GB 7s Secure Olympics & World 7s Series Funding

The RFU, SRU and WRU confirm they have secured funding for GB Sevens teams for the 2021 season ahead of the Olympic Games.

The deal has been made possible by an innovative commercial partnership with The National Lottery.

The men’s and women’s GB Sevens teams will compete in the HSBC World Sevens Series in the build-up to next summer’s Olympic Games in Tokyo and then will continue for the climax of the 2021 season post-Tokyo. 

The partnership means the GB Sevens teams have the perfect opportunity to build towards striking gold in the delayed Olympic Games. As part of the partnership, The National Lottery will be acknowledged in a variety of ways and National Lottery players will benefit from tickets to events and unique opportunities with the GB Sevens teams.

Charlie Hayter will take the Team Leader role whilst also being an assistant coach across both men’s and women’s programmes. Scott Forrest remains head coach for the women’s side, having been in lead roles with Scotland Women’s Sevens since 2012. Tony Roques will join as head coach for the men. Roques brings with him a wealth of knowledge having most recently been an assistant coach with the USA Eagles Sevens side and prior to that as assistant coach to the England Sevens team.

James Rodwell, the most capped rugby sevens player of all time and part of the England coaching team since 2018, will complete the coaching set up, assisting across both the men’s and women’s programmes.

Further details on the performance-based programme will be announced in due course.