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SYDNEY has snatched the Sevens World Series tournament away from Gold Coast and will host the popular rugby event for the next four years including 2016 when the sport will feature at the Rio Olympics.
In a major boost to rugby in Sydney the state government’s tourism arm Destination NSW successfully outbid traditional hosts Gold Coast for the Sevens, which will be staged at Moore Park’s Allianz Stadium just months before the Olympics.
The “Sydney Sevens” is predicted to lure a big crowd of locals and travellers over a weekend of action, as fellow circuit events in Hong Kong, Wellington and Twickenham regularly do.
The Sevens World Series, now in its 16th year, features nine tournaments around the world, with points accumulated in each before the overall winner is crowned.
ARU chief executive Bill Pulver said: “We are thrilled to be able to bring Rugby Sevens to Sydney. We truly believe that Sydney has the potential to match the excitement surrounding tournaments like Hong Kong, Twickenham and Wellington in terms of event experience and crowd numbers.
“Sydney is an iconic city known across the world for its cultural diversity, outdoor lifestyle and stunning tourist attractions. It is a terrific fit for an event that traditionally attracts an audience from a variety of different nationalities and backgrounds.
“There is little doubt the area in and around Moore Park lends itself to Rugby Sevens. We had a stadium record crowd at Allianz Stadium in June with plenty of exciting Test rugby on the field, and wonderful off-field entertainment at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
“Growing rugby, particularly the Sevens format of our game, is critical to the long-term sustainability of rugby as we strive to ignite passion in the next generation of players and fans. Globally, the game is in an exciting spot with Rugby Sevens part of the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 program.”
http://www.news.com.au/sport/sydney-...-1227254737871
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