Women’s Rugby Sevens to Feature at 2018 Commonwealth Games

Women’s Rugby Sevens will be included in the 2018 Commonwealth Games which are being held on Australia’s Gold Coast.

”Since the last Commonwealth Games program in Glasgow was announced, women’s Rugby Sevens has gone from strength-to-strength,” ARB chief executive Bill Pulver said. ”Our men’s team have been wonderful ambassadors for Rugby Sevens since the sport’s introduction to the Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur in 1998.

”As members of any Commonwealth Games squad – past and present – will testify, the atmosphere surrounding the Games is truly unique and we believe this news will truly leave a lasting legacy for women’s rugby in Australia.”

Rugby Sevens has long been a major fan attraction at the Commonwealth Games with a world-record 171,000 fans attending one of the must-see events at Glasgow 2014, and comes at a time when Women’s Rugby Sevens is going from strength to strength across every continent as the sport counts down to its Olympic Games debut at Rio 2016.

IRB Chairman Bernard Lapasset welcomed the news: “The IRB has been a champion of the inclusion of Women’s Sevens in the Commonwealth Games and today’s decision is fantastic news for players and fans of what is one of the world’s fastest-growing team sports.”

“Rugby Sevens is one of the must-see Commonwealth Games events with its winning blend of highly-competitive action, star players and festival atmosphere, reflected at Glasgow 2014 where a world-record crowd for Rugby Sevens of 171,000 were thrilled by an incredible two-day event.”

“We can now also look forward with great excitement to an historic Gold Coast Sevens where Australia will welcome the top women’s players from Commonwealth nations alongside their male counterparts.”