Cape Town - The HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series returns to Cape Town for a fifth straight year this week and has a new addition to an already exciting world-class event.
For the first time ever, Cape Town will host the HSBC Women’s Sevens Series alongside the Men's competition at the Cape Town Stadium this weekend.
It will be the first time the women’s tournament has been held on the African continent.
Featuring 12 teams, the tournament will kick off this Friday 13 December 2019 and will run until Sunday when the South African Women’s Sevens team Imbokodo will be hoping to be among the contenders for the winner’s cup.
"The addition of the Women’s Series means more entertainment for the fans in the stands and more value for their money as they will watch more games than in previous years. We believe this will enhance the reputation and the spectator experience for an already popular event. As the City of Cape Town, we are thrilled to be hosting the Women’s Series in the Mother City, a move we believe will help to elevate the women’s game locally," said Mayco Member for Safety and Security, JP Smith.
Last year, more than 95 000 spectators descended on Cape Town Stadium for the two-day tournament and the economic impact from the 2018 edition is estimated at R150 million.
For some, the World Rugby Sevens Series was an opportunity to showcase their costumes. Pictures: Phando Jikelo/African News Agency (ANA)
The City Council has already approved a new multi-year agreement with the South African Rugby Union, keeping the tournament in Cape Town for the next three years.
"As the City, we understand the tremendous value this event adds to the Cape Town brand as shown by the contribution to the local economy and the agreement illustrates our commitment to partnering with event organisers in playing our role as an enabler. We are proud to be a sponsor and a host city for the Cape Town Sevens," added Smith.
The City has made available a free MyCiTi shuttle for Cape Town Sevens ticket holders. Buses depart from the Civic Centre and Thibault Square stations to the stadium from noon on Friday. The last bus leaves the stadium at 22:15.
The schedule for Saturday and Sunday is as follows:
Saturday
- First bus leaves Civic Centre for Cape Town Stadium at 07:00
- Last bus leaves stadium to the Civic Centre at 22:15
Sunday
- First bus leaves Civic Centre for Cape Town Stadium at 09:00
- Last bus leaves stadium to the Civic Centre at 21:15
Residents and motorists are also alerted to temporary road closures for the event. Details are available here: http://resource.capetown.gov.za/cityassets/Media%20Centre%20Assets/Rugby%20Sevens%202019%20-%20Road%20Restrictions.pdf
Furthermore, the City advises that Cape Town Stadium will operate normally, even if load-shedding continues into the weekend.
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/CapeTown7s?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CapeTown7sand Capetonians came out in their numbers to support the @Blitzboks #CapeTown7s pic.twitter.com/7Wzm588Rmd
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Cape Argus