Rugby 7s at the Commonwealth Games
Rugby sevens, a lightning-paced version of the game of Rugby Union, is one of the core sports of the Commonwealth Games, though it has been dropped for the reduced 2026 Commonwealth Games program..
The sport of 7's Rugby is popular among Commonwealth Games nations, and the majority of the teams competing at the Commonwealth Games are ranked among the world’s best.
1998 was the first Commonwealth Games in which a Rugby 7s competition was held, and the sport has been included in all Games since until 2022. The first women's competition was held in 2018.
Rugby 7s at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in MelbourneCompetition Format
- There was one gold medal on offer in each of the men's and women's events.
- The competition was based on the rules of the International Rugby Board (IRB) and with a format similar to that of all Rugby 7s World Series events.
- Teams competed in four pools in a round-robin format. Performance within the pools determined each team's progression through to the final rounds.
Trivia
- New Zealand won the first four Rugby 7s tournaments at the Commonwealth Games, and in the process never lost a match. In 2014 they finished 2nd to South Africa.
- Until recently, Rugby 7s was the only male-only core sports at the Commonwealth Games. Boxing was also once a male-only sport too.
- There was a Rugby League Nines tournament played in 2014 and 2018, an event endorsed by the Commonwealth Games Federation, but not listed as an official demonstration sport.
Related Pages
- About the sport of Rugby 7s
- See the list of Commonwealth Games sports
- Rugby 7s at the Olympic Games
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