World Rugby Postpones Rugby Sevens In London and Paris

World Rugby has today announced its response measures to COVID-19, which include the postponement of the Rugby Sevens Series in London and Paris.

In a statement from Sir Bill Beaumont on Friday, the organisation also said the the World Rugby Hall of Fame (located in Rugby, UK) will be closed until the end of May in line with public health authority directives.

The statement said the decisions were reached after detailed and constructive dialogue with the respective host and participating unions, and “with the wellbeing of the global rugby family at heart”.

The following rugby events have been postponed:

• The men’s HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series tournaments in London and Paris will be postponed, provisionally until September
• The women’s HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series tournament in Langford has been postponed until later in the year
• The final men’s HSBC World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series event has been postponed until later in the year
• Some Rugby World Cup 2021 and 2023 regional qualifying events have been postponed

In addition, the following event has been cancelled:

• The World Rugby U20 Championship 2020, scheduled to be hosted in northern Italy in late June and July, has been cancelled following detailed consultation with the Federazione Italiana Rugby

The Olympic Games Repechage qualification tournament scheduled for June is under review and World Rugby continues to be in close consultation with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) regarding the implications for the qualification process in the event that the Repechage is unable to be hosted due to the COVID-19 outbreak, said the statement.

These latest decisions follow previously confirmed postponements of the Hong Kong and Singapore rounds of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series and women’s HSBC World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series event in Stellenbosch, South Africa.

They have been taken in line with the relevant government and public health authority advice.

Ticket holders should access the following links for more information:

Langford ticket holders information
London ticket holders information
Paris ticket holders information

World Rugby Chairman Sir Bill Beaumont said: “We stand in solidarity with the global rugby family and people around the world at this exceptional and difficult time, and I will ensure we continue do everything in our power to protect the wellbeing of the global rugby family and the wider public.”

Meanwhile, all World Rugby staff based in its Dublin headquarters have been working from home for more than a week in line with the Irish Government directive regarding gatherings, while all non-essential business travel has been suspended until at least 29 March.