Olympic gold medal winners and 2015-16 women’s series champions Australia will begin their HSBC World Rugby Women’s Sevens Series 2016-17 campaign against South Africa, following the announcement of the full match schedule for the Emirates Airline Dubai Sevens.
Olympic silver medallists New Zealand, winners in Dubai in 2012 and 2014, begin their Dubai campaign against Ireland and also face France and Fiji. Les Bleues have finished fourth at the last two Dubai events, while Fijiana and Ireland both helped kick-start the 2015 event by upsetting Canada and USA.
Canada, who finished third in the 2015-16 series, start against Brazil in pool C, while England and Spain get the action underway in Dubai with the very first match in either the women’s or men’s competition.
The fifth women’s series will also qualify four teams for Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018 in San Francisco, USA in July 2018. New Zealand, Canada, Spain and USA have qualified by virtue of reaching the semi-finals at RWC Sevens 2013 but the top four nations outside of these in the 2016-17 series will secure their places in the 16-team event.
Pools
Pool A | Pool B | Pool C |
| Australia | New Zealand | Canada |
| USA | France | England |
| Russia | Fiji | Spain |
| South Africa | Ireland | Brazil |
Broadcast
All WSWS tournaments will be broadcast on the Women’s Sevens World Series TV. Note that there may be some geo-blocking due to your location.
USA viewers can potentially watch on NBC or The Rugby Channel.
Hashtag
We’ll be using #Dubai7s, join the conversation!
Results
We will be updating our Twitter and Facebook and each event page (details below) with full results and updates.
Schedule & Results (LOCAL TIME)
Date | Time (UAE) | Home | Score | Away | Score | Competition |
| 12/1/2016 | 12:00 PM | England | 31 | Spain | 7 | Pool play |
| 12/1/2016 | 12:22 PM | Canada | 26 | Brazil | 19 | Pool play |
| 12/1/2016 | 12:44 PM | France | 14 | Fiji | 21 | Pool play |
| 12/1/2016 | 1:06 PM | New Zealand | 27 | Ireland | 5 | Pool play |
| 12/1/2016 | 1:28 PM | USA | 12 | Russia | 10 | Pool play |
| 12/1/2016 | 1:50 PM | Australia | 38 | South Africa | 5 | Pool play |
| 12/1/2016 | 2:56 PM | England | 28 | Brazil | 7 | Pool play |
| 12/1/2016 | 3:18 PM | Canada | 27 | Spain | 7 | Pool play |
| 12/1/2016 | 3:40 PM | France | 24 | Ireland | 14 | Pool play |
| 12/1/2016 | 4:02 PM | New Zealand | 19 | Fiji | 10 | Pool play |
| 12/1/2016 | 4:24 PM | USA | 7 | South Africa | 26 | Pool play |
| 12/1/2016 | 4:46 PM | Australia | 20 | Russia | 7 | Pool play |
| 12/1/2016 | 5:53 PM | Spain | 21 | Brazil | 5 | Pool play |
| 12/1/2016 | 6:15 PM | Canada | 24 | England | 12 | Pool play |
| 12/1/2016 | 18:37 | Fiji | 17 | Ireland | 17 | Pool play |
| 12/1/2016 | 6:59 PM | New Zealand | 30 | France | 0 | Pool play |
| 12/1/2016 | 7:21 PM | Russia | 19 | South Africa | 14 | Pool play |
| 12/1/2016 | 7:42 PM | Australia | 19 | USA | 10 | Pool play |
| 12/2/16 | 9:00 AM | New Zealand | 39 | South Africa | 0 | Cup QFs |
| 12/2/16 | 9:22 AM | Canada | 7 | Russia | 17 | Cup QFs |
| 12/2/16 | 9:44 AM | Fiji | 17 | England | 19 | Cup QFs |
| 12/2/16 | 10:06 AM | Australia | 42 | France | 0 | Cup QFs |
| 12/2/16 | 11:52 AM | Spain | 22 | Brazil | 7 | Challenge Trophy SFs |
| 12/2/16 | 12:14 PM | USA | 5 | Ireland | 28 | Challenge Trophy SFs |
| 12/2/16 | 12:36 PM | South Africa | 12 | Canada | 19 | 5th/6th SFs |
| 12/2/16 | 12:58 PM | Fiji | 31 | France | 12 | 5th/6th SFs |
| 12/2/16 | 1:28 PM | New Zealand | 24 | Russia | 5 | Cup SFs |
| 12/2/16 | 1:50 PM | England | 10 | Australia | 31 | Cup SFs |
| 12/2/16 | 3:02 PM | Brazil | 17 | USA | 26 | 11th/12th |
| 12/2/16 | 3:24 PM | South Africa | 5 | France | 31 | 7th/8th |
| 12/2/16 | 3:46 PM | Canada | 14 | Fiji | 17 | 5th/6th |
| 12/2/16 | 4:25 PM | Spain | 12 | Ireland | 14 | Challenge Trophy Final |
| 12/2/16 | 4:50 PM | Russia | 17 | England | 14 | Bronze Final |
| 12/2/16 | 5:15 PM | New Zealand | 17 | Australia | 5 | Gold Final |
Standings | HSBC Women’s Sevens World Series 2016 – 2017
Series Stops | HSBC Women’s Sevens World Series 2016-2017
Dubai: 1-2 December, 2016
Sydney: 3-4 February
Vegas: 3-5 March
Kitakyushu: 22-23 April
Victoria/Langford: 27-28 May
Clermont-Ferrand: 24-25 June
It appears at first blush that mixing the 15’s team with the 7’s team at the OTC has not had any short term success. The 15’s team experienced two losses to France and the 7’s team just finished second last in Dubai. It will be amusing to read the spin that Steinberg places on this performance. Steinberg will make a blanket statements like “they need to play more rugby”, that “they need to be involved in more tackles.” It is evident by the results that both teams suffered in skill and fitness. They have now played more rugby but the results have declined. Is it the players or the system?
Thanks for the comment. We’re wondering when is rock bottom and changes will be made in both courts? Will it take us performing so badly that we’re dropped as a core team in the 7s circuit? Will we be satisfied with getting 5th again at the WRWC?
We hope not but fear that the “we’re trying out new combinations” is the common ruse we’re being fed. Other unions are vetting new players but their performance isn’t suffering.
You also have to mention funding in all of this…when will we adequately fund our women’s programs?