World Rugby unveils three-tier SVNS model to fuel sevens' growth

World Rugby has unveiled an evolved competition structure for HSBC SVNS, which has been created to promote long-term financial sustainability and to grow sevens around the world ahead of the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 2028.

Ahead of the winner-takes-all World Championship in Los Angeles from May 3 to 4, the sport’s governing body has announced a new three-level model, which has also been designed to enhance appeal for rugby supporters.

SVNS will expand from 10 to 13 events in 2026 across the three divisions, the top-tier consisting of the eight men’s and women’s sides competing at this weekend’s World Championship. This means HSBC SVNS Division 1 is reducing from 12 to eight sides, played across six events.

LA’s Dignity Health Sports Park will host the World Championship and SVNS Series playoffs on May 3-4. Don’t miss out – buy your tickets HERE.

League Winners Argentina join South Africa, France, Great Britain, Fiji, Spain, Australia and New Zealand as the eight teams in the top men’s division. New Zealand, Canada, Japan, Australia, Great Britain, France, the USA and Fiji are the Division 1 sides in women’s sevens.

There will be six teams per gender in the second division, who will compete across three events, and a standalone Challenger event with eight teams per gender will be the third tier. The third division sides will qualify from regional competitions.

Along with all eight teams from Division 1, four sides from the second tier per gender will qualify for the blockbuster SVNS World Championship Series. This Series will determine the annual world champion across three events.

This model was created after extensive consultation with key stakeholders, and it ensures there is a season-long pathway from regional qualification to the SVNS World Championship Series. Emerging nations will have the opportunity to rise to the top within one year.

“World Rugby is firmly committed to the success of rugby sevens on the road to the LA 2028 Olympic Games and is investing £10 million annually into the SVNS, a large proportion into team participation fees,” World Rugby Sevens General Manager Sam Pinder said in a statement.

“This evolved model provides greater certainty for unions with more events, increased competitiveness, greater pathway opportunities than ever before and most crucially, a financially sustainable event ecosystem which provides a clear pathway for the future for international rugby sevens.

“While change can be difficult, this is an evolution that ultimately secures the sustainable advancement of a sport that has proven to be a hit at the Olympic Games, showcasing some of the most gifted athletes on the planet.

“We are grateful for all the engagement throughout an extensive stakeholder consultation process and now look ahead to an exciting future for the short format of the sport.”

At the upcoming World Championship at Los Angeles’s Dignity Health Sports Park, the sides that finish ninth through to 12ths from the Playoff Tournament will qualify for SVNS 2 in the 2025/26 season. Teams that place 13^th to 16^th will start next season at regional qualifiers.

Download the RugbyPass App to watch exclusive SVNS Series videos and catch up on the latest news you need to know. Download it from the App Store HERE or Google Play.

Men’s pools for SVNS Series World Championship

Pool A: Argentina, South Africa, France, Great Britain

Pool B: Fiji, Spain, Australia, New Zealand

Women’s pools for SVNS Series World Championship

Pool A: New Zealand, Canada, Japan, Great Britain

Pool B: Australia, France, USA, Fiji