THE highly anticipated Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games rugby sevens competition will kick off on the opening morning of the Games with teams taking to the pitch at Coventry Stadium from 9.30am.
A strong line-up involving the top teams and best men’s and women’s players in the world are ready to showcase the speed, skill and end-to-end drama of rugby sevens to a huge global audience in what promises to be an exhilarating three days of competition, culminating in the medal matches on Sunday, July 31.
Remaining tickets are available for some sessions, including the opening day, starting at just £8 for under-16’s and £15 for adults. Fans should visit www.birmingham2022.com for details.
Double men’s Olympic champions Fiji will face stiff competition from reigning Commonwealth title holders New Zealand, HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series leaders South Africa and hosts England among many other potential medallists.
New Zealand will be aiming to retain the women’s title they won four years ago but the Olympic champions will have to overcome Australia, who claimed the World Series title earlier this year and an impressive Fiji who were Olympic bronze medallists in Tokyo last year.
England’s men will take on Samoa and Sri Lanka on the first day, with the big clash against New Zealand set to take place in the morning session of Saturday, July 30.
The women’s side will also face Sri Lanka on the first day and then Canada in the second session on July 29, before they also face New Zealand during the third session of the competition.
World Rugby Chairman Sir Bill Beaumont said: “The stage is set for what promises to be a scintillating three days of Commonwealth Games rugby sevens competition at Coventry Stadium.
“Fans will have the chance to witness the very best players in the world as four of the six medal winning teams from the Olympic Games in Tokyo are competing in the Commonwealth Games.
“I would urge rugby fans not to miss the chance to experience the dynamic, thrilling drama of rugby sevens live, with its unique spirit and famous festival atmosphere.”
England women’s Captain Abbie Brown said: “With it being a home tournament, you can sense the excitement and the build-up increasing.
“So many friends and family members are coming to watch which is brilliant for Team England.
“There’s a real buzz around it for us as a squad with the aim of going out and achieving gold. We’re all working hard to prepare for Birmingham 2022.
“We’re all hugely honoured to go out there and represent Team England.”
England men’s player Jamie Adamson added: “Preparations are going really well. We’ve had an intense training block over the last few weeks and the boys and staff have worked really hard adding that extra level of detail to our game that’s going to put us in the best position to perform at the weekend.
“There’s a big buzz amongst the squad heading into the weekend and we’re really fortunate to be representing England on such a special occasion at a home Commonwealth Games.
“The support has been immense so far and we can’t wait to put on a performance in front of the home crowd at full noise.”
