Rugby Union 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.
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.
No tournaments
Cancelled for financial reasons
Semi Finals
| Nation | Won | Drawn | Lost | For | Against |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thailand | 3 | 0 | 0 | 118 | 12 |
| Singapore | 2 | 0 | 1 | 77 | 14 |
| Laos | 1 | 0 | 2 | 20 | 88 |
| Cambodia | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 101 |
3rd/4th Match (Bronze Medal)
Final (Gold and Silver medal)
Venue: Austria, 21–24 March 2008 Winner: Finland = Participants: Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Finland, Hungary, Luxembourg, Poland, Serbia
At: Edinburgh[13] 1 June 2008.
POOL A
| Nation | Won | Drawn | Lost | For | Against |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Africa | 4 | 0 | 0 | 182 | 5 |
| France | 3 | 0 | 1 | 164 | 5 |
| Madagascar | 1 | 1 | 2 | 47 | 74 |
| Reunion | 1 | 1 | 2 | 36 | 116 |
| Mayotte | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 219 |
At: Réunion 20 June 2009 Participants: Winners France, runners up Pretoria University, third Réunion, unknown Mayotte, Madagascar
Group Games
Classification Stages
Semi Final
Plate Final
Final
Pool 1 positions
Pool 2 positions
Hungarian results:
Group A
| Nation | Won | Drawn | Lost | For | Against |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | 2 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 7 |
| Hong Kong | 1 | 0 | 1 | ? | ? |
| India | 0 | 0 | 2 | ? | ? |
Play-offs
Group B
| Nation | Won | Drawn | Lost | For | Against |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Singapore | 2 | 0 | 0 | 87 | 0 |
| Malaysia | 1 | 0 | 1 | ? | ? |
| Indonesia | 0 | 0 | 2 | ? | ? |
Semi finals
Final
Pool A
Pool B
Semi-final
Final
Pool A
Pool B
Plate semi-finals
Plate final
Semi-finals
Final
Only international fixture: Czech Republic 7-31 Austria
Pool
Semi-finals
Third place
Final
Pool
Final
Only limited details available[29]:
Pool
| Nation | Won | Drawn | Lost | For | Against |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | 2 | 1 | 0 | 45 | 32 |
| Netherlands | 2 | 0 | 1 | 62 | 19 |
| France | 1 | 1 | 1 | 33 | 36 |
| Portugal | 0 | 0 | 3 | 34 | 77 |
3rd/4th
Final
Pool matches
Semi-Finals
3rd Place (Plate)
Final
Final
Some national sides (especially from lower ranking nations) occasionally play in what would otherwise be club sevens tournaments, and this can occasionally result in "inter-nationals" if more than one nation is present. However, such tournaments rarely receive widespread coverage, and the status of the teams playing in such tournaments can be unclear. Examples of such tournaments include:
See here for a summary of all women's sevens results, by nation, and current international rankings.
| Year | Teams | Format | Known Participants | Cup Winners | Plate Winners | Bowl Winners | Group Winners | Number of Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 12 | 2 groups (2 x 6) | New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Fiji, England, USA, Netherlands, Japan, Hong Kong, Scotland, Arabian Gulf, Singapore | New Zealand | Australia | Netherlands | New Zealand, USA | 39 |
| 1999 | 11 | 4 groups (3x3, 1x2) | New Zealand, England, USA, Australia, China, Singapore, Arabian Gulf, Hong Kong, Samoa, Japan, Russia | New Zealand | Samoa | New Zealand, USA, Australia, England | 19 | |
| 2000 | 12 | 2 groups (2x6) | New Zealand, Hong Kong, Samoa, Wales, Thailand, Arabian Gulf, USA, Australia, Singapore, Japan, Netherlands, Kazakhstan | New Zealand | Kazakhstan | Japan | New Zealand, Australia | 39 |
| 2001 | 10 | 2 groups (2x5) | New Zealand, Samoa, Sweden, Japan, Kazakhstan, USA, England, Australia, Netherlands, Hong Kong | New Zealand | Australia | Hong Kong | New Zealand, USA | 28 |
| 2002 | 8 | 2 groups (2 x 4) | New Zealand, USA, Hong Kng, Arabian Gulf, Thailand, Kazakhstan, China, Japan | New Zealand | Kazakhstan | Arabian Gulf | New Zealand, USA | 20 |
| 2003 | 8 | 2 groups (2x4, 1 made up solely of Asian qualifiers) | New Zealand, USA, England, Fiji, Kazakhstan, Hong Kong, Arabian Gulf, Thailand | New Zealand | Kazakhstan | Fiji (Shield - Arabian Gulf) | New Zealand, Kazakhstan (Asian group) | 24 |
| 2004 | 10 | 2 groups (2 x 4) | New Zealand, USA, Kazakhstan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Australia, China, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Japan (Macao, Hong Kong Barbarians) | New Zealand | Kazakhstan | USA | New Zealand, USA | 35 |
| 2005 | 8 | 2 groups (2 x 4) | New Zealand, Australia, USA, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, China, Thailand | New Zealand | USA | China (Shield - Hong Kong) | New Zealand, Australia | 20 |
| 2006 | Possibly 16 | Unknown | New Zealand, Australia, USA, Netherlands, Kazakhstan, China, Japan, Thailand, Singapore, Guam, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka | New Zealand | USA (as 3rd) | Netherlands (as 5th) | Unknown | Unknown |
| 2007 | 12 | 4 groups (4x3) | New Zealand, Australia, USA, Kazakhstan, China, Japan, Thailand, Hong Kong, Singapore, Canada, Papua New Guinea, Arabian Gulf | New Zealand | USA | Kazakhstan (Shield - Thailand) | New Zealand, USA, Australia, China | 28 |
| 2008 | 12 | 4 groups (4x3) | USA, Kazakhstan, China, Japan, Thailand, Hong Kong, Singapore, Canada, Papua New Guinea, Arabian Gulf, France, Netherlands | USA | France | China | USA, Canada, France, China | 28 |
| 2009 | 10 | 2 groups (2x5) | China, Japan, Thailand, Hong Kong, Singapore, Arabian Gulf, Papua New Guinea, Tunisia, Guam, Australia |
| Year | Teams | Format | Known Participants | Cup Winners | Plate Winners | Group Winners | Number of Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 North | Unknown | Unknown | Tunisia, Montpellier | Unknown | Unknown | ||
| 2005 North | Unknown | Unknown | Tunisia, Montpellier | Unknown | Unknown | ||
| 2006 North | Unknown | Unknown | Tunisia, Montpellier | Unknown | Unknown | ||
| 2006 South | Unknown | Unknown | Uganda | Unknown | Unknown | ||
| 2006 CAR | 8 | 2 groups (2x4) | South Africa Emerging, Kenya, Zambia, Uganda, Uganda Select, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Burundi | South Africa Emerging | Zambia | South Africa Emerging, Uganda | 18 |
| 2007 South | Unknown | Unknown | Uganda | Unknown | Unknown | ||
| 2007 North | 5 | 1 group (1x5) | Tunisia, Ivory Coast, Arabian Gulf, Uganda, Tunisian Universities | Tunisia | Tunisia | 10 | |
| 2008 South and WCQ | 8 | 2 groups (2x4) | Tunisia, Uganda, South Africa, Kenya, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Uganda A (Ivory Coast and Madagascar late drop outs) | South Africa | Zambia | Tunisia, South Africa | 20 |
6 Asian tournaments have been held (including the World Cup qualifier). As mentioned above there has been some overlap with the Hong Kong tournament in many years. Other sub-regional tournemtns are recorded as it is expected they will continue. Most of the teams have taken part in all the tournaments. In early years Kazakhstan were the leaders but they have been caught up with by China, Thailand and Japan (who missed a few tournaments). Singapore and Hong Kong are probably next.
| Year | Teams | Format | Known Participants | Cup Winners | Plate Winners | Group Winners | Number of Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 6 | 2 groups (2 x 3) | Japan, Kazakhstan, Singapore, Thailand, Arabian Gulf, Hong Kong | Kazakhstan | Hong Kong, Kazakhstan | 7 | |
| 2001 | 7 | 1 group (1 x 4) with prelim round | Japan, Kazakhstan, Singapore, Thailand, Arabian Gulf, Hong Kong, China | Kazakhstan | China (KO won by Japan, Hong Kong, Kazakhstan) | 13 | |
| 2003 | 10 | 2 groups (2x5) | Kazakhstan, Singapore, Thailand, Arabian Gulf, Hong Kong, China, Kyrgistan, HK Barbarians, Sri Lanka, Uzbekistan | Kazakhstan | Singapore | Kazakhstan, Hong Kong | 30 |
| 2005 | 9 | 2 groups (1x5, 1x4) | Kazakhstan, Singapore, Thailand, Arabian Gulf, Hong Kong, Japan, Sri Lanka, Uzbekistan, China | Kazakhstan | China | Kazakhstan, Singapore | 25 |
| 2006 | Unknown | Unknown | China | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | |
| 2007 | 9 | 2 groups (1x5, 1x4) | Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Kazakhstan, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Uzbekistan, Arabian Gulf (China may have withdrawn) | Kazakhstan | Thailand (Bowl - Hong Kong, Shield - Uzbekistan) | Unknown | Unknown |
| 2007 South East | 5 | Unknown | Singapore, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, South Korea (club side?) | Thailand | Laos | Unknown | Unknown |
| 2007 South East Games | 4 | 1 group (1x4) | Singapore, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia | Thailand | Laos (3rd) | Thailand | 10 |
| 2008 and WCQ | 9 (11) | 3 groups (3x3) | Singapore, Thailand, Japan, Taiwan, China, Arabian Gulf, Sri Lanka, Kazakhstan, Hong Kong, (2 HK Selects) | Japan | China (Bowl - Hong Kong) | Kazakhstan, China, Thailand | 19 |
Whilst Europe has a vast amount of tournament history, this in itself makes rankings quite difficult. The draw of a tournament can often have an impact on the placings and it is clear that whilst there are a number of top teams that many of the teams below are at a very similar level to each other - evidenced by the success of those teams in the Emerging competitions going on to do well at the next level.
The top level of Europe has seen a total of 23 teams compete in the five tournaments. Spain, France, Portugal and Sweden have played in all five. England, Netherlands and Italy have played in four, having missed only the first tournament. Of the teams playing in three, Switzerland and Belgium played in the first three but have now slipped away. Wales and Russia have played in the last three. The Czech Republic have uniquely played in every other tournament for a total of three. Of the teams with one or two appearances these have been mainly in the early days or in the years when there have been 16 teams in the top level.
England have the best record (X-1-2-2-1) with Spain (1-2-5-3-4), Netherlands (X-3-3-7-2) and France (2-5-6-1-5) following close behind. These four nations account for 13 of the 20 top-four positions. The other top-four positions have gone to Switzerland (3-10-15-X-X), Sweden (4-4-7-8-9), Wales (X-X-1-4-7), Russia (X-X-9-9-3) and Ireland (X-X-4-5-X). The other regular contenders are Portugal (5-7-8-10-10) and Italy (6-10-6-6).
When including the tournaments below the top level, an impressive 35 nations have competed in the various tiers of the European tournaments (as well as a some national seconds, combined teams and age teams). The tiering has helped those nations that were over-exposed to the top level in 2003 to attain their correct level. Czech Republic and Finland both managed to play in the 2008 Emerging before coming through qualifiers to reach the top-level tournament in 2008.
| Year | Teams | Format | Known Participants | Cup Winners | Plate Winners | Shield Winners | Group Winners | Number of Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 FIRA | 10 | 2 Groups (2×5) | Spain, Switzerland, Belgium, Norway, Czech Republic, France, Portugal, Sweden, Croatia, Bulgaria | Spain | Portugal | Czech Republic | Spain, France | 29 |
| 2005 Emerging | 12 | 2 Groups (2×6) | Austria, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Israel, Germany, Poland, Russia, Norway, Hungary, Malta, Czech Republic, Czech Republic II | Russia | Unknown | Israel | Unknown (probably Germany and Russia) | Unknown |
| 2005 FIRA | 10 | 2 Groups (2×5) | England, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Switzerland, Netherlands, Sweden, France, Italy, Croatia | England | France | Croatia | England, Netherlands | 29 |
| 2006 Emerging | Unknown | Unknown | Hungary and probably similar to 2005 | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | ||
| 2006 FIRA A | 16 | 4 groups (4×4) | England, Wales, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Czech Republic, Netherlands, France, Lithuania, Belgium, Ireland, Sweden, Russia, Norway | Wales | Spain | Russia (Belgium won 13th) | England, Spain, Netherlands, Ireland | 48 |
| 2006 FIRA B | 10 | 2 groups (2×5) | Romania, Bulgaria, Israel, Bosnia-Herzogovina, Luxembourg, Andorra, Poland, Malta, Hungary, Austria | Romania | Israel | Austria | Andorra, Romania | 29 |
| 2007 Emerging | 8 | Unknown | Finland, Czech Republic, Poland, Croatia, Austria, Bulgaria, Bosnia, Czech Republic/Poland II | Finland | Austria | Unknown | Unknown | |
| 2007 B | 12 | 2 groups (2×6) | Malta, Finland, Denmark, Hungary, Serbia, Bosnia-Herzogovina, Austria, Moldova, Israel, Luxembourg, Latvia, Barbarians (Slovakia and Georgia withdrew) | Finland | Denmark | Serbia | Austria, Malta | 42 |
| 2007 A | 12 | 2 groups (2×6) | Switzerland, Belgium, France U-20, Romania, Croatia, Czech Republic, Lithuania, Germany, Andorra, Norway, Bulgaria, Poland | France U20 | Belgium | Czech Republic | France U20, Lithuania | 42 |
| 2007 Top 10 | 10 | 2 groups (2×5) | Spain, Wales, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, France, England, Netherlands, Russia, Sweden | France | Ireland | Russia | France, Spain | 29 |
| 2008 Emerging | 10 | 2 groups (2×5) | Finland, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Serbia, Luxembourg, Croatia, Poland, Austria, Hungary, Bosnia and Herzogovina (Romania and Switzerland planned) | Finland | Croatia | Finland, Poland | 29 | |
| 2008 WCQ | 12 | 2 groups (2×6) | Finland, Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania, Serbia, Slovenia, Romania, Israel, Croatia, Austria, Georgia, Bosnia and Herzogovina | Romania | Latvia | Serbia | Romania, Finland | 42 |
| 2008 WCQ | 12 | 2 groups (2×6) | Andorra, Moldova, Norway, Malta, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Germany, Czech Republic, Poland, Belgium, Denmark, Hungary | Germany | Malta | Switzerland | Germany, Moldova | 42 |
| 2008 Home nations | 3 | 1 group (1×3) | England, Scotland, Wales | England | England | 6 | ||
| 2008 Top 16 | 16 | 4 groups (4×4) | Russia, France, Portugal, Czech Republic, England, Germany, Sweden, Andorra, Spain, Netherlands, Italy, Wales, Finland, Romania, Israel, Moldova | England | France | Sweden (Andorra) | England, Spain, Russia, Italy | 48 |
The 4 tournaments in the region have been very different - USA took part in the first but not Canada, neither the second, both sent development teams to the next and then the addition of World Cup Qualifying saw both their full teams in the last. USA and Canada have dominated the region and Canada seem to be just ahead. Jamaica are the next best placed.
| Year | Teams | Format | Known Participants | Cup Winners | Plate Winners | Group Winners | Number of Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 7 | 1 group (1x7), no classification | USA, Trindad & Tobago, Jamaica, Guyana, St Vincent, St Lucia, Barbados | USA | USA | 21 | |
| 2006 | 6 | Unknown | Barbados, Jamaica, Guyana, Trinidad & Tobago, St. Lucia, St. Vincent | Jamaica | Unknown | Unknown | |
| 2007 | 4 | 1 group (1x4, played twice) | USA Developing, Canada Development, Jamaica, Guyana (Trindad and Tobago withdrew) | Canada Development | Canada Development | 12 | |
| 2008 and WCQ | 8 | 2 groups (2x4) | USA, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Bermuda, Canada, Jamaica, Barbados, Cayman Islands (St Vincent and Grenadines late drop out) | Canada | Jamaica | USA, Canada | 24 |
Sevens have been limited in the region although New Zealand have dominated the Hong Kong event. Australia have also been regulars at the latter with Fiji, Samoa and papua New Guinea also appearing. The first tournament was a true regional tournament but the addition of World Cup qualifying saw New Zealand and Australia join the next where they dominated. Australia beat New Zealand but the lack of tournaments make it difficult to assess their ranking. Fiji appear to be the next best.
| Year | Teams | Format | Known Participants | Cup Winners | Plate Winners | Group Winners | Number of Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 4 | 1 group (1x4) | Fiji, Samoa, Niue, Papua New Guinea | Fiji | Papua New Guinea | Fiji | 8 |
| 2008 WCQ | 5 | 1 group (1x5) | Australia, New Zealand, Niue, Fiji, Samoa | Australia | Australia | 14 |
6 tournaments have been held to date (the fourth also being a World Cup qualifier). Of these seven participants have featured in all six with only Paraguay having missed one. Brazil have won all six tournaments, their strongest challengers being Venezuela and Argentina, and more recently Colombia. The overall placings (top four) have been Brazil 1-1-1-1-1-1, Venezuela 2-3-3-3-3-6, Argentina 4-2-4-2-2-4, Colombia 3-4-2-5-5-2, with Uruguay probably next best (4th in 2008 and 2009 and 3rd in 2010). Brazil are by far the top ranked side. The other placings tend to depend on the draw.
| Year | Teams | Format | Known Participants | Cup Winners | Plate Winners | Group Winners | Number of Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 8 | 2 Groups (2x4) | Brazil, Colombia, Paraguay, Uruguay, Venezuela, Argentina, Chile, Peru | Brazil | Uruguay | Brazil, Venezuela | 20 |
| 2005 | 8 | 2 Groups (2x4) | Brazil, Colombia, Paraguay, Uruguay, Venezuela, Argentina, Chile, Peru | Brazil | Chile | Brazil, Venezuela | 20 |
| 2007 | 8 | 2 Groups (2x4) | Brazil, Colombia, Uruguay, Venezuela, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Chile Invitation | Brazil | Chile | Brazil, Colombia | 20 |
| 2008 | 8 | 2 Groups (2x4) | Brazil, Colombia, Uruguay, Venezuela, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Paraguay | Brazil | Colombia | Brazil, Uruguay | 20 |
| 2009 | 8 | 2 Groups (2x4) | Brazil, Colombia, Uruguay, Venezuela, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Paraguay | Brazil | Colombia | Brazil, Argentina | 20 |
| 2010 | 8 | 2 Groups (2x4) | Brazil, Colombia, Uruguay, Venezuela, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Paraguay | Brazil | Chile | Brazil, Argentina | 20 |
One tournament has been held. The first saw a lot of teams meeting for the first time and some intriguing statistics. Of the four group winners only one (New Zealand) progressed to the cup semi finals. The eventual winner (Australia) lost a pool game resulting in second place in the group. Whilst the ranking of the teams in the tournament is one of fact and record there are some anomalies due to the knock out process. Some clarity over the world rankings can be drawn, as well as the relative strengths of the regions.
| Year | Teams | Format | Known Participants | Cup Winners | Plate Winners | Bowl Winners | Group Winners | Number of Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 16 | 4 groups (4 x 4) | France, England, Spain, New Zealand, Australia, Uganda, USA, Canada, Brazil, Italy, Netherlands, Thailand, China, Japan, South Africa, Russia | Australia | England | China | France, England, Spain, New Zealand | 41 |
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.
| Nation | Squad |
|---|---|
| New Zealand Aotearoa Maori | Chanelle (?) Huddlestone, Selica Winiata, Tate (?), Baker, Anna Richards, Ngahuri Thomas, Blackledge, (Coach) Peter Joseph |
| England | 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), (Coach) Simon Amor, (Assistant) Mike Friday (Trainer) Paul March |
1st Half
2nd Half
NZ kicked off
1st Half
2nd Half
Referee: Bruce Robertson
