Why Ultimate Sevens’ marquee group is a huge win for rugby sevens

Since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, the world of Sevens rugby has changed considerably, with new formats, tiered tournaments, and a world calendar designed to increase cross-pollination between the short and long formats of rugby.

The recent conclusion of the World Championship and the promotion of several SVNS 2 sides suggest that the format changes have a good opportunity to bear fruit quickly, turning sevens into another viable pathway players can use to achieve higher honours.

The success of the likes of the Hong Kong Sevens and Dubai Sevens (and even the likes of the Nairobi leg of SVNS 2) also suggests the event-like nature of the circuit can also be incredibly lucrative.

However, if there is any further indication that the new calendar of sevens rugby has the makings of huge success down the track, it is the cropping up of tournaments like Ultimate Sevens and the Rugby Premier League, and the talent it is drawing.

The first group of marquee players for Ultimate Sevens Season One is impressive; from Aussie 7s stars Maddison Levi and Henry Hutchison to Spain’s Manu Moreno, to SVNS 2 talent that impressed such as Brazil’s Thalia Costa.

The fact these are the first names announced; the starting point, without a single game being played, speaks volumes.

It shows that the rejigging over the last few years has not only turned the SVNS Series into a destination for rugby’s highest talent, but also shows it as a stepping stone to other successes.

Frankly, this can’t come soon enough.

Maddi Levi, for example, is now one of the most recognisable faces in Australian rugby, and her name at the Ultimate Sevens shows to the validity the tournament already has.

This increasing validity of sevens has been helped by the cross-pollination of established 15s talent going over and finding success in the shorter format, with France’s Antoine Dupont and Australia’s Michael Hooper being notable examples.

It opened up the idea that each format has skills to benefit the other, something that has previously not been explored as much – and it turns out, the skillset sevens players bring is making them highly desirable in a rapidly expanding off-season.

Sevens players could soon have the choice to not only jump over to the longer format, but play the shorter format year-round.

That’s not to say there isn’t benefit in playing 15s for those players, as evidenced by the likes of Jeremy Trevithick playing for Spain in the World Nations Cup, or a multitude of sevens stars playing in Georgia in the U20s World Championship.

Ultimate Sevens is, of course, not the only World Rugby-certified tournament outside of the SVNS Series, with India’s Rugby Premier League substantially upping its international contingent in its second season last month, also introducing a women’s competition.

Then, there is the likes of the Taiyo Seimei Sevens in Japan, which is also welcoming more international talent as well across its four weekend schedule.

Many of these tournaments are still in their infancy in terms of building support, but signs of their success are showing, with one of the biggest joys of the Rugby Premier League being how well the local Indian stars combined with the marquee players.

Add in regional sevens tournaments worldwide for talent coming through the ranks, and it paints a rosy picture for sevens. The chance to travel, the options available, and more.

Should Ultimate Sevens prove successful when its first iteration kicks off in September, it is well placed to serve as the final marquee event of the off-season, fitting perfectly into the calendar before the national sides regather for the SVNS Series in November.

It paints a positive future for sevens rugby as an alternative pathway to success in the world game, a different format with a profile, something even the likes of football don’t have an equivalent of.

A lot of eyes will be on the Ultimate Sevens when it kicks off – and judging by who will be taking the field, there will be a lot to gain for global rugby at large should it prove successful.