List of women's rugby sevens competitions explained

See also: Women's international rugby union and Women's international rugby union results summary. Rugby sevens – a short form of the sport of rugby union – was first played in 1883, with the first (men's) internationals taking place in 1973. As women's rugby union developed in the 1960s and 1970s the format became very popular as it allowed games, and entire leagues, to be developed in countries even when player numbers were small, and it remains the main form the women's game is played in most parts of the world.

However, although the first Women's international rugby union 15-a-side test match took place in 1982, it was not until 1997 before the first 7-a-side internationals were played, when the Hong Kong Sevens included a women's tournament for the first time.

Over the next decade the number of tournaments grew, with almost every region developing regular championship. This reached its zenith with the first Women's Sevens World Cup in 2009, shortly followed by the announcement that women's rugby sevens will be included in the Olympics from 2016. In 2011/12 the IRB organised three official women's challenges tournaments in Dubai, Hong Kong and London. After the success of these events an annual IRB Women's Sevens World Series was launched from the start of the 2012/13 season.

The following is a list of all women's international tournaments that have been traced since 1997, listed chronologically with the earliest first, with links to result details, where known. If two tournaments are run concurrently the apparently more senior will be listed first.

Some tournaments include both club and national teams, and these are only included where the majority of teams are International. Occasionally what are effectively national teams play unofficially under an assumed name – these games are also noted where this is known.

The summary section looks at each region in turn and attempts to draw some conclusions about the relative strengths of the participants. This is a little flawed due to the absence of some results and information as well as the inclusion of non-international teams to make up the numbers but should give the best guess available.

1997

Hong Kong Sevens

1998

Carib International Sevens (Exhibition game)

YC&AC Invitational Womens Sevens Tournament

March 28nd 1998

Winners New Zealand

Competitors: Japan1 Japan 2, New Zealand, World Invitational team,

1999

Hong Kong Sevens

2000

Asian Championship

Hong Kong Sevens

YC&AC International Womens Sevens Tournament

April 1th 2000

Winners New Zealand

Competitors: Japan, New Zealand, World Invitational team, USA

Jamaica vs Cayman Islands

2001

Asian Championship

Hong Kong Sevens

YC&AC International Womens Sevens Tournament

April 7th 2001

Winners New Zealand

Competitors: Japan, New Zealand, World Invitational team, USA

2002

Whangarei tournament

Asian Championship

Hong Kong Sevens

2003

Lomai tournament

[6]

Whangarei tournament

Asian Tournament

Hong Kong Sevens

European Tournament

South Pacific Games

2004

CAR North Tournament

Hong Kong Sevens

South America Tournament

Rwanda v Burundi

Asian Tournament

European Tournament

Training Tournament (Central Europe)

2005

CAR North Tournament

Hong Kong Sevens

Asian Tournament

European Qualification Tournament

FIRA Women's European Championship

CAR African Sevens

Cancelled for financial reasons

Training Tournament (Central Europe)

NAWIRA Tournament

South America Tournament

Valentin Martinez International Tournament

2006

USA Tournament

Asian Championship

CAR North Tournament

CAR South Tournament

Hong Kong Sevens

Emerging European Nations

FIRA-AER European Championship – Division A

FIRA-AER European Championship – Division B

CAR African Championship

Friendly Games

NAWIRA Tournament

2007

South America Tournament

USA Tournament

CAR North Tournament

CAR South Tournament

T-EN Tournament

Hong Kong Sevens

Asian Championship

Emerging European Nations

FIRA-AER European Championship – Division B

FIRA-AER European Championship – Division A

FIRA-AER European Championship – Top 10

CAR African Championship

T-EN League

South East Asia Sevens[11]

Borneo Sevens[12]

NAWIRA Tournament

Pacific Tournament

Dubai Tournament

South East Asia Games[13]

Classification Stages

Semi Finals

NationWonDrawnLostForAgainst
Thailand30011812
Singapore2017714
Laos1022088
Cambodia0030101

3rd/4th Match (bronze medal)

Final (gold and silver medal)

2008

South American Tournament and World Cup Qualifier

USA Sevens

Emerging European Nations

Hong Kong Sevens

World Cup Pre-Qualifier (Europe)

Amsterdam Sevens 2008

London IRB (Men's) Sevens 2008 (Exhibition game)

[14]

World Cup Pre-Qualifier (Europe)

Home Nations Cup 2008

At: Edinburgh[15] 1 June 2008.

One Off Match – Zambia 2008

Madrid Sevens – 2008

FIRA AER Top 16 and World Cup Qualifier

International Tournament – Reunion 2008

NationWonDrawnLostForAgainst
South Africa4001825
France3011645
Madagascar1124774
Reunion11236116
Mayotte0040219

Oceania World Cup Qualifier

T-EN Central European Tournament

African World Cup Qualifier

Asian World Cup Qualifier

T-EN Central European Tournament

North America/Caribbean World Cup Qualifier

Friendly Sevens at Brno 2008

Japan Demonstration Game 2008

Asian Development Tournament

Dubai Tournament

Nelson Mandela Bay Tournament 2008

FIRA Warm Up Tournament 2008[18]

2009

Rwanda Burundi Festival 2009

South American Tournament

Málaga Sevens 2009

Minor Nations Training 2009

IRB Sevens World Cup

F-EN (Central European) Tournament

F-EN (Central European) League

Hong Kong Sevens

Europe Emerging Nations

Asian Championship

CAR North West

FIRA-AER European Tournament – Division B

Roma Sevens 2009

Reunion Tournament 2009

At: Réunion 20 June 2009Participants: Winners, runners up, third, unknown,

France results:

F-EN (Central Europe) Finals

FIRA-AER European Tournament – Division A

FIRA-AER European Tournament – Top 10

Banc ABC Tournament, Zimbabwe[20]

Shanghai Sevens 2009[21]

CAR African Tournament

Borneo Sevens 2009

Bangkok Sevens 2009

NACRA Caribbean Tournament

Dubai Tournament

East Asian Games 2009

Group Games

Classification Stages

Semi Final

Plate Final

Final

European Emerging Nations

2010

South American Games

USA Tournament

European Emerging Nations

Hong Kong Sevens

Emerging Nations Camp

F-EN League

St Lucia v Guadeloupe

FIRA-AER European Tournament – Division A

FIRA-AER European Tournament – Division B

Amsterdam Sevens

CAR North West

Roma Sevens 2010

Carcassonne Sevens

FIRA-AER European Tournament – Top 10

Asian Championship

NACRA Sevens Championship

Cortina Sevens

Castle Sevens

Friendly Cup (Coupe de l'Amitié)

Pool 1 positions

  1. Ukraine I
  2. Romania
  3. Lithiania
  4. Lviv regional team

Pool 2 positions

  1. Moldova
  2. Hungary
  3. Poland
  4. Ukraine II

Hungarian results:

Asia Pacific Sevens

BancABC Sevens

Singapore Sevens

Group A

NationWonDrawnLostForAgainst
Japan200417
Hong Kong101??
India002??

Play-offs

Group B

NationWonDrawnLostForAgainst
Singapore200870
Malaysia101??
Indonesia002??
Semi finals

Plate Final

Final

Asian Games

Malta v Tunisia[27]

F-EN League

Dubai Sevens[28]

2011

South American Championship

USA Tournament

Hong Kong Sevens

CAR North

F-EN League

Emerging Nations Camp

St Lucia v Guadeloupe

F-EN League

Amsterdam Sevens

Portugal v Brazil

Roma Sevens

ScrumQueens.com Elite Sevens

Pool A

Pool B

Semi-final

Final

FIRA-AER European Tournament – Division 3

La Réunion Sevens[30]

Pool A

Pool B

Plate semi-finals

Plate final

Semi-finals

Final

FIRA-AER European Tournament – Division 2

FIRA-AER Tournament 2010 – Top 12

Prague Sevens

Only international fixture: 7–31

Shanghai Sevens

Pool

Semi-finals

Third place

Final

Castle Sevens

Pool

Final

Pacific Games

Piotrowice Nyskie International Rugby Festival

Asia Pacific Sevens

Asian Championship

Friendly Cup (Coupe de l'Amitié)

Only limited details available:[31]

CAR South

Torneo Internacional de Elche[32]

Pool

NationWonDrawnLostForAgainst
Spain2104532
Netherlands2016219
France1113336
Portugal0033477

3rd/4th

Final

Singapore Cricket Club International Rugby 7s Tournament[33]

Pool matches

Semi-Finals

3rd Place (Plate)

Final

Safaricom Sevens[34]

Final

NACRA Sevens Championship

IRB Women's Sevens Challenge Cup

Dubai Women's International Inivitational

2012

Spain v Netherlands

Martinique Sevens[36]

Tournoi Guyane-Antilles

International women's tournament:

USA Tournament

Portugal v Spain

Netherlands in Botswana & South Africa

Swiss International tournament

Day one

Day two

South American Championship

IRB Women's Challenge (Hong Kong)

European Emerging Nations

St Lucia triangular

IRB Challenge: London Sevens

Roma Sevens

Amsterdam Sevens

Silver Pier

Women's shield

Benidorm Sevens

European World Cup Qualifier: Group A

European World Cup Qualifier: Group B

European Women's Sevens Series: Round 1

European Women's Sevens Series: Round 2 and WC Qualifier

Harare Sevens

Oceania World Cup Qualifier

Prague Sevens

Only international: Austria 19–12 Czech Republic

Piotrowice Nyskie International Rugby Festival

No international fixtures. Austria finished third.

NACRA World Cup Qualifier

Asia Pacific Sevens

Shanghai Sevens

International results:

Safari Sevens 2012

International results:

African World Cup Qualifier

Asian World Cup Qualifier

Tournoi International rugby 7 féminin

NationWonDrawnLostForAgainst
England50012820
France3027538
Netherlands3027255
Spain3024755
France A1035253
Germany0057163

Bowl

Plate

Cup

Guangzhou Sevens

Group A

NationWonDrawnLostForAgainst
USA3001475
China20111136
Philippines10224116
Singapore00524129

Quarter-finals

Plate Semi-finals

Semi finals

Group B

NationWonDrawnLostForAgainst
South Africa30011412
Kazakhstan2017528
China II1026150
Thailand0030155

7th–8th place

Plate final (5th–6th)

3rd–4th place

Final

Valencia Sevens

IRB Women's Sevens World Series

Dubai Sevens Women's Invitational Tournament

Seven de la Republica

Havana Sevens

No results known. Cuba beaten in the final.

Guatemala exhibition

2013

Women's Sevens World Series (USA)

Spain v France

A joint training camp, with two internationals being played:

USA Sevens

South American Championship and World Cup qualifier

Alicante Sevens

Group A

Semi-finals

5th/6th place

Group B

3rd/4th place

Final

Hong Kong

IRB Women's Sevens World Series: China

African Sevens

London Sevens

Amsterdam Sevens

IRB Women's Sevens World Series

Women's Shield

European Championship: Group B

European Championship Series: Top 12, Round 1

European Championship: Group A

European Championship Series: Top 12, Round 2

IRB Sevens World Cup

Asian Championship Round 1

Middelburg Sevens

Mainly club teams. Only internationals:

Belgium v Netherlands

Three training games, all won by Netherlands

Oceania Championship

Germany v Netherlands

Four training games:

Asian Championship Round 2

Valentine Martinez

NACRA Championship

Souston Sevens

POOL 1

NationWonDrawnLostForAgainst
England300760
French Universities2017821
Germany1024550
Netherlands A003562

7th Place

5th Place

POOL 2

NationWonDrawnLostForAgainst
France3007014
Netherlands 12017831
Ireland1023846
Tunisia0035100

3rd Place

Final

Bolivarian Games

IRB Women's Sevens World Series

2014

Mar del Plata Sevens

Copa Mesoamericana

Venue: Guatemala, 25 January 2014[37]

Rainforest Sevens

Final Standing1 – Colômbia – qualified for Central American and Caribbean Games – Veracruz 20142 – Peru (invited)3 – Venezuela – qualified for Central American and Caribbean Games – Veracruz 20144 – Costa Rica5 – El Salvador6 – Nicarágua7 – Panamá

Women's Sevens World Series (USA)

Women's Sevens World Series (Brazil)

Athens Sevens

NationWonDrawnLostForAgainst
Russia5001780
Romania40110832
Israel3027964
Malta2037086
Bulgaria10458122
Greece0055194

Semi-finals

5th/6th place

3rd/4th place

Final

Hong Kong

IRB Women's Sevens World Series: China

African Sevens

Stanislas Sevens

Amsterdam Sevens

IRB Women's Sevens World Series

Women's Shield

Centrale Sevens

European Championship Series: Top 12, Round 1

European Championship: Group A

European Championship Series: Top 12, Round 2

European Championship: Group B

Asian Championship Round 1

IRB Women's Sevens World Series Qualifier

Group A

NationWonDrawnLostForAgainst
30013014
2017333
1022692
003595

Group B

Nation Won Drawn Lost For Against
2 0 1 111 19
2 0 1 82 33
2 0 1 64 50
0 0 3 0 146

Plate Semi Finals (5th–8th)

7th/8th Match

Plate final: 5th/6th Match

Group C

Nation Won Drawn Lost For Against
3 0 0 33 10
2 0 1 60 14
1 0 2 33 61
0 0 3 29 60

Bowl Semi Finals (9th–12th)

11th/12th Match

Bowl final:9th/10th Match

Quarter-finals (1st–8th)

Cup Semi Finals (1st–4th)

3rd/4th place

Cup Final: 1st/2nd place

European U18 Championship

Asian Games

Oceania Championship

Asian Championship Round 2

Valentine Martinez

Souston Sevens

POOL 1

NationWonDrawnLostForAgainst
England Chariot30055*5*
Ireland2015536
Spain1022662
Wales00319*52*

7th Place

5th Place

POOL 2

NationWonDrawnLostForAgainst
France300910
England TW32017614
Spain B1021767
Tunisia00312115

3rd Place

Final

2015

Mar del Plata Sevens

Day One:Pool A

NationWonDrawnLostForAgainst
Argentina200655
Chile1011751
Paraguay0021036

Pool B

NationWonDrawnLostForAgainst
Venezuela3004622
Columbia2015317
Uruguay1024122
Peru0031291

Day Two:Championship pool (top two qualify for PanAm)

NationWonDrawnLostForAgainst
Argentina3006110
Columbia2013217
Venezuela1021536
Chile003552

5th/7th play-off pool

Paraguay 38 Peru 5Paraguay 10 Uruguay 0Uruguay 26 Peru 7

Women's Sevens World Series (Brazil)

Women's Sevens World Series (USA)

Women's Sevens World Series (Canada)

Pacific Games

Pan Am Games

IRB Women's Sevens World Series Qualifier

Group A

NationWonDrawnLostForAgainst
3006924
2016429
1025241
00317108

Group B

Nation Won Drawn Lost For Against
3 0 0 77 17
2 0 1 65 29
1 0 2 26 58
0 0 3 7 71

Plate Semi Finals (5th–8th)

7th/8th Match

Plate final: 5th/6th Match

Group C

Nation Won Drawn Lost For Against
3 0 0 87 10
2 0 1 119 17
1 0 2 52 83
0 0 3 0 150

Bowl Semi Finals (9th–12th)

11th/12th Match

Bowl final:9th/10th Match

Quarter-finals (1st–8th)

Cup Semi Finals (1st–4th)

3rd/4th place

Cup Final: 1st/2nd place

Elche Sevens

Day One

Day Two

NationWonDrawnLostForAgainst
France50015119
Great Britain40118631
Spain30210064
Ireland20310971
Portugal1047398
Alicante0050272

Women's Rugby Sevens rankings

Unofficial Women's Seven Rugby World Rankings
November 2013, 25th
RankChange*TeamPoints
15574
25424
31 5285
41 5261
55225
65092
75077
82 4727
94721
102 4715
111 4714
122 4569
132 4568
141 4273
152 4266
163888
173385
183332
191 3191
203 3134
211 2953
221 2837
2331 2818
242 2726
251 2655
265 2630
271 2598
283 2551
292 2456
3011 2332
313 2192
323 2152
333 2123
345 1903
353 2062
363 2012
363 2012
383 1969
3913 1948
404 1916
414 1909
424 1904
436 1895
444 1886
4529 1849
464 1795
474 1761
484 1750
491 1699
505 1698
514 1690
526 1650
535 1605
5411 1570
554 1540
5612 1532
5714 1525
582 1503
596 1482
6010 1477
616 1472
625 1397
635 1376
642 1351
656 1343
661 1330
677 1286
687 1252
696 1270
693 1270
717 1252
729 1194
7311 1165
745 1162
753 1084
763 1082
772 1014
782 1009
792 1004
802 948
812 903
822 902
831 838
841 820
85772
86755
87611
881 605
8913 549
902 455
913 549
9218 499
933 493
943 455
952 430
962 418
962418
982 404
992 372
992 372

Sources

The sources for each individual tournament entry are listed individually above. Most of the information has come from the websites of various nations which has also been contributed to by news reports. If only one source is listed then it should be considered the primary source. The listings are also checked by members of various rugby discussion fora.

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: First "official" women international in the Caribbean . 6 January 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160304083415/http://www.ttrfu.com/mrDetails.aspx?id=383 . 4 March 2016 . dead .
  2. Web site: Cayman RFU. https://archive.today/20120721143834/http://www.caymanrugby.com/competitions/women/women-move-in-contact. 21 July 2012. 9 July 2011. live.
  3. Web site: Archived copy . 2011-05-22 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120324131542/http://web.usarugby.org/cgi-bin/viadesto/press/display.pl?releaseId=54 . 24 March 2012 .
  4. Details of the Invitation team are not known
  5. USA won another 2 matches that are not mentioned here (Final record W4, D1, L2)
  6. (Source Fiji Rugby)Mainly a club tournament in Fiji, the Fiji team took the opportunity to help some of their players make the transition from touch to contact. The USA also played thus warranting inclusion in the main list. The tournament saw USA 3rd and Touchdown 1st. What leads to confusion is that an exhibition match was played with mostly Touchdown players bolstered by two from the runners up (QVSOB). This appears to be considered the national Fiji team. USA are then described as Champions although the last match appears to have had little to do with the tournament.
  7. Although more properly this was actually the Fiji touch team playing contact.
  8. (Source Fiji Union)
  9. Web site: Latest News : Friends of Rwandan Rugby . 2013-01-06 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110623060618/http://www.friendsofrwandanrugby.org.uk/default.aspx?m=da&id=109568 . 23 June 2011 .
  10. (Source Austria Union)
  11. It appears that this was a regional tournament only rather than for the whole of Asia. There is also some doubt over the South Korean team and it is possible that this was a club side. (Source Peoples Daily)
  12. (Source Sabah Union)
  13. A round robin competition followed by semi finals and a final (and bronze medal match) was planned.(Source SEA Games) Summarised
  14. Shown live on TV via the BBC interactive service, commentary by Nigel Starmer-Smith. Due to the coverage, a lot of information was recorded.
    NationSquad
    Chanel Huddleston • Selica Winiata • Tate (?) • Baker • Anna Richards • Ngahuri Thomas • Blackledge • Peter Joseph (Coach)
    Claire Allan (Saracens) • Emma Layland (Richmond) • Joanne Yapp (Worcester) • Susan Day (c) (Wasps) • Danielle Waterman (Clifton) • Alice Richardson (Richmond) • Heather Fisher (Wasps) • Sarah Marsh (Wasps) • Gemma Sharples (Worcester) • Sonia Green (Saracens) • Simon Amor (Coach) • Mike Friday (Assistant)• Paul March (Trainer)

    Subs

    1st Half

    • NZ Blood sub – probably Mcgregor, came on for Richards

    2nd Half

    • NZ – McGregor for Richards, Unknown for Huddlestone
    • Eng – Sharples on for Unknown, Sarah Marsh on for Unknown

    Tries

    NZ kicked off

    1st Half

    • ENGLAND try – Layland, from 5m line out, converted by Richardson 7–0
    • NEW ZEALAND try – Winiata, long range attack, conversion missed by Richards 7–5

    2nd Half

    • NEW ZEALAND try – Thompson, open play led to a shortrange penalty, taken quickly, conversion missed by Winiata 7–10
    • ENGLAND try – Sharples, short KO by NZ resulted in FK, numerous players involved in long range attack, conversion by Richardson 14–10

    Referee: Bruce Robertson

  15. This tournament was held at Edinburgh on the Murrayfied back pitches (whilst the finale of the IRB circuit was ongoing). (Sources SRU and RFUW)
  16. (One source lists this as "a win by more than 45 points")
  17. Whilst a club tournament, Italy and Spain also took part (a Portugal VII did not have official status). The two nations met in the final
  18. Spain and France took part along with French Universities and French South Selection. All teams played each other (both national teams beating the two French extra teams) followed by a third place match and a final.
  19. Amidst a number of men's and youth matches, Rwanda and Burundi are believed to have played a game of sevens.
  20. This appears to have been part of a tournament including Zimbabwe and Zambia "A" teams. Invites may have gone to Namibia and Botswana.
  21. A women's "showcase" was held during the first stop on the new Asian Seens circuit. Initially China, Japan, Hong Kong and Guam were expected to participate but this appeared to reduce to just China and Guam playing four games
  22. http://stluciastar.com/content/archives/13337
  23. Web site: Magyar Rögbi Szövetség .
  24. The Pangolins are the main Zimbabwe women's sevens team
  25. http://www1.herald.co.zw/inside.aspx?sectid=4402&cat=5 Match report
  26. After sudden death extra time
  27. Web site: Women's Rugby: Tunisia too strong for Malta | MaltaToday . 13 November 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110722223128/http://maltatoday.com.mt/sports/rugby/women-s-rugby-tunisia-too-strong-for-malta . 22 July 2011 . dead .
  28. Web site: Fixtures | Emirates Airline Dubai Rugby Sevens . 2010-11-27 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20101130064712/http://www.dubairugby7s.com/teams-and-results/2010/2010fixtures.aspx?code=iw . 30 November 2010 .
  29. http://stluciastar.com/content/archives/20503
  30. Web site: Elvérine Eraude est décédée à l'âge 104 ans. Clicanoo.re.
  31. Web site: Magyar Rögbi Szövetség .
  32. Web site: FEDERACION ESPAÑOLA RUGBY - La DH y LIGA IBERDROLA. https://web.archive.org/web/20111104233317/http://www.ferugby.com/index_n.php?maqueta=NTCA&id_noticia=3259&imagen_cab=img%2Ftt_noticias.jpg. 4 November 2011. ferugby.
  33. Web site: Macoocoo - Home. www.macoocoo.com.
  34. http://safarisevens.kenyarfu.com
  35. This is the first official IRB women's sevens tournament apart from the World Cup Sevens, and was intended to become part of a full IRB International Women's Sevens Series starting with the 2012–13 season.
  36. Web site: CT Rugby Guyane . 16 February 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120226035036/http://www.rugby-guyane.com/ . 26 February 2012 . dead .
  37. Web site: Guatemala festejó el título en la Copa Mesoamericana de rugby femenino. https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/vUx2sluzkrQ . 2021-12-21 . live. www.youtube.com.
  38. Fiji, China, France and SA qualify for Series . International Rugby Board . 13 September 2014 . 15 September 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140913101405/http://wsws.irb.com/news/newsid=2072928.html#fiji+china+france+sa+qualify+series . 13 September 2014 . dead .