Cape Town Sevens has been one of the most iconic fixtures in the SVNS World Series. Thousands of South Africans flock to the stadium, but behind the scenes questions loom surrounding the survival of the Sevens format. Rio 2016 was the first time ever that rugby Sevens was included as a sport in the Olympics.
South Africa walked away with a bronze medal in the inaugural tournament with the likes of Kwagga Smith and Cheslin Kolbe participating. Fast forward nine years, as Cape Town concluded its leg of the World Rugby HSBC SVNS Series, and the sustainability of the Sevens format is being called into question. The Blitzboks pulled off a miraculous victory over Argentina on Sunday 7 December 2025 to become back-to-back champions in the Mother City.
However, the celebration was enjoyed in front of sparse crowds as only a total of 68,124 spectators were in attendance, down from 75,000 in 2024 and 80,000 in 2023. The decline in spectators is just one visible indicator of an ailing system. However, there are many facets contributing to this, including erratic restructuring, and financial and developmental concerns.
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The SVNS World Series has undergone a new structure; a third restructure in five years, as previously reported byDaily Maverick. The restructuring has left a “bad taste” in the mouths of players and fans. The original 10-tournament structure in 10 major cities has been tweaked, creating a “convoluted and confusing” spectacle.
The Sevens circuit has expanded from 10 tournaments to 13, with three divisions that culminate into a three-event World Championship. The top eight teams for both men and women automatically go through to the World Championship. Meanwhile, Division 3 is a standalone, regional tournament.
The top two teams from each gender progress to Division 2 where a total of six teams will battle it out for the last four spots of the season finale. What a mouthful. World Rugby claims the new tournament format is a way to increase competitiveness while cutting down on costs to ensure the financial sustainability of Sevens.
While World Rugby establishes this new way forward, some Sevens teams are struggling to keep pace with the changes. In May 2025, the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) cut their men’s Sevens programme, citing financial constraints. In their 2023/24 financial year, the union suffered a loss of €18-million, roughly R350-million.
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