The reimagined World Rugby Sevens Series grand finale is set to receive a makeover as it moves to Madrid’s Metropolitano stadium for the upcoming season.
Following six other events throughout the campaign, the Spanish capital landed a three-year deal to host the competition from the 2023 to 2024 season.
The stadium, home to football club Athletico Madrid, has previously played host to 15-a-side rugby, attracting over 40,000 spectators to a match between Spain and the Classic All Blacks last May.
In August, the ground with a capacity of 68,000 will see Los Leones take on Argentina in the Pumas’ final game ahead of the Rugby World Cup.
World Rugby Chairman, Bill Beaumont, expressed his pleasure in welcoming Madrid, one of the world’s great cities, to the World Rugby Sevens Series from the 2023-24 season.
The Metropolitano will see the top eight teams in the series compete for the overall title, with the agreement in place with Madrid until 2026.
The remaining four sides will face off against the top four countries in the second-tier Challenger Series in a relegation play-off. In a move to promote gender equality, men’s and women’s sides will receive equal pay for their participation in the series.
The upcoming season, which will also feature the Paris Olympic Games, will commence in December 2023. The full list of host cities for the series is set to be announced in June.
