:2011–12 IRB Sevens World Series

The IRB announced the schedule for the 2011–12 series on 18 August 2011. The most important development was the addition of a leg in Japan, expanding the circuit to nine legs. Two other significant scheduling changes were made. The Australian leg, which had previously followed the Hong Kong Sevens, was now the first event in the series. Also, the last two legs of the series, originally slated for Edinburgh and London, switched places on the schedule, making the London leg the last in the series.{{cite press release|url=http://www.irbsevens.com/news/newsid=2044732.html#japan+joins+expanded+hsbc+sevens+world+series |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927045309/http://www.irbsevens.com/news/newsid%3D2044732.html |url-status=usurped |archive-date=27 September 2011 |title=Japan joins expanded HSBC Sevens World Series |publisher=International Rugby Board |date=18 August 2011 |access-date=17 September 2011 }}

On 13 April 2011, the Australian and South African unions (ARU and SARU, respectively) both announced that their countries' legs of the series would move to new sites effective this season. The ARU announced that its leg would move from Adelaide to the Gold Coast. Initially, the event was called the "International Rugby Sevens Gold Coast", but was later rebranded as simply the "Gold Coast Sevens".{{cite press release|url=http://www.rugby.com.au/news/sevens/gold_coast_to_become_new_home_for_australian_seven,146138.html/news/latest/section/39652 |title=Gold Coast to Become New Home for Australian Sevens |publisher=Australian Rugby Union |date=13 April 2011 |access-date=17 September 2011}}{{cite web|url=http://www.rugby.com.au/sevens/GoldCoastSevens.aspx |title=Gold Coast Sevens |work=Australian Rugby Union |access-date=17 September 2011}} The SARU announced that Port Elizabeth would become the new host of the South Africa leg, replacing George.{{SA Rugby Article | id=413608 | leagueid=1021 | title=Port Elizabeth named as new host of SA Sevens event | date=13 April 2011 | access-date=6 June 2016 | url=http://www.sarugby.co.za/article.aspx?id=413608&leagueid=1021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160606094223/http://www.sarugby.co.za/article.aspx?id=413608&leagueid=1021 | url-status=dead | archive-date=6 June 2016}}

On 9 December 2011, the IRB and the Scottish Rugby Union announced that the Scotland Sevens, also previously known as the Edinburgh Sevens, would move to Glasgow from the 2012 edition.{{cite press release|url=http://www.irbsevens.com/destination/edition=10/news/newsid=2060849.html#world+series+moves+glasgow |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120107185546/http://www.irbsevens.com/destination/edition%3D10/news/newsid%3D2060849.html |url-status=usurped |archive-date=7 January 2012 |title=World Series moves to Glasgow |publisher=International Rugby Board |date=9 December 2011 |access-date=9 December 2011 }}

The 2011 Dubai Sevens saw the IRB organise its first officially sanctioned women's international sevens tournament apart from the Rugby World Cup Sevens. It involved eight teams—Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, England, South Africa, Spain, and the USA—and the semifinals and final were held on the main pitch at The Sevens. This was part of a plan to launch a full IRB International Women's Sevens Series for 2012–13.{{cite press release|url=http://www.irbsevens.com/destination/edition=1/news/newsid=2051135.html#first+irb+womens+sevens+event+announced |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110925225938/http://www.irbsevens.com/destination/edition%3D1/news/newsid%3D2051135.html |url-status=usurped |archive-date=25 September 2011 |title=First IRB Women's Sevens event announced |publisher=International Rugby Board |date=14 September 2011 |access-date=17 September 2011 }}

Before each season, the IRB announces the 12 "core teams" that received guaranteed berths in each event of that season's series. The core teams for 2011–12 were:{{cite press release|url=http://www.irbsevens.com/destination/edition=9/news/newsid=2048923.html#teams+announced+gold+coast+kick |title=Teams announced for Gold Coast kickoff |publisher=International Rugby Board |date=8 September 2011 |access-date=17 September 2011 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111011152812/http://irbsevens.com/destination/edition%3D9/news/newsid%3D2048923.html |archive-date=11 October 2011 }}

• {{ru7|ARG}}
• {{ru7|AUS}}
• {{ru7|ENG}}
• {{ru7|FJI}}
• {{ru7|FRA}}
• {{ru7|KEN}}
• {{ru7|NZL}}
• {{ru7|SAM}}
• {{ru7|SCO}}
• {{ru7|RSA}}
• {{ru7|USA}}
• {{ru7|WAL}}

The core teams have been unchanged since the 2008–09 series.

The season championship was determined by points earned in each tournament. A new points system, in which each participating team now receives Series points, was introduced shortly before the 2011–12 season kicked off:{{SA Rugby Article | id=1141551 | leagueid=1021 | title=New Points System for HSBC Sevens World Series | date=25 November 2011 | access-date=6 June 2016 | url=http://www.sarugby.co.za/article.aspx?id=1141551&leagueid=1021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160606094939/http://www.sarugby.co.za/article.aspx?id=1141551&leagueid=1021 | url-status=dead | archive-date=6 June 2016}}

;16-team events (all except for Hong Kong)

• Cup winner (1st place): 22 points
• Cup runner-up (2nd place): 19 points
• Cup third-place play-off winner (3rd place): 17 points
• Cup third-place play-off loser (4th place): 15 points
• Plate winner (5th place): 13 points
• Plate runner-up (6th place): 12 points
• Losing Plate semi-finalists (joint 7th place): 10 points
• Bowl winner (9th place): 8 points
• Bowl runner-up (10th place): 7 points
• Losing Bowl semi-finalists (joint 11th place): 5 points
• Shield winner (13th place): 3 points
• Shield runner-up (14th place): 2 points
• Losing Shield semi-finalists (joint 15th place): 1 point

;24-team event (Hong Kong)

• To be announced

In all tournaments except Hong Kong, 16 teams participated. Due to its place as the sport's most prestigious annual event, the Hong Kong tournament had 24 teams. In each 16-team tournament, the teams were divided into pools of four teams, who played a round-robin within the pool. Points were awarded in each pool on a different schedule from most rugby tournaments—3 for a win, 2 for a draw, 1 for a loss. In case of a tie on competition points, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:{{cite web|url=http://www.irbsevens.com/rules/rules16.html |title=Rules: 16-Team Tournament |work=HSBC Sevens World Series |publisher=International Rugby Board |access-date=17 September 2011 |date=2011{{ndash}}2012 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110807113017/http://www.irbsevens.com/rules/rules16.html |archive-date=7 August 2011 |df=dmy }}

1. Head-to-head result
2. Difference in points scored in all pool matches
3. Difference in tries scored in all pool matches
4. Total points scored in all pool matches
5. Total tries scored in all pool matches
6. Coin toss

A tie between more than two teams is resolved in the same manner, but without considering head-to-head results.

Four trophies were awarded in each tournament. In descending order of prestige, they were the Cup (overall tournament champion), Plate, Bowl and Shield. Each trophy was awarded at the end of a knockout tournament.{{cite press release|url=http://www.irbsevens.com/rules/index.html |work=HSBC Sevens World Series |title=Rules |publisher=International Rugby Board |access-date=17 September 2011 |date=2011{{ndash}}2012 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110903015900/http://www.irbsevens.com/rules/index.html |archive-date=3 September 2011 |df=dmy }}

In a 16-team tournament, the top two teams in each pool advanced to the Cup competition. The four quarterfinal losers dropped into the bracket for the Plate. The Bowl was contested by the third- and fourth-place finishers in each pool, with the losers in the Bowl quarterfinals dropping into the bracket for the Shield.

The Hong Kong Sevens used a similar structure, though adjusted for the larger number of teams involved. Its 24 teams were divided into six pools of four teams each, with the competition points system and tiebreakers identical to those for a 16-team event. The six pool winners and the two top second-place finishers advanced to the Cup competition.{{cite web|url=http://www.irbsevens.com/rules/rules24.html |title=Rules: 24-Team Tournament |publisher=International Rugby Board |access-date=17 September 2011 |date=2011{{ndash}}2012 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110807112815/http://www.irbsevens.com/rules/rules24.html |archive-date=7 August 2011 |df=dmy }}

• The Plate competition was contested by the losing quarterfinalists from the Cup, as in all other events in the series.
• The Bowl was contested by the four remaining second-place finishers and the top four third-place finishers.
• The Shield was contested by the remaining eight entrants.

The points awarded to teams at each event, as well as the overall season totals, are shown in the table below. Points for the event winners are indicated in bold. A zero (0) is recorded in the event column where a team competed in a tournament but did not gain any points. A dash (–) is recorded in the event column if a team did not compete at a tournament.

Notes:

{{pad|0.5em}}

Light blue line on the left indicates a core team eligible to participate in all events of the series.

{{main|2011 Gold Coast Sevens}}

{{main|2011 Dubai Sevens}}

{{main|2011 South Africa Sevens}}

{{main|2012 Wellington Sevens}}

{{main|2012 USA Sevens}}

{{main|2012 Hong Kong Sevens}}

{{main|2012 Japan Sevens}}

{{main|2012 Scotland Sevens}}

{{main|2012 London Sevens}}

{{reflist}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20100208082231/http://www.irb.com/irbsevens/index.html IRB Sevens]

{{2011–12 IRB Sevens World Series}}

{{World sevens series}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:2011-12 IRB Sevens World Series}}

Category:World Rugby Sevens Series