Rugby Sevens Tournament Celebrates 10th Anniversary in Vancouver
Billed as the best party in town, rugby sevens returns to BC Place from February 21 to 23 for three days of thrilling games and silly costumes. Don't miss seeing the Canadian women's team who the silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
What is Rugby Sevens?
Rugby sevens is a fast and exciting form of rugby played with seven players on each side instead of the usual 15 in rugby union. Games consist of two seven-minute-long halves so you can expect lots of quick passes, dekes, and dramatic breakaways.
While 15 aside rugby matches are typically serious affairs, rugby sevens are usually played in a weekend tournament with each team playing multiple days per day in a more casual, festival-like atmosphere. However, each match is still hotly contested!
You don't need to be a hard-core rugby fan to enjoy sevens. You don't even have to know all the rules. Instead, sit back and enjoy seven minutes of non-stop action and entertainment from the sport's top athletes.
What to Expect at Vancouver Sevens
Vancouver Sevens is the fourth of seven stops on the HSBC SVNS World Tour. That means that these teams play against each other in seven tournaments each season, leading to fierce rivalries with lots of history.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the men's rugby sevens series in Vancouver. The 2025 tournament includes 12 women's teams and 12 men's teams competing over three days. The first two days of the tournament are round-robin pool play. On the final day, you can expect thrilling high-paced games as the teams compete in semi-finals and finals.
Since the final placing of teams in the tournament matters for World Rugby rankings and seeding in the next stop of the HSBC SVNS World Tour, look for hard-fought battles in every finals game from the 11th/12th place decider right up to the 1st/2nd place match.
On the women's side, there are a few key teams to watch. Locals will be cheering on the Canadians who won silver at the 2024 Paris Olympics. You also won't want to miss matches featuring New Zealand, the gold medal winners in Paris, or Australia who have been dominant in the first two tournaments of this sevens season.
In the men's tournament, the French side is on a roll after winning the gold medal at home in the Paris Olympics. Be sure to stay in your seat for the Fiji games. They fell to France in the final at the Olympics and had to settle for silver. But their electrifying playing style, which focuses almost entirely on offence, will put you on the edge of your seat.
Unfortunately, the Canadian men's team dropped in the world rankings last season and were relegated from the HSBC SVNS World Tour. However, they will be making an appearance at the Vancouver Sevens this year to play in a separate invitational tournament with Japan and Trinidad and Tobago as part of their journey towards requalifiying for the 2026 HSBC SVNS series.
Matches are played almost back-to-back with a break of just a few minutes in between on all three days of the tournament. Download the HSBC SVNS app to keep on top of the match schedule so you don't miss your favourite team while you're out on the concourse getting snacks or beer.
Tickets
Tickets for all three days of the Vancouver Rugby Sevens are available. You can buy a three-day pass to see all the games, a two-day pass that gets you in for Saturday and Sunday, or a one-day pass for either Saturday or Sunday.
VIP and Club packages are available if you want the best seats, lounge access, and food and beverage service. You can also choose between reserved seats on the sides of the field or the lower-priced general admission seats at the ends of the field. If you're planning to bring a group of 10 or more, you can get a group rate.
Fancy Dress
Although no one can pinpoint when it started, for decades fans have been dressing up in fun costumes to attend rugby sevens tournaments. Known as "fancy dress" to British fans, costumes range from silly to elaborate. Themed and group costumes are especially popular.
If you need a costume in Vancouver, Dressew in Gastown, Amy's on Davie in the West End, and Party City in North Vancouver stock costume supplies. Or hit up a thrift store for affordable and environmentally friendly options. Be sure to read the event costume policy to make sure your costume is acceptable.
Wearing team colours and jerseys is also popular. Vancouver's strong expat communities get decked out to support their home nations. Watch for the Fijians in the crowd to bring their strong patriotic spirit and lots of flags.
Even if you don't go in fancy dress, be sure to make some time for people-watching - checking out all of the elaborate and hilarious costumes is one of the most fun parts of the event. The best costume spotting is on Saturday in the early afternoon when most of the people in fancy dress have arrived at the stadium and no one has found their costume annoying or cumbersome enough to take off yet.
Where to Keep the Party Going
The tournament is typically an all-day affair, starting mid-morning and finishing around dinner time. If you want to keep the good times going into the evening, there are several great options near the stadium. Open since 1993, the nearby Shark Club is a contender for Vancouver's favourite sports bar. Other popular bars and pubs within easy walking distance include Red Card, Dublin Calling, and The Library Square Pub.