Sydney’s biggest festival of rugby is returning to our sport-mad city, taking up residence in its new home at Sydney Olympic Park’s Spotless Stadium. The 2019 event runs from February 1-3 and will involve 20 countries going head to head in the Australian leg of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series, along with a reinvigorated roster of sideline action. The Sydney 7s event will debut a dedicated music festival tent, so dress up, grab your mates and get in on the action – on and off the field.
Footy fans will take over the stadium, dressed to the nines in festival-standard glitter, tutus and animal onesies (seriously, the level of dress-up dedication at these things is intense, so go all out if that’s your jam). You'll be watching 20 of the world’s best rugby sevens teams battle it out in the men's and women's tournaments across the three days. Aussies took out the gold in both comps last year, so the pressure is well and truly on.
And the prize is a mighty one. This year, Olympic qualification is on the line. The top four spots in the world series ladder will be guaranteed a place at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.
So expect an intense performance in this frenzied, highly skilled competition. The games are made up of seven-minute halves with a two-minute halftime. It's a concentrated sporting experience where you go hard or go home. Remember, these players have only seven minutes at a time to make their mark, so that means tries aplenty.
When you’re not glued to your seat watching the lightning-fast runs, you’ll be getting loose at the festival tent. They’ve got a banging line-up of DJs and live acts across the weekend. Headliners include the hugely popular Aussie deck spinner Tigerlily, rapper and vocalist Tkay Maidza, hip-hop star L-Fresh the Lion, and the Aussie duo turned global sensation Yolanda Be Cool. Entry to this tent of sound is included in your ticket price.
If you’ve got little sports nuts to bring with you, you’ll be happy to know there’s a kids’ zone with slides, bungees, games and more. And getting your troupe of rugby lovers to and from the stadium will be a breeze, as all train travel heading that way and back on Saturday and Sunday will be free.
And it's worth locking down those tickets ASAP. The allocation of free Friday tickets is already exhausted, which is a clear indication that you better book your weekend tickets fast. You can grab a one-day pass or ride the adrenaline wave all the way to the grand final with a double pass.