By Duncan Mackay

Allianz Stadium in Moore Park will host the Australian leg of the 2015-2016 HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series ©Getty ImagesNext season's Australian leg of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series will take place in Sydney after they outbid Gold Coast to host the event.


The Australian Rugby Union (ARU) announced today that from 2015-2016 event will take place at the 45,000-capacity Allianz Stadium in Moore Park on dates, probably in October, still to be announced.

Holding the event in one of the world's most exciting cities will undoubtedly raise the profile of the Series as it prepares for its Olympic debut in Rio de Janeiro next year but is a blow to the Gold Coast only three years before the city is due to host the Commonwealth Games, where rugby sevens will be one of the main attractions.

This season's event last October io the Gold Goast, won by Fiji, who beat Samoa 31-24 in the final, attracted a disappointing crowd of 20,546, a long way short of expectations. 

Gold Coast had hosted the Australian leg of the World Rugby Sevens Series since 2010 ©Gold Coast SevensGold Coast had hosted the Australian leg of the World Rugby Sevens Series since 2010 ©Gold Coast Sevens

"Sydney is an iconic, sports-mad city with an exceptional record of attracting and hosting major events like Rugby World Cup and the Olympic Games," World Rugby chairman Bernard Lapasset said. 

"Sydney's inclusion within a stellar Series hosting line-up is exciting for players and fans and underscores the strength of the rugby sevens brand in the global sporting marketplace."

Sydney's bid to host the event was supported by the ARU and underwritten by the New South Wales government and the Destination NSW tourism organisation.

The announcement follows confirmation that Vancouver will be joining an expanded 10-round Series in the next four-year cycle and reflects the global prestige and attraction of the series, World Rugby officials claim. 

Fiji won this season's edition of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series event in the Gold Coast, beating Samoa in the final ©Getty ImagesFiji won this season's edition of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series event in the Gold Coast, beating Samoa in the final ©Getty Images

"We are thrilled to be able to bring Rugby Sevens to Sydney," said ARU chief executive Bill Pulver.

"We truly believe that Sydney has the potential to match the excitement surrounding tournaments like Hong Kong, Twickenham and Wellington in terms of event experience and crowd numbers.

"Sydney is an iconic city known across the world for its cultural diversity, outdoor lifestyle and stunning tourist attractions.

"It is a terrific fit for an event that traditionally attracts an audience from a variety of different nationalities and backgrounds.

"There is little doubt the area in and around Moore Park lends itself to rugby sevens.

"Growing rugby, particularly the sevens format of our game, is critical to the long-term sustainability of rugby as we strive to ignite passion in the next generation of players and fans.

"Globally, the game is in an exciting spot with Rugby Sevens part of the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 programme."

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