Does rugby sevens’ future lie in franchise teams? 2026 launch may reveal answer
Tom Burwell, a former executive director of Emirates Dubai 7s, is driving a professional tournament based on clubs, not nations
With the HSBC SVNS Series undergoing another change in format and some unions cutting their rugby sevens programmes entirely, the sport has been facing an uncertain future.
Tom Burwell, a former executive director of the Emirates Dubai 7s with 20 years’ involvement in the sport, is the driving force behind a new professional sevens tournament based on seven franchises playing over the summer that will launch in 2026.
With early seasons expected to be based in Europe before going global, Burwell, who is CEO of Bia Sports Group, which owns English Premier League side Sunderland, tells Josh Ball why the franchise model is the way forward and why some of the world’s best players are already signing up to take part.
Sevens tournaments are typically played over three days, but yours would be four hours once a week. Are shorter events the answer?
“The sport has often been challenged to be relevant week on week. During my time in Dubai, our interest was, how do we build the most successful three days possible here in the desert, and the important role we played within what was the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series.
“But I don’t think a huge number of fans were totally dialled into what would then happen in Cape Town the following week.