In what organisers describe as an ‘innovative tournament format’, Gareth Williams’ men can look forward to a clash against hosts USA in the final match on day one of action if they prevail in their opening game against the Cheetahs.
Unlike in World Series tournaments‚ where 16 teams are split into pools of four‚ the World Cup is a ruthless straight knockout competition. With this format there is no room for error, as any team with intentions of winning the title simply has to win every game in order to be crowned World Cup champions.
In the men’s competition, where nations will be competing to get their hands on the famous Melrose Cup, there is an initial knock-out preliminary round featuring the nations ranked ninth to 24th, while the top eight seeds progress automatically to the round of 16.
Wales enter the tournament as 12th seeds but will realise there is a distinct possibility of success if they navigate their first two games on day one as big hitters Fiji, New Zealand and South Africa are all on the other side of the draw.
The men’s tournament, along with the women’s competition, gets underway on July 20 with Kenya, runners-up in the recent Hong Kong and Vancouver rounds of the HSBC World Sevens Series, facing Tonga in the first game of the preliminary round.
In the evening session on the first day of competition Olympic champions and HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series leaders Fiji will take on the winner of Japan v Uruguay in the round of 16, while reigning World Cup champions New Zealand will face the winner of Russia v Hong Kong.
Top seeds South Africa will encounter the winners of Ireland v Chile, while host nation USA, ranked fifth, wrap up the first day of competition as they are drawn against the winner of Wales v Zimbabwe in the final match of the day.
World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont said: “The release of the match schedule marks another exciting step on the journey to the highly anticipated Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018 in San Francisco. Fans can now begin to plan their tournaments and teams can focus on their prospective opponents.
“There has never been a more competitive HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series than this year’s edition, with five different winners in the first five rounds in the men’s series, and only 16 points separating the top four nations in the women’s series, we are all set for a great showcase of the drama and excitement of rugby sevens at the first Rugby World Cup event ever to be held in the USA.”
