The troubled New Zealand round of the world rugby sevens circuit will be moved from its traditional home in Wellington in an attempt to breath new life into the tournament.
After 18 years of being based in the New Zealand capital, World Rugby announced Monday the tournament will next year move to the city of Hamilton.
It is the only change to the 10-round global tournament and was welcomed by New Zealand officials who have struggled to maintain public interest in Wellington as a venue.
“It was time to start a new chapter for the tournament in New Zealand,” New Zealand Rugby’s (NZR) chief strategy officer Nigel Cass said.
“The inclusion of sevens in the Olympic Games has introduced the sport to a new group of athletes and fans and NZR is committed to developing a strong sevens programme.”
While the sevens was a sellout at Wellington’s Westpac Stadium in its early years, rivalling the famed Hong Kong Sevens for its festive atmosphere, interest has faded in recent times.
“The feedback we´d been getting from the public was that the event in Wellington seemed to have lost its allure,” city mayor Justin Lester said.
“Wellingtonians have been voting with their feet in the last few years and we´ve seen the result in dwindling crowd numbers and lower ticket sales.”
The Sevens Rugby World Cup will be played in San Francisco on July 20-22.
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