Seven's World Cup 2022/23

The Rugby World Cup Sevens is a global rugby union tournament organized by World Rugby. It stands as the premier standalone world championship for the sevens format, distinct from the 15-a-side Rugby World Cup and the Olympic Games. Founded in 1993 at Murrayfield in Edinburgh, the event was established to promote the compact variant of the sport internationally. The inaugural edition saw England defeat Australia to claim the first title. Historically, the competition served as a primary pathway for nations seeking qualification for the Olympic Games.

The men's tournament traditionally featured 24 teams, while the women's category included 16 participants. The structure typically involved a group stage followed by knockout rounds for various cups, including the Championship, Plate, Bowl, and Challenge. Top-seeded men's teams received a bye to the quarter-finals, whereas lower-ranked sides played a pre-round of 16. The women's competition usually began directly with the round of 16. The event operated on a quadrennial cycle from its inception until 2013, after which it resumed in 2022 in Cape Town, South Africa.

Fiji and New Zealand are the most successful men's nations in the competition's history. Fiji secured titles in 1997, 2005, and 2022, while New Zealand won in 2001, 2013, and 2018. In the 2022 final, Fiji defeated New Zealand 29–12 to become the reigning champions. The highest-scoring final in the tournament's history occurred in 2005, when Fiji beat New Zealand 29–19, resulting in 48 total points scored. Access to the event relies on regional tournaments and World Rugby rankings rather than a promotion or relegation system.

In January 2025, World Rugby announced the discontinuation of the standalone Rugby World Cup Sevens. The governing body stated that future world champions would be determined by the winner of the annual HSBC SVNS series. Consequently, the 2026 edition planned for Santiago, Chile, was cancelled. This shift marks the end of the traditional format that had defined the global sevens landscape for three decades.