The Other World Series Chase: To Stay in the Series
The Other World Series Chase: To Stay in the Series
While an automatic berth in the 2024 Olympic Games is at stake in this year's Sevens World Series, there is something else at stake, too—staying in the circuit.
With news that the Men's and Women's World Series will have the same number of stops and the same number of teams per tournament beginning next season, the men's World Series will have to cut down their core teams from 15 to 12.
So when teams enter the LA Sevens tournament February 25-26 (go here for info on tickets) teams at the upper end of the standings will be under pressure to get that automatic Olympic spot, and teams at the lower end will be worrying about staying in that top 12.
How it Works
Twelve men's teams—Belgium, Brazil, Chile, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Jamaica, Korea, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Uganda, and Zimbabwe—are in the Challenger Series, which will be played over two weekends in Stellenbosch, South Africa.
The winner of that series will join the teams ranked 12th, 13th, and 14th in the Men's World Series at the London 7s in May in a four-team playoff to determine who joins the 12 for 2023-24.
The Women's World Series is already at 12 and so the only major change is that, like the Men's World Series going forward, there won't be a place for an invitational team. (In Dubai the women's invitational team was China, and in Cape Town it was hosts South Africa. In the upcoming tournament in Hamilton, NZ, it will be Papua New Guinea.) So the winner of the Challenger Series will get an automatic promotion to the World Series.
The 12 women's Challenger Series teams are: Belgium, China, Colombia, Czechia, Hong Kong, Madagascar, Mexico, Papua New Guinea, Poland, South Africa, Thailand, and a team from South America.
Who is On the Bubble?
Looking back at the Men's World Series, which is what the LA Sevens is part of this year, six teams are in the conversation when that crucial re-qualification tournament comes along in May. At 15th is Japan, which won the Challenger Series in 2022. Japan has finished 14th or 15th each of the first three tournaments of this season, and are a somewhat distant 15th.
That's not good news for the Brave Blossoms because if you're 15th you don't even get to play in the re-qualification tournament ... you're just back in the Challenger Series for 2024. Despite some significant talent, Kenya sits at 14th after finishing in the bottom five in each tournament, and just ahead of the Lions Canada sits 13th.
Kenya's Home Away from Home is the LA 7s
Spain rounds out that group at 13th. They are all quite close in points:
Spain: 13
Canada: 11
Kenya: 9
Japan: 4
If anyone is able to catch some lightning in a bottle in one tournament or two, they can launch out of this group. Best positioned to make a move in Hamilton is, oddly, Japan. Put into Pool C with the USA, Uruguay, and Ireland, the Japanese could certainly get it together to win two games and get to the quarterfinals. With Spain and Canada in the same difficult Pool D (Argentina and South Africa), and Kenya dealing with Samoa, Fiji, and France, it is Japan that is in the best position.
Oh yes, we mentioned Uruguay. Los Teros and Great Britain are just ahead of that group of four with 20 points each. Uruguay made the Cup Quarterfinals in Cape Town and that was a huge boost to them. After finishing 11th twice Great Britain also made the Top Eight in Cape Town and pulled themselves a little ahead of those bubble teams. But still they have to keep it going. Uruguay could struggled in Hamilton, and Great Britain is in a pool with New Zealand and Australia later this month.
Those two are a full 14 points behind the next team, Ireland, so it really looks like the fight to take that 12th spot in next season's Men's World Series will go down to the six teams we talked about.
All of this is to say that when the LA Sevens rolls around, there will be a ton at stake for these teams. One of them, or more, could well pull off a surprise in LA and get themselves either out of the re-qualifier ranking, or out of 15th, where they don't get a chance.
So when a team wins a pool game and starts celebrating like they've won it all ... this may be why.
