Aust, Japan new on women’s 7s circuit

London: Australia and Japan have been added to the next round of the Women’s Sevens Series. World Rugby confirmed a five tournament series for the 2016-17 campaign and hope to add a sixth venue. New Zealand will be out to wrestle the series title back from Australia, who have emerged as the dominant force in women’s sevens, beating the Kiwis in the Olympics final in Rio. The series kicks off alongside the men’s equivalent in Dubai in early December, before joining the Sydney Sevens in February. It then moves to a new location in Kitakyushu, Japan, in April before heading to Victoria, Canada, in May and then the series finale will take place in Clermont-Ferrand, France, at the end of June. “Combining a women’s event with the men’s tournament in Sydney as well as new venue in Kitakyushu will add to already established tournaments like Dubai, Victoria and Clermont-Ferrand. “I look forward to seeing more and more women and girls get involved in the game and enjoy these fantastic tournaments over the 2016-17 season,” World Rugby Chairman Bill Beaumont said. The 10-tournament men’s series will follow a familiar path where Fiji will be out to defend their title on the back of their Olympics success.

Women’s Sevens World Series 2016-17 Dubai: 1-2 December, 2016, Sydney: 3-4 February, 2017 Kitakyushu: 22-23 April, Victoria/ Langford, Canada: 27-28 May, Clermont-Ferrand: 24-25 June

Men’s Sevens World Series 2016-17 Dubai: 2-3 December, Cape Town; 10-11 December

Wellington: 28-29 January, Sydney: 4-5 February Las Vegas: 3-5 March, Vancouver: 11-12 March Hong Kong: 7-9 April, Singapore: 15-16 April Paris: 13-14May, London: 20-21May - Stuff