Rugby sevens is a variant of rugby union in which teams are made up of seven players playing seven-minute halves, instead of the usual 15 players playing 40-minute halves. Rugby sevens is administered by World Rugby, the body responsible for rugby union worldwide. The game is popular at all levels, with amateur and club tournaments generally held in the summer months. Sevens is one of the most well distributed forms of rugby, and is popular in parts of Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas, and especially in the South Pacific.
A demonstration sport, or exhibition sport, is a sport which is played to promote it, rather than as part of standard medal competition. This occurs commonly during the Olympic Games, but may also occur at other sporting events.
Sport in New Zealand largely reflects the nation's colonial heritage, with some of the most popular sports being rugby union, rugby league, cricket, association football, horse racing, basketball and netball, which are primarily played in Commonwealth countries. New Zealand is a small nation but has enjoyed success in many sports, notably rugby union, rugby league, cricket, America's Cup sailing, world championship and Olympics events, and motorsport.
The Australia men's national rugby sevens team participates in international competitions such as the World Rugby Sevens Series and Rugby World Cup Sevens. The current captain of the team is Nick Malouf, and the head coach is John Manenti.
The Fiji National Rugby Sevens Team has competed in the World Rugby Sevens Series, Rugby World Cup Sevens and the Olympics. Fiji won the gold medal in the inaugural rugby sevens at the Summer Olympics in 2016 in Brazil, the country's first Olympic medal in any event, and repeated as Olympic champions in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, defeating New Zealand. Thus Fiji is the sole nation to have won Olympic gold in the sport. They are the only country in the world to have won the Sevens Treble, the three major achievements in Sevens. They have won multiple World Rugby Sevens Series and Rugby World Cup Sevens.
The Canada men’s national rugby sevens team competes at several international tournaments — the World Rugby Sevens Series, Rugby World Cup Sevens, Pan American Games and the Commonwealth Games.
Kurt Baker is a New Zealand rugby union player, who currently plays as a fullback or wing for Hawke's Bay in New Zealand's domestic Mitre 10 Cup competition. He is a New Zealand Sevens representative, who has played in 43 World Rugby Sevens Series tournaments and has won two Rugby Sevens World Cup titles and two Gold medals at the 2010 Commonwealth Games and 2018 Commonwealth Games. He has also played for the Māori All Blacks.
The most popular sport in Oceania varies from country to country. The most popular sport in Australia is cricket, the most popular sport among Australian women is netball, while Australian rules football is the most popular sport in terms of spectatorship and television ratings. Rugby is the most popular sport among New Zealanders. In Papua New Guinea, the most popular sport is the Rugby league.
Alexandra (Alex) Matthews is an English rugby union player. She made her debut for England in 2011 and was a member of the winning 2014 Women's Rugby World Cup squad.
Scott Curry is a New Zealand rugby union player. He plays for the New Zealand national rugby sevens team. He made his debut at the 2010 Dubai Sevens. He made his debut appearance at the Olympics representing New Zealand at the 2016 Summer Olympics.
Portia Woodman is a New Zealand rugby union player. She plays fifteen-a-side and seven-a-side rugby union, and is a member of the New Zealand Women's Sevens team and New Zealand Women's National Rugby Union team. Woodman was a member of the New Zealand Women's Sevens team when they won a gold medal at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
Rugby union at the Pacific Games has been contested since 1963 when included as one of ten sports at the first games held in Suva, Fiji. Rugby sevens is the form of rugby now played at the Pacific Games, with men's and women's tournaments included in the current schedule. The women's competition was added for the first time at the 2011 Pacific Games held in Nouméa.
Australia competed at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Queensland between 4 and 15 April 2018. It was Australia's 21st appearance at the Commonwealth Games, having competed at every Games since their inception in 1930. Australia previously hosted the Games four times – 1938 Sydney, 1962 Perth, 1982 Brisbane and 2006 Melbourne.
Rugby sevens at the 2018 Commonwealth Games was held on the Gold Coast, Australia from April 13 to 15. The rugby sevens competition was held at Robina Stadium. This is the sixth time that the men's competition was held, following rugby sevens's debut at the 1998 Games, with women's rugby sevens making its debut. A total of sixteen men's and eight women's teams are scheduled to compete in each respective tournament.
England competed at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia between 4 and 15 April 2018. It was England's 21st appearance at the Commonwealth Games, having participated at every Games since their inception in 1930.
Scotland competed at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia from 4 April to 15 April 2018. It was Scotland's 21st appearance at the Commonwealth Games, having competed at every Games since their inception in 1930.
Wales competed at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia, from April 4 to April 15, 2018. It is Wales's 21st appearance at the Commonwealth Games, having competed at every Games since their inception in 1930.
Fiji competed at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in the Gold Coast, Australia from April 4 to April 15, 2018. It was Fiji's 16th appearance at the Commonwealth Games.
Zambia competed at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in the Gold Coast, Australia from April 4 to April 15, 2018 It was Zambia's 14th appearance at the Commonwealth Games.
The women's rugby sevens tournament at the 2018 Commonwealth Games was the first time that women's teams had participated in this event. The venue for the competition was Robina Stadium.
