Cape Town 7s 2019 to Take Place 13-15 December

Cape Town will host the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series this weekend, the first time the city has hosted both the men’s and women’s competitions.

Following a successful Emirates Airline Dubai Rugby Sevens last weekend, where South Africa’s men and New Zealand’s women were victorious, the Cape Town 7s will be the second round on the men’s series and the third on the women’s.

South Africa captain, Siviwe Soyizwapi, said, "We’ve said that we will leave what happened in Dubai, in Dubai. We have another tournament coming this weekend so the focus will be on the recovery and getting back to 100 per cent. The atmosphere is always electric and the fans always come out each and every day, so there’s going to be a big buzz and we get goose bumps every time we run onto the field."

As the 16th location to host a women’s event since the series began in 2012-13, Cape Town will provide South Africa’s women with their first opportunity to play in front of a home crowd as they prepare to take to the field as the invitational side.

Their captain Zintle Mpupha is looking forward to the challenge that lies ahead. "Preparation has gone well over the past few weeks and we are just happy to get going and are focusing on ourselves – that’s the most important thing. The girls are very excited," she said. "It will be the first time for the team playing in front of a huge crowd, especially a home crowd as it’s something that has never happened to us and it means a lot to us to play in front of them. Walking out there on Friday is going to be a huge honour."

In the men’s competition, Japan will once again join the 11 core teams as the invitational side as they continue their preparation for Tokyo 2020 after qualifying automatically as host nation.

They will face defending series and Cape Town champions Fiji, who shocked fans last weekend after failing to make the Cup quarter-finals in Dubai for the first time in the 21-year history of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series round in the desert.

All men’s and women’s teams will play one pool match on Friday with the two remaining matches played on Saturday with the knockout stages bringing the curtain down on the tournament on Sunday.

The action gets underway at 14:00 local time when Olympic champions Australia take on England in the women’s competition.

Rugby pictures: Pictures from 2019 Cathay Pacific / HSBC Hong Kong Sevens, Pictures from 2018 Cathay Pacific / HSBC Hong Kong Sevens, Pictures from 2017 Cathay Pacific / HSBC Hong Kong Sevens, Pictures from 2016 Cathay Pacific / HSBC Hong Kong Sevens, Pictures of Cathay Pacific / HSBC Hong Kong Sevens 2015, Pictures of the Asia Rugby Sevens Olympic Games Qualifier in Hong Kong, Pictures of Singha Thailand Sevens 2015, Pictures from the 2013 British & Irish Lions Tour in Hong Kong, Pictures of Hong Kong Sevens 2014, Pictures of Hong Kong Sevens 2013, Pictures of Chartis Cup 2012 and Pictures of Cathay Pacific / HSBC Hong Kong Sevens 2012.

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