Rugby is back with one of its premier competitions; The Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022. Held in Cape Town, South Africa, the event promises to be jam packed with the best rugby has to offer. Here you can find all you need to know before the competition kicks off in September 2022!
Tournament Structure for Rugby Sevens World Cup
The Rugby World Cup Sevens Championship
The 2022 Rugby Sevens World Cup will take place form the 9th to the 11th of September 2022. Forty teams will compete in South Africa, 24 in the men’s and 16 in the women’s competition. Games are 14 minutes long and teams will often play two games in one day.
The structure remained the same from the previous World Cup in San Francisco – a relatively unorthodox structure for a team sport since all teams enter directly into a straight knock out without a group stage.
In the men’s category eight teams pre-qualify from the previous tournament and start the competition from the Round of 16. The other sixteen teams who qualified from various regional tournaments enter the Pre- Round of 16. Winners of these matches go on to play in the actual Round of 16. The tournament then follows the normal knockout structure from there, with teams advancing to the quarter finals, the semi finals and the final.
The women’s tournament commences with the Round of 16, with four teams qualifying automatically from the previous tournament along with the hosts South Africa also qualifying automatically. The rest works the same way as the men’s tournament.
The Bowl
Surprisingly, teams who loose do not stop there. The teams who are knocked out in the pre-round of 16 enter a secondary tournament called The Bowl.
The Bowl is a knockout tournament which will determine the final positions of the teams from 17th to 24th with winners facing winners and the losers facing losers. The final two games are between the bottom two teams (23rd vs 24th) and the top two teams (18th vs 17th)
The Challenge
The Challenge works in the exact same way as The Bowl but for the teams who loose in the round of sixteen (this includes the women as well) The Challenge is introduced to determine 8th place through to 16th place. These added games really give punters a chance to bet on a whole host of matches.
A total of 84 games will be played throughout the tournament, which is mind blowing for three days. The days are divided as follows.
DateTimeStageMatches
Day 107:45 – 10:45Men’s Championship Cup Pre – Round of 168
Day 111:10 – 18:20Championship Cup Round of 16 (Men & Women)16
Day 207:15 – 08:20Bowls Quarter Final (Men)4
Day 208:50 – 11:55 Challenge Quarter Final (Men & Women)8
Day 212:15 – 13:30Bowl 21/24 Place (Men)
Bowl Semi Finals4
Day 214:05 – 17:30Challenge 13/14 Place
Challenge Semi Finals8
Day 218:05 – 21:45Championship Quarter Finals8
Day 307:30 – 08:45Bowl 23/24 Place
Bowl 21/22 Place
Bowl 19/20 Place
Bowl Final4
Day 309:15 – 12:45 Championship Cup 5/8 Place
Championship Semi Finals8
Day 311:15 – 16:20Challenge 15/16 Place
Challenge 13/14 Place
Challenge 11/12 Place
Challenge Final8
Day 316:30 – 20:10Championship 7/8 Place
Championship 5/6 Place
Championship Bronze Final
Championship Final8
Rugby World Cup Sevens Odds, Betting Tips, Promotions & Predictions
The Rugby World Cup Sevens is set to start on the 9th of September and will last until the 11th of September. The short length of the tournament means that each day will be packed with fixtures so the opportunity for punters is fantastic.
Currently no bookies have published any odds regarding the tournament, however we shall add them here once they are published.
Rugby World Cup Sevens Betting Tips & Predictions 2022
With the tournament se to start in the coming weeks, now is the perfect time to gather all the information you can, to give yourself the best chance of winning big this tournament.
There are a number of favourites for this year’s Men’s Rugby Sevens World Cup, and we’ll go through a few of them here:
South Africa
Hosting the tournament for the first time, South Africa are the reigning Rugby Union World Cup Champions and will be looking to add the Rugby World Cup Sevens to that list as one of the tournaments favourites. The home advantage will also offer a great boost to The Springboks to push them on further into the competition.
New Zealand
The reigning Rugby World Cup Sevens Champions, as well as the most successful side in the history of the competition, The All Blacks will do their best to win the title for the third consecutive edition after defending their World Cup title in 2018.
Fiji
As the only other country to win multiple Rugby Sevens World Cups besides New Zealand, Fiji is not a side to be underestimated. Fiji have also enjoyed recent success winning both editions of the Olympics Rugby sevens tournaments in 2016 and 2022. They will truly be ones to watch.
England
England will certainly be a team with a lot to prove as they attempt to take back the crown after having been losing finalists in the previous two editions, losing both times to New Zealand. The favourites for the women’s tournament are similar with the likes of New Zealand and South Africa being the most likely favourites from bookies perspectives.
However, Australia will be looking to add to their first World cup sevens success in 2009. France is also a strong side, having finished as runners up in the last edition of the tournament. They will be looking to cause an upset and bring the trophy to Europe for the first time.
Rugby Sevens World Cup Betting Promotions 2022
As the Rugby Sevens world cup is one of the biggest events in the world of rugby it’s safe to say that there will be plenty of promotions for the event. These will be updated closer to the tournament.
5 Reasons to Bet on the Rugby World Cup Sevens
The event attracts the biggest names in Rugby sevens
England have a strong men’s side after finishing runners-up in the previous two competitions.
Since games are so short, games are won on smaller margins making for more entertaining and unpredictable matches.
The tournament is short so outright odds can be won in a matter of days
There is a high volume of games per day especially due to The Bowl and The Challenger cups, meaning punters have a great opportunity for accumulators.
Best Betting Sites for Rugby World Cup Sevens Betting
#1
bet365
Winner of our best odds comparisonHuge selection of rugby marketsBet £10 Get £50
18+ Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of bets to value of qualifying deposit. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and Full T&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.org #ad
#2
Paddy Power
Amazing market variety in rugbyWell-known for offering event specific promotionsGreat customer support
18+ New customers only. Place your FIRST bet on any sportsbook market and if it loses we will refund your stake in CASH. Max refund for this offer is £20. Only deposits made using cards or Apple Pay will qualify for this promotion. T&Cs apply. Paddy’s Rewards Club: Get a £10 free bet when you place 5x bets of £10+. Full T&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.org #ad
#3
Coral
Stunning live stream serviceWide amount of bet boosts availableBet £5 get a £20 free bet
18+ New UK+ ROI Customers only. Deposit & Bet min £5 as first bet at minimum odds 1/2 to qualify for 1x £20 Free Bet. Certain deposit methods and bet types excluded. Free bet valid for 7 days, stake not returned. Restrictions apply. Full T&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.org #ad
#4
Ladbrokes
Great, reliable odds Daily odds boost on many sportsAdditional regular price boosts on rugby
18+ New UK+IRE Customers only. Certain deposit methods & bet types excl. Min first 5 bet within 14 days of account reg at min odds 1/2 = 4x 5 free bets. Free bets valid for 7 days, stake not returned. No cashout, restrictions + Full T&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.org #ad
#5
Betfred
Sponsors of The Super LeagueGreat selection of rugby marketsBet boosts regularly feature rugby markets
• New UK customers only. Register using the promo code BETFRED60, deposit, and place first bet of £10+ on Sports (cumulative price Evens+) within 7 days of registration.
• First bet must be on Sports. £20 in Free Bets to be used on Sports, £10 in Free Bets to be used on Lotto, and 50 Free Spins (20p per spin) credited within 48 hours of bet settlement.
• Further £20 in Free Bets credited 5 days after settlement. Bonuses have a 7-day expiry. Payment restrictions apply. SMS verification and/or Proof of I.D and address may be required.
Full T&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.org #ad
Best Rugby World Cup Sevens Betting Sites – Top 5 Ranked
bet365
Paddy Power
Coral
Ladbrokes
Betfred
Betting Sites with Rugby World Cup Sevens Live Streaming
Popular Rugby Sevens World Cup Betting Markets
Outright Betting
A classic for any international tournament, outright betting involves punters picking the tournament winners. With a total of five competitions included; The Bowl (Men’s only), The Challenge and the Championship for both male and female competitions, there are plenty of outright odds to choose from. On an individual basis, punters can vote on Player of the Tournament, Most tries and tournament top scorer.
Match results
As simple as it gets, betting on math results means betting on who will win a particular game, to make it more interesting you can also bet on more details such as final scores or amount of tries in a game.
World Cup Sevens Accumulators
In a tournament with at least 20 games a day, accumulator bets will be a great way for you to win greater pay-outs. The sheer volume of games give you the opportunity to have more fun with your accas. Not sure how to go about it? We’ve got you covered with our accumulator betting guide.
First Try Scorer
This bet is all about the players, picking a first try scorer may be tricky in a sevens match as most players will be able to pull one out of their locker.
History of Rugby Sevens
Rugby Sevens was first played in 1883 by two local butchers as a fundraising tournament for their Rugby team, Melrose RFC. The tournament was well received and became an annual event.
The sport quickly became popular throughout Scotland and in 1886 the first team from outside the Borders (region in south Scotland) won the Melrose Cup.
However, Prior to the creation of the Rugby sevens, certain teams began playing in smaller groups bringing about the collectivist style of play in traditional Rugby Union. The desire for smaller groups was in fact one of the reasons the Rugby League broke away from the RFU (Rugby Football Union).
In the following years Rugby Sevens would spread across the UK and eventually the rest of the Rugby playing world as an alternative for Rugby Union
International Tournaments
The first ever Rugby Sevens tournament to feature national teams was the 1973 International Seven-a-side Tournament, hosted in Scotland and featured 8 teams. Which England won, beating Ireland in the Final.
Following the success of the first two Rugby World Cup editions, it was realised that a World Cup for Sevens was required. The First competition took place in 1993 in Scotland. England emerged victorious for the first and only time in their history beating Australia to be crowned Champions and being awarded the Melrose Cup.
Women’s Rugby World Cup Sevens
In 2009 the first Women’s Rugby World Cup Sevens was played, simultaneously alongside the men’s tournament, this format was kept and both the men’s and the women’s tournament are played together. The inaugural winners of the Women’s game were Australia, beating New Zealand in the Final.
Rugby World Cup Sevens Men
YearChampionRunner UpLosing Semi-FinalistsLosing Semi-Finalists
1993EnglandAustralia FijiIreland
1997FijiSouth AfricaNew ZealandSamoa
2001New ZealandAustralia ArgentinaFiji
2005FijiNew ZealandAustraliaEngland
2009WalesArgentina KenyaSamoa
2013New ZealandEnglandFijiKenya
2018New ZealandEnglandFijiSouth Africa
Rugby World Cup Sevens Women
YearChampionRunner UpLosing Semi-FinalistsLosing Semi-Finalists
2009AustraliaNew ZealandUnited StatesSouth Africa
2013New ZealandCanadaUnited StatesSpain
2018New ZealandFranceAustraliaUnited States
Rugby World Cup Sevens Key Stats
The first World cup game in 1993 was between Fiji and Latvia. Fiji emerging as 42-0 winners.
Hong Kong is the only country to host the competition twice.
New Zealand have won the most world cups both for the men’s and women’s section 3 and 2 world titles respectively.
New Zealand are also the only Country to win the Men’s and Women’s edition in the same year having done so twice in 2013 and 2018.
Madagascar is competing for the first time in any international rugby competition. Represented by the women’s teams.
The tournament is held every four years, all games being contested in one venue.
Similar Tournaments to World Cup Rugby Sevens
27th- 28th August – World Rugby Sevens World Series in Los Angeles. The final location in the World Series tournament. Which is a set of 2 day tournament, the standings of which contribute to a final Standing.
8th October – 12th November – Women’s Rugby Union World Cup, New Zealand. Postponed from 2021 due to Covid 19 the even is now set for 2022.
15th October – 19th November – Rugby League World Cup. Postponed from 2021 the tournament shall be hosted by England and will feature 16 teams.4th February – 18th March 2023 – Rugby Union Six Nations Championship. The tournament is contested by the same six teams in Europe: England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, France and Italy. Held in various locations.8th September – 28th October – Rugby Union World Cup 2023. The 2023 edition will be held in France, this is the premier International competition for Rugby Union.
Upcoming Sporting Events
Vuelta a Espana
19th August – 11th September 2022
US Open
29th August – 11th September 2022
BMW PGA Championship
6th – 11th September 2022
St. Leger Stakes
7th – 10th September 2022
Rugby World Cup Sevens Betting FAQs
ThePuntersPage Final Say
The World Cup Rugby Sevens is the fastest paced tournament in rugby, making it extremely entertaining for both rugby fans and casual sports fans. Making sure you understand the tournament could be crucial to winning stakes.
Articles assigned to ThePuntersPage.com are created by our community of contributors to ensure the most up-to-date and best possible content.