The Fiji Rugby Union has expressed its interest to host an IRB 7s leg in the 2015/2016 series and to host the 2018 Rugby World Cup 7s.
The International Rugby Board has confirmed an unprecedented level of interest in hosting elite international Rugby Sevens events, underscoring the enormous global appeal of the newest Olympic sport.
As the expression of interest deadline closed last Friday, 25 Unions including Fiji formally confirmed to the IRB their interest in hosting a round of the Sevens World Series from the 2015/16 season.
Fourteen of the Unions are also interested in hosting the Rugby World Cup 7s in 2018.
The IRB said there has also been an increase in interest at national and local government level, which has made Sevens hosting more accessible in both established and developing Rugby markets.
The deadline for tender submissions for Unions interested in hosting Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018 is December 5th, 2014 with IRB Council selecting the winning bid at its May 2015 meeting.
The deadline for formal tender submissions for hosting a Sevens World Series tournament is set for June 27, 2014 and the 2015/16 Series hosts will be selected by the IRB in October 2014.
The full list of Unions that have expressed an interest to tender for IRB Sevens World Series 2015/16 is: Fiji, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, England, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Kenya, Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Russia, Scotland, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, USA and Wales.
The list of Unions that have expressed an interest to tender for Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018 is: Fiji, England, France, Hong Kong, Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Scotland, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, United Arab Emirates, USA and Wales.
Story by: Vijay Narayan
