With the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games just around the corner both Japan’s Sevens teams will join the HSBC Sydney 7 as both teams look to gain valuable tournament experience ahead of hosting the pinnacle tournament in Sevens Rugby next year.
Japan Men and Women are coming off impressive performances at the Oceania Sevens Championship in November where Japan Men defeated New Zealand (19-14) and Japan Women accounted for Canada at the invitational arm of the Championship.
The confirmation rounds out the 12 and 16 teams that will respectively compete at the HSBC Sydney 7s in the Women’s and Men’s Championships, that will see sides like the USA, Canada, New Zealand, Fiji and England take on the Aussie 7s sides on home soil for valuable series points.
The tournament will be played at Bankwest Stadium on February 1-2 for the first time as the tournament celebrates its fifth birthday in the Harbour city and further establishes itself as one of the lead tournaments on the global circuit.
Qantas Australian Men’s Sevens Head Coach Tim Walsh said: “We’re really looking forward to playing on our home soil at the HSBC Sydney 7s in February. “Having your home tournament in the first half of the season really excites the team after a long period of slogging it out at training and will be important for us to continue our good pre-season form heading into the Olympics next year.”
Qantas Australian Women’s Sevens Head Coach John Manenti said: “The HSBC Sydney 7s is one of the great joint tournaments on the HSBC Sevens World Series and we always relish playing in front of our home crowd, friends and family.
“We saw Japan Women in action at the Oceania Sevens Championship and they have really improved out of sight as a team.
“They are going to be a team to look out for heading into next year and will no doubt be a fan favourite over the next 12 months.”
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The HSBC Sydney 7s draw will be confirmed after the HSBC Hamilton Sevens in January.
