IRB Rugby Sevens

About

Rugby sevens is a variant of Rugby union in which teams are made up of seven players, instead of the usual 15, with shorter match.

Many sevens tournaments have a competition for a cup, a plate, a bowl, and a shield, allowing many teams of different standards to avoid leaving empty handed.

Sevens tournaments are traditionally known for having more of a relaxed atmosphere, than fifteen-a-side games

Fans frequently attend in fancy dress, and entertainment is put on for them.

The main differences between Sevens and regular rugby are as follows:

• Seven players per team on field (instead of 15).
• Five substitutes, with only three interchanges (instead of 7 and 7).
• Seven minute halves, though ten minute halves are allowed in the final of a competition (instead of forty minute halves).
• One minute half-time, two minutes in finals (instead of ten minutes).
• Matches drawn after regulation are continued into extra, in 5-minute periods.
• All conversion attempts must be drop-kicked (instead of having the option to place-kick).
• Conversions must be taken within 40 seconds of scoring a try (instead of 60 seconds).
• Three player scrums (instead of eight players).
• Kick-offs: in sevens, the team which has just scored kicks off, rather than the conceding team, as in fifteen-a-side.
• Yellow cards net a 2-minute suspension (instead of 10 minutes).
  • Suspensions are more severe in Sevens than in Fifteens. The team plays a man down for 1/7th of the match instead of 1/8th, and losing 1 man out of 7 opens up more space than 1 man out of 15.
• Referees decide on advantage quickly (where one play usually ends advantage, not true in fifteens).
• In major competitions, there are additional officials present (in-goal touch judges) to judge success of kicks at goals and hence the game is not delayed waiting for touch judges to move into position to judge conversion attempts.

International Sevens Schedule

2010/2011

Dubai - 3-4 Dec 
South Africa - 10-11 Dec 
New Zealand - 4-5 Feb 
USA - 12-13 Feb 
Hong Kong - 25-27 Mar 
Australia - 2-3 April 
England - 21-22 May 
Scotland - 28-29 May

Click image for Wellington sevens website: