del Plata, Dubai and Moscow. Having won both the men's and women's events at the famous Russian venue of Luzhniki Stadium, New Zealand will be back to defend their titles, but will likely face considerable resistance in the form of Olympic gold medallists, Australia (women's) and Fiji (men's), not to mention strong home competition from both USA sides.
“Announcing the exact dates of the tournament is an important stage of preparation as it means that supporters can really start to plan their trip,” said World Rugby Chairman, Bill Beaumont. “With three days of amazing rugby action on offer, coupled with everything else San Francisco and surrounding area has to offer, it could really be the holiday of a lifetime for rugby fans around the world. The success of rugby sevens at last year’s Olympic Games in Rio gave the game a huge shot in the arm and we are working hard to ensure its popularity continues to rise in the coming years. Part of that is building on the success of previous RWC Sevens tournaments, which come at the mid-point in the Olympic cycle. This will be the first time the RWC Sevens has been held in North America and I know rugby fans in the USA and also in Canada are really looking forward to it.”
USA Rugby CEO, Dan Payne added: “We are proud to play host to Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018. This event will bring the world’s best and put them in front of a large audience of rugby fanatics in the US, showcasing our great sport to a new batch of sports fans. We’re equally excited that this great tournament will be played in our backyard and in front of our youth, inspiring the next group of rugby stars.”
The top eight men’s teams (plus hosts USA) and the top four women’s teams from RWC Sevens 2013 qualify automatically. The remaining qualification places will be filled through the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2016-17 (men’s and women’s) as well as through the six regional tournaments.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE VIA THE NEW RWC SEVENS 2018 WEBSITE >>
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER INTEREST >>
CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS ON THE QUALIFICATION PROCESS >>
About AT&T Park & Giants Enterprises: Since opening its gates in 2000 as the new home of the San Francisco Giants Major League Baseball team, AT&T Park has become internationally-renowned as a premier sports and entertainment venue. More than 53 million spectators have witnessed a number of magical moments, including three World Series Championships (2010, 2012 & 2014), the raising of four National League Pennants and seven playoff appearances. AT&T Park has also played host to some of music’s biggest acts, including Beyoncé & Jay Z, the Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band, Green Day and Billy Joel.
Giants Enterprises, the entrepreneurial arm of the San Francisco Giants dedicated to developing new ventures beyond the Major League Baseball franchise, hosts one-of-a-kind experiences at AT&T Park, throughout San Francisco and beyond. Giants Enterprises has produced thousands of events over the last 17+ years, including the 34th America’s Cup in 2013, delivering the Official Spectator Experiences and successfully commercializing the event for the first time in its 160-year history. In addition, Giants Enterprises has produced and executed international soccer matches, professional and college football games and The Giant Race series. For more information visit www.giantsenterprises.com.
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