The movable feast that is the fast, frantic, ferocious — and, let’s face it, more fun — younger sibling of the XVs game is back once more and it’s undergone a facelift.

In a bid to extend the sport yet further, and capture even more far-flung imaginations, the HSBC SVNS will expand to three divisions, 13 tournaments and involve 48 teams across every corner of the earth … and we’re here for it.

Three-Tier Try-Fest

The days of 16, or even 12, nations dining indefinitely at the top table of the global sevens game are numbered, with a multi-tiered, meritocratic, jeopardy-laden format unveiled for the foreseeable.

Eight men’s and eight women’s teams will battle it out in Division 1, across six global events. These include the traditional HSBC SVNS Series opener in Dubai, with Cape Town, Singapore, Australia and Vancouver continuing to play starring roles. And, this year, for the sport that never rests… the city that never sleeps – New York has been pinned to the HSBC SVNS map for the first time.

These six tournaments will pave the seeded way to the three-event World Championships, starting with jewel in the SVNS crown, Hong Kong; then breaking ground in Valladolid, Spain, before ending up in Bordeaux in June, as the Series makes a triumphant return to France.

But that’s not the complete picture..

At the same time, 12 Division 2 and 16 Division 3 nations will be battling it out elsewhere on the planet.

In January, a Division 3 standalone Challenger event involving eight men’s and eight women’s teams will take place to determine promotion to Division 2. Qualification to Division 3 will have initially been earned through regional tournaments, which will further extend the sports reach and profile among developing nations.

The Division 3 champions will have little time to celebrate before hopping on a plane to lock horns with another eight seves nations in Division 2 across February and March. 

The likes of USA, Kenya, Uruguay, China — and more — make up a heavyweight undercard, who are more than capable of landing a knockout blow to one of the HSBC SVNS Big Guns come the World Championships. But first, they’ve got to get there…

With the addition of the promoted Division 3 teams, 12 teams (six men’s and six women’s sides) will play for the right to grace the pitches at Hong Kong, Valladolid and Bordeaux, where they will mix it with the best in the business. 

Three Division 2 tournaments will unfold with the best four men’s and women’s teams joining Division 1 in the winner takes all World Championship Series. 

Complicated, yes... Compelling? You bet.

So why the complexity? Why the change? Let’s break it down to the fun-loving fundamentals — the stuff the fans actually care about.

The underdog tale

The ecosystem is now structured in a way that a Division 3 nation could, with back-to-back promotions and a World Championship run, win the whole thing, having started at the bottom of the pile.

Promotion and relegation

Every match in every tournament matters. There are no free passes. If you want to be in it, you have to win it – the essence of competitive sport.

Making memories

For the events themselves, the reduced number of teams at the top make for more streamlined events, making the action easier to follow, condensing the drama that unfolds across an HSBC SVNS weekend, without compromising the off-field party.

So grab your sunnies, rev your engines and get ready for the global ride of a lifetime. No matter the continent, no matter the month, The Travelling HSBC SVNS Circus is coming to a city near you.