- Match schedule confirmed for Commonwealth Games 2022 rugby sevens competition with one week until kick-off
- Opening session will see host nation England take on Samoa in the men’s tournament and Sri Lanka in the women’s competition
- New Zealand who won both gold medals at Gold Coast 2018 will face Sri Lanka (men) and Canada (women) in their opening matches
- All pool matches to be held on 29 and 30 July with semi-finals, play-offs and medal matches to be played on Sunday, 31 July
- Coventry Stadium will host the action with tickets starting at just £8 for under 16s and £15 for adults, available from birmingham2022.com
Hot on the heels of the pools announcement, Birmingham 2022 has released the Commonwealth Games match schedule for the rugby sevens competition which will be held from 29-31 July at Coventry Stadium in England.
Gold Coast 2018 gold medallists, New Zealand will face Sri Lanka in their first match in the men’s competition and Canada in the women’s competition. In the second session of the day they will take on Samoa (men) and Sri Lanka (women).
England’s men will take on Samoa and Sri Lanka on the first day, with the big clash against New Zealand set to take place in the morning session of Saturday, 30 July. The women’s side will also face Sri Lanka on the first day, plus they will play Canada in the second session on 29 July, before they also face New Zealand during the third session of the competition.
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Scotland’s opening matches are against Tonga (men) and Fiji (women) and the women will also face Australia in the evening session on 29 July with the men up against Malaysia in the same session. Wales, who only feature in the men’s competition, will face Canada and Zambia on the opening day before taking on double Olympic champions Fiji the following day.
Australia women’s team, who won silver in the inaugural competition on the Gold Coast in 2018, will face South Africa in their opening match while their final pool match is against Fiji in the morning session on 30 July.
World Rugby Chairman, Sir Bill Beaumont, said: “Following the recent revealing of the pools, the announcement of the match schedule is an incredibly exciting moment for players, teams and fans alike as the final preparations are put in place ahead of what promises to be truly outstanding Commonwealth Games competitions.
With many of the very best men’s and women’s teams in the world taking to the pitch at Coventry Stadium, including all the previous Olympic gold medallists, fans will be treated to a real showcase of world-class rugby sevens.
“Sevens is a fast flowing, high octane version of rugby which is continuing to grow and thrill fans around the world with it’s dynamic, drama-filled action on the pitch, and fun-filled festival atmosphere in the stands. Don’t miss the chance to see these incredible athletes in action.”
Matt Kidson, Director of Sport for Birmingham 2022, said: “The very best rugby sevens teams are going to be competing at Birmingham 2022 so it will be a really special tournament.
“What’s great about the group stages is that when you come to a sessions you see every single team compete – so you’ll see eight men’s matches and four women’s matches, making rugby sevens one of the best value tickets at Birmingham 2022.”
Tickets for the tournament can be purchased now at www.birmingham2022.com with prices for adults starting at £15 for adults on Friday, 29 July and £22 on Saturday, 30 July and Sunday 31 July. Tickets for under 16s start at £8 on all three days.
The full competition schedule can be viewed at www.birmingham2022.com