Free beer for early birds as HSBC SVNS Cape Town tickets go on sale

World Rugby has confirmed the destinations and dates for the HSBC SVNS 2026 Series - the top tier of a new three-division global sevens model. Designed to expand rugby’s reach and deliver long-term stability for teams and hosts, the model locks in events for the next three years. Dates and destinations for HSBC SVNS 2 and 3 will follow.

As announced earlier this year, the revamped Series features six regular-season rounds leading into a three-event HSBC SVNS World Championship, which will decide the line-up for the 2027 top tier. The structure provides a clear pathway for emerging nations, with regional qualifiers able to reach the world stage within a single season - creating a compelling story for fans, broadcasters and commercial partners.

The new format also strengthens visibility and impact ahead of LA 2028, with full gender parity at its core. Every round will host combined men’s and women’s events, with equal participation fees for both.

For fans, the announcement means calendars can now start to be marked for a season of world-class rugby sevens, as the best men’s and women’s teams showcase their speed, skill, and power in some of the most iconic destinations worldwide. Tickets for Dubai and Cape Town go on sale today and on Friday respectively.

HSBC SVNS has already proven its role as a critical development platform, with more than 50 women’s players from HSBC SVNS featuring at Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025. It remains a proven stage for rugby’s brightest and biggest stars and the platform for the next generation of Olympians to grow ahead of Los Angeles 2028.

World Rugby Chief Executive Alan Gilpin said: “Following a competitive process, we are delighted to confirm the locations and dates for the new-look HSBC SVNS 2026 Serie, which features a three-location World Championship, adding to the excitement for fans. Moving to a two-day format has proven a hit with destinations and we are delighted with the level of engagement and enthusiasm from cities and national unions, who share our vision of advancing sevens on the world stage ahead of the LA 2028 Olympic Games.”

The world champion Blitzboks will defend their HSBC SVNS Cape Town title in December as the Mother City’s biggest party returns with free drinks for early ticket buyers, as well as an enticing offer for families.

The first 500 fans to purchase R350 tickets in the Party Stand – where fans traditionally come in their finest fancy dress – will receive a free drink voucher, while a ticket for a family of four for a full day’s action costs just R750, with seating reserved in blocks 105 to 112.

Tickets go on sale at 9am on Friday morning exclusively via Ticketmaster.co.za.

Seats cost as little as R250 – with the best seat in the house costing just R600 – as the combination of sun, sound and sevens rugby marks the unofficial start of the SA summer season.

The 2025 tournament will take place over two days on the weekend of 6-7 December, when the Blitzboks will be joined by seven other men’s and eight women’s teams in the new, revamped series format, which leaves no room for error as the teams chase top honours.

The Blitzboks gloriously lifted the Cape Town title last year and followed up by claiming the HSBC SVNS World Championship crown in Los Angeles in May.

But the HSBC SVNS Cape Town is more than a rugby tournament and will bring the usual mix of entertainment, experience and exceptional rugby.

“We’re very excited to announce the return of HSBC SVNS to Cape Town for the next three years,” said SA Rugby CEO Rian Oberholzer, following the confirmation by World Rugby earlier on Monday.

“With the new tournament model, we envisage high-octane rugby from all the teams from the get-go, with no place to hide as only the top two teams in the respective pools will progress to the semi-finals.

“It’ll be two, action-packed days but we know this event is about more than the rugby and fans will also experience the vibrant live entertainment and the unique festival atmosphere that makes the HSBC SVNS in Cape Town one of the best live events in the country.

“It’s the ultimate blend of sport and lifestyle. From edge-of-your-seat matches on the field to music, food and culture, it’s more than a tournament – it’s a celebration.”

In fact, as part of that celebration of the confirmation of Cape Town as the home of sevens for the next three years, 2025 tickets have been competitively priced as follows (per person per day):

• Category A: R600 (west and east, lower tier, on the half-way line)

• Category B: R450 (west and east, lower tier, 10m-line towards the corners)

• Category C: R350 (north and south, lower tier, Party and Family stands)

• Category D: R250 (levels two and three, unreserved seating)

• Disabled: R450 (includes disabled person and partner)

Tickets are only available through Ticketmaster.co.za. Supporters should not buy from online ‘re-sellers’, such as Viagogo and others, as these entities do not have access to tickets and charge inflated prices without any guarantee of tickets being delivered.

Get ready for 9am on Friday morning – free beer for the first 500 party stand ticket buyers.

2026 season structure

• HSBC SVNS Series: Dubai (29-30 November 2025), Cape Town (6-7 December 2025), Singapore (31 January-1 February 2026), Australia (7-8 February 2026), Vancouver (7-8 March 2026), USA (14-15 March 2026).

• HSBC SVNS World Championship: Hong Kong (17-19 April 2026), Valladolid (29-31 May 2026), Bordeaux (5-7 June 2026).

• HSBC SVNS 2: February-March 2026

• HSBC SVNS 3: January 2026