London to host third IRB 7s event

The showcase womens event, featuring 12 invitational international teams, will follow in the footsteps of a successful tournament in Dubai last December and one scheduled for Hong Kong next month.

It is intended to establish the official IRB Womens Sevens World Series in time for the start of the 2012/13 season. Selection to participate in the Series will be linked to performances in IRB funded Regional Womens Sevens tournaments and other international Womens Sevens events.

The IRB Womens Sevens Challenge Cup will be played alongside the final round of the HSBC Sevens World Series at Twickenham on May 12-13 in front of what tournament organisers are hoping will be a record crowd for a Sevens event at the iconic venue.

The 12 teams invited by the IRB are: Sevens world champions Australia, hosts England, Dubai winners Canada, USA, the Netherlands, Rugby World Cup Sevens 2013 hosts Russia, Brazil, China, Kazakhstan, France, South Africa and Portugal.

IRB Chairman Bernard Lapasset said: These are exciting times for Women's Rugby around the world. Participation is growing while we continue to work with our Member Unions to ensure elite Womens competition goes from strength to strength ahead of Rugby World Cup Sevens 2013 and our Sevens debut in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, said Lapasset.

These invitational IRB Womens Sevens Challenge Cup events are the first step on the road to delivering an annual IRB Womens Sevens World Series along similar lines to the hugely successful mens HSBC Sevens World Series. I am sure that London will be a resounding success and give fans in the stadium and around the world another opportunity to see just how competitive Womens Rugby is.

Rob Andrew, RFU Professional Rugby Director, said: The RFU is delighted to be hosting the IRB Womens Sevens Challenge Cup as part of the London Sevens this year. Dubai held the first ever IRB Womens Sevens event in December 2011 so for Twickenham Stadium to be added to that calendar is a prestigious honour.

With Rugby Sevens making its debut in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games it is important we, and other Member Unions, strive forward to develop the international programme for our womens teams and this announcement represents a significant step on the road to Rio for these international teams.

The event and the move towards an annual IRB Women's Sevens Series represents a key delivery of the recently launched IRB Womens Rugby Plan which commits to staging a world-class Womens Sevens event at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

Tickets are now available for the London Sevens on May 12-13, and for the month of March weekend tickets are available from just 20. After that, weekend passes start from 30, single day tickets from 18 and kids tickets at 5 each day. Visit www.rfu.com/tickets or call 0844 847 2492. (Tickets are subject to availability and booking fees apply)