Ultimate Sevens confirms venues and schedule for inaugural season

The inaugural season schedule for the Ultimate Sevens has officially been unveiled, with the new tournament set to play four weekends of competition in September at venues across Spain, Wales, France and England.

The schedule confirmation comes hot on the heels of an impressive first group of 16 marquee players being confirmed for the tournament earlier this month, which includes some of the biggest names in the HSBC SVNS World Series in Maddi Levi, Manu Moreno, Henry Hutchison and Abbie Brown.

The schedule will see fixtures across all four weeks of September, with the season launching on Saturday, 5th September at the Estadio Ontime Butarque in Leganés, Madrid.

The tournament will also go to established rugby heartlands, with Cardiff Arms Park in Wales hosting the second round on Saturday, 12th September, before Parc des Sports Aguilera, home of Pro D2 side Biarritz, will host the final regular season round the following week.

The series will culminate at Gtech Community Stadium in Brentford, London on Thursday, 24th September, which will see the final fixtures and the inaugural men’s and women’s champions crowned.

With a European focus to its inaugural season, organisers are hoping the tournament can straddle its appeal by going to both established rugby regions and emerging rugby markets on the continent.

“The announcement of our inaugural season feels very special,” Barney Pascall, Managing Director of Ultimate Sevens, said in a statement.

“These four cities?give us an incredible balance of rugby heritage and emerging markets, each a platform to launch a Championship that is fast, global, inclusive and built around the athletes and fans that make sevens so special.

“Our ambition has always been to create something that elevates rugby sevens, celebrates the best players in the world and delivers a live experience that feels fresh, accessible and unforgettable.

“This September, that becomes real.

“The venues have been chosen carefully for their connection to the local communities and their ambition to deliver a first-class experience for fans.

“Making the Championship a place for new and existing rugby fans to access the sport has been part of our ambition from day one.

“We are bringing world-class athletes into brilliant venues, highlighting the true short form version of rugby, a sport born fast.

“We want rugby supporters, young sports fans, families and people looking for an enhanced kind of live sporting experience to feel this is for them.”

More announcements are expected over the next few weeks, with more marquee names set to be confirmed and a player draft to the six teams expected to be confirmed before the end of the month.

2026 Ultimate Sevens Championship schedule:

Saturday 5th September 2026

• Estadio Ontime Butarque, Leganés, Madrid, Spain

Saturday 12th September 2026

• Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff, Wales

Friday 18th September 2026

• Parc des Sports Aguilera, Biarritz, France

Thursday 24th September 2026

• Venue: Gtech Community Stadium, Brentford, London, UK