2023 London Sevens
{{Short description|Rugby sevens tournament}}
{{Infobox Rugby Sevens
| series = Sevens World Series XXIV
| countries = {{flagicon|ENG}} England
| date = 20–21 May 2023
| champions1 = {{ru7|ARG}}
| runnersup1 = {{ru7|FIJ}}
| third = {{ru7|SAM}}
| trophy2 = Play-off for core status
| champions2 = {{ru7|CAN}}
| matches = 41
| tries = 1659
| top point scorer = {{flagd|SAM}} Vaa Apelu Maliko {{nowrap|(57 pts)}}
| top try scorer = {{flagd|SAM}} Vaa Apelu Maliko {{nowrap|(11 tries)}}
| prevseason = 2022
| nextseason =
}}
The 2023 London Sevens was the final event of the 2022–23 World Rugby Sevens Series and the twenty-first edition of the London Sevens. It was held at Twickenham Stadium, London on 20–21 May 2023.
Argentina won the Cup final, their third tournament victory for the season, by defeating Fiji 35–14.
The competition format used in London was different to all previous events in the season as only twelve teams instead of sixteen were eligible to compete for the tournament cup. The other four teams competed for the one remaining core team berth for the 2023–24 World Rugby Sevens Series{{hsp}} with the unsuccessful sides losing core team status.
Canada won the play-off to retain core team status for 2023–24, defeating Kenya by 12–7.
Format
The twelve teams in the cup competition for the London Sevens were drawn into three pools of four. Each team played the three opponents in their pool once. The top two teams from each pool advanced to the Cup bracket, with the two best third-placed teams also advancing. The remaining four teams played off for a 9th–12th placing.
The four teams competing for core status in the 2023–24 season were drawn into a separate round-robin playoff pool. The top two teams from that pool then advanced to a final match to determine the last core team berth.
Teams
The twelve teams that participated in the main tournament at London were:
{{columns-list|colwidth=14em|
- {{ru7|ARG}}
- {{ru7|AUS}}
- {{ru7|FIJ}}
- {{ru7|FRA}}
- {{ru7|GBR}}
- {{ru7|IRE}}
- {{ru7|JPN}}
- {{ru7|NZL}}
- {{ru7|SAM}}
- {{ru7|RSA}}
- {{ru7|ESP}}
- {{ru7|USA}}
}}
The four teams that participated in the play-offs for 2023–24 core team status were:{{cite web|website=Rugby Asia 24/7|title=HSBC London Sevens 2023 Pools |date=16 May 2023 |url=https://www.rugbyasia247.com/hsbc-london-sevens-2023-pools/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230517190306/https://www.rugbyasia247.com/hsbc-london-sevens-2023-pools/ |archive-date=17 May 2023}}
{{columns-list|colwidth=14em|
- {{ru7|CAN}}
- {{ru7|KEN}}
- {{ru7|TGA}}
- {{ru7|URU}}
}}
Tonga gained entry to the London Sevens core team qualifier for the 2023–24 season by winning the 2023 Challenger Series. The other three sides were the core teams ranked 12th to 14th after Round 10 in the 2022–23 series.{{cite web |title=HSBC World Rugby Sevens standings |url=https://www.world.rugby/sevens-series/standings/mens |publisher=World Rugby|access-date=7 November 2022}}
Japan, as the 15th ranked core team after Round 10 in the 2022–23 series, was relegated for the 2023–24 series but was still invited to play in the main tournament at the 2023 London Sevens.
Pool stage
All times in British Summer Time (UTC+01:00).{{cite web|url=https://www.world.rugby/sevens-series/stage/2116/fixtures|title=London Fixtures|publisher=World Rugby|accessdate=18 May 2023}}
All matches played at Twickenham Stadium unless specifically noted otherwise.
Key:
{{Color box|#cfc|border=darkgray}} Team advanced to the quarterfinals
{{Color box|#bff|border=darkgray}} Team advanced to the play-off final for 2023–24 core team status
=Pool A=
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" | ||||||
| style="width:1.5.em;"| {{abbr| # | Rank}}
! style="width:10.5em;"| Team ! style="width:1.5em;" | {{abbr| W | Games won}} ! style="width:1.5em;" | {{abbr| D | Games drawn}} ! style="width:1.5em;" | {{abbr| L | Games lost}} ! style="width:2.0em;" | {{abbr| PF | Points scored for}} ! style="width:2.0em;" | {{abbr| PA | Points scored against}} ! style="width:2.0em;" | {{abbr| PD | Point score difference}} ! style="width:1.5em;" | {{abbr| Pts| Standings points}} | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| bgcolor=#cfc
| 1 | align="left" |{{ru7|NZL}} | 3 | 0 | 0 | 87 | 43 | +44 | 9 |
| bgcolor=#cfc
| 2 | align="left" |{{ru7|GBR}} | 2 | 0 | 1 | 45 | 54 | −9 | 7 |
| 3
| align="left" |{{ru7|RSA}} | 0 | 1 | 2 | 62 | 77 | −15 | 4 |
| 4
| align="left" |{{ru7|USA}} | 0 | 1 | 2 | 62 | 82 | −20 | 4 |
=Pool B=
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" | ||||||
| style="width:1.5.em;"| {{abbr| # | Rank}}
! style="width:10.5em;"| Team ! style="width:1.5em;" | {{abbr| W | Games won}} ! style="width:1.5em;" | {{abbr| D | Games drawn}} ! style="width:1.5em;" | {{abbr| L | Games lost}} ! style="width:2.0em;" | {{abbr| PF | Points scored for}} ! style="width:2.0em;" | {{abbr| PA | Points scored against}} ! style="width:2.0em;" | {{abbr| PD | Point score difference}} ! style="width:1.5em;" | {{abbr| Pts| Standings points}} | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| bgcolor=#cfc
| 1 | align="left" |{{ru7|ARG}} | 2 | 0 | 1 | 95 | 38 | +57 | 7 |
| bgcolor=#cfc
| 2 | align="left" |{{ru7|FIJ}} | 2 | 0 | 1 | 99 | 59 | +40 | 7 |
| bgcolor=#cfc
| 3 | align="left" |{{ru7|IRE}} | 2 | 0 | 1 | 66 | 52 | +14 | 7 |
| 4
| align="left" |{{ru7|JPN}} | 0 | 0 | 3 | 26 | 137 | −111 | 3 |
=Pool C=
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" | ||||||
| style="width:1.5.em;"| {{abbr| # | Rank}}
! style="width:10.5em;"| Team ! style="width:1.5em;" | {{abbr| W | Games won}} ! style="width:1.5em;" | {{abbr| D | Games drawn}} ! style="width:1.5em;" | {{abbr| L | Games lost}} ! style="width:2.0em;" | {{abbr| PF | Points scored for}} ! style="width:2.0em;" | {{abbr| PA | Points scored against}} ! style="width:2.0em;" | {{abbr| PD | Point score difference}} ! style="width:1.5em;" | {{abbr| Pts| Standings points}} | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| bgcolor=#cfc
| 1 | align="left" |{{ru7|SAM}} | 3 | 0 | 0 | 92 | 52 | +40 | 9 |
| bgcolor=#cfc
| 2 | align="left" |{{ru7|AUS}} | 2 | 0 | 1 | 73 | 48 | +25 | 7 |
| bgcolor=#cfc
| 3 | align="left" |{{ru7|FRA}} | 1 | 0 | 2 | 68 | 75 | −7 | 5 |
| 4
| align="left" |{{ru7|ESP}} | 0 | 0 | 3 | 50 | 108 | −58 | 3 |
=Pool play-off=
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" | ||||||
| style="width:1.5.em;"| {{abbr| # | Rank}}
! style="width:10.5em;"| Team ! style="width:1.5em;" | {{abbr| W | Games won}} ! style="width:1.5em;" | {{abbr| D | Games drawn}} ! style="width:1.5em;" | {{abbr| L | Games lost}} ! style="width:2.0em;" | {{abbr| PF | Points scored for}} ! style="width:2.0em;" | {{abbr| PA | Points scored against}} ! style="width:2.0em;" | {{abbr| PD | Point score difference}} ! style="width:1.5em;" | {{abbr| Pts| Standings points}} | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| bgcolor=#bff
| 1 | align="left" |{{ru7|CAN}} | 2 | 0 | 1 | 83 | 50 | +33 | 7 |
| bgcolor=#bff
| 2 | align="left" |{{ru7|KEN}} | 2 | 0 | 1 | 72 | 59 | +13 | 7 |
| 3
| align="left" |{{ru7|URU}} | 2 | 0 | 1 | 48 | 43 | +5 | 7 |
| 4
| align="left" |{{ru7|TGA}} | 0 | 0 | 3 | 45 | 96 | –51 | 2 |
Knockout stage
All times are British Summer Time (UTC+01:00).
=Play-off final for core status =
All matches played on 21 May 2023 at Twickenham Stadium unless specifically noted otherwise.
{{Round2|team-width=205|RD1=Play-off final for core status |bold_winner=high
|4:56 pm
|{{ru7|CAN}}|12|{{ru7|KEN}}|7
}}
=9th–12th bracket=
All matches played on 21 May 2023 at Twickenham Stadium unless specifically noted otherwise.
{{Round4-with third|team-width=205|RD1=9th place semifinal|RD2=9th place final|RD3=11th place final|bold_winner=high
|11:13 am
|{{ru7|RSA}}|29|{{ru7|JPN}}|7
|11:35 am
|{{ru7|USA}}|24|{{ru7|ESP}}|0
|3:08 pm
|{{ru7|RSA}}|47|{{ru7|USA}}|5
|2:46 pm
|{{ru7|JPN}}|12|{{ru7|ESP}}|28
}}
=5th–8th bracket=
All matches played on 21 May 2023 at Twickenham Stadium unless specifically noted otherwise.
{{Round4-with third|team-width=205|RD1=5th place semifinal|RD2=5th place final|RD3=7th place final|bold_winner=high
|12:49 pm
|{{ru7|IRE}}|19|{{ru7|GBR}}|12
|1:11 pm
|{{ru7|AUS}}|19|{{ru7|FRA}}|22
|4:07 pm
|{{ru7|IRE}}|12|{{ru7|FRA}}|21
|3:30 pm
|{{ru7|GBR}}|5|{{ru7|AUS}}|34
}}
=Cup bracket=
All matches played on 21 May 2023 at Twickenham Stadium unless specifically noted otherwise.
{{Round8-with third|team-width=205|bold_winner=high
|RD3=Cup final
|Consol=Bronze final
|9:45 am
|{{ru7|ARG}}|28|{{ru7|IRE}}|14
|10:07 am
|{{ru7|SAM}}|12|{{ru7|GBR}}|5
|10:29 am
|{{ru7|FIJ}}|19|{{ru7|AUS}}|5
|10:51 am
|{{ru7|NZL}}|19|{{ru7|FRA}}|17
|1:33 pm
|{{ru7|ARG}}|10|{{ru7|SAM}}|7
|1:55 pm
|{{ru7|FIJ}}|19|{{ru7|NZL}}|17
|5:26 pm
|{{ru7|ARG}}|35|{{ru7|FIJ}}|14
|4:29 pm
|{{ru7|SAM}}|24|{{ru7|NZL}}|19
}}
=Placings=
{{col-float|firstcol=16em}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; padding-bottom:0;"
! Place ! style="width:9em; text-align:left;"|{{noflag}}Team ! Points | |
| {{gold1}}
|align=left| {{ru7|ARG}} | 20 |
| {{silver2}}
|align=left| {{ru7|FIJ}} | 18 |
| {{bronze3}}
|align=left| {{ru7|SAM}} | 16 |
| 4
|align=left| {{ru7|NZL}} | 14 |
| 5
|align=left| {{ru7|FRA}} | 12 |
| 6
|align=left| {{ru7|IRE}} | 10 |
{{col-float-break}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; padding-bottom:0;"
! Place ! style="width:9em; text-align:left;"|{{noflag}}Team ! Points | |
| 7
|align=left| {{ru7|AUS}} | 8 |
| 8
|align=left| {{ru7|GBR}} | 6 |
| 9
|align=left| {{ru7|RSA}} | 4 |
| 10
|align=left| {{ru7|USA}} | 3 |
| 11
|align=left| {{ru7|ESP}} | 2 |
| 12
|align=left| {{ru7|JPN}} | 0 |
{{col-float-end}}
References
{{reflist|refs=
|first=Maxwell |last=Wasike |date=17 May 2023
|title=All to play for as Shujaa head to London|website=Kenya Broadcasting Corporation
|url=https://kbc.co.ke/amp/rugby/article/38796/all-to-play-for-as-shujaa-head-to-london
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230518170624/https://kbc.co.ke/amp/rugby/article/38796/all-to-play-for-as-shujaa-head-to-london
|archive-date=18 May 2023
}}
|first=Neil |last=Davidson
|title=Canadian men ready for World Rugby Sevens Series relegation playoff in London
|date=18 May 2023
|url=https://www.stratfordtoday.ca/national-sports/canadian-men-ready-for-world-rugby-sevens-series-relegation-playoff-in-london-7019422
|work=Stratford Today
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230518164912/https://www.stratfordtoday.ca/national-sports/canadian-men-ready-for-world-rugby-sevens-series-relegation-playoff-in-london-7019422
|archive-date=18 May 2023
}}
|title=Tonga 7s qualifies for HSBC Sevens Series in London
|date=2 May 2023 |url=https://matangitonga.to/2023/05/02/tonga-7s-qualifies-hsbc-sevens-series-london
|website=Matangi Tonga
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230517200345/https://matangitonga.to/2023/05/02/tonga-7s-qualifies-hsbc-sevens-series-london
|archive-date=17 May 2023
}}
|title=Twickenham Stadium welcomes finale of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2023
|url=https://www.world.rugby/sevens-series/news/810667/twickenham-stadium-welcomes-finale-of-the-hsbc-world-rugby-sevens-series-2023
|publisher=World Rugby
|access-date=17 May 2023
}}
|title=Argentina win in London as Canada secure core status
|url=https://www.world.rugby/sevens-series/news/812241/hsbc-world-rugby-sevens-series-london-day-two-recap
|publisher=World Rugby
|date=21 May 2023
}}
}}
External links
- [https://www.world.rugby/sevens-series/stage/2116/about World Rugby page]
- [https://www.twickenhamstadium.com/hsbc-london-7s-2023 Tournament site]
{{s-start}}
{{s-other|World Sevens Series XXIV}}
{{succession box|title=2023 London Sevens|before=2023 France Sevens|after=None (last event)}}
{{s-other|London Sevens}}
{{succession box|title=2023 London Sevens|before=2022 London Sevens|after={{tbd}}}}
{{s-end}}
{{London Sevens}}
{{2022–23 World Rugby Sevens Series}}