Dubai will host the International Rugby Sevens Series – Level Three (HSBC SVNS 3) on 17 and 18 January 2026, the UAE Rugby Federation has announced.
The tournament will take place at The Sevens Stadium and will be jointly organised by the UAE Rugby Federation and World Rugby. It will feature 16 national teams, with eight men’s teams and eight women’s teams taking part.
Teams in both categories will be divided into two pools, with competition focused on securing qualification to the next stage of the global series. The top two teams from the men’s and women’s competitions will advance to the Rugby Sevens Series – Level Two (HSBC SVNS 2), which is scheduled to be held in February and March 2026.
Matches will begin on Saturday, 17 January, with qualification places decided over the two-day event.
The Dubai tournament forms part of World Rugby’s newly launched competition structure for the Rugby Sevens Series, designed to support the growth of the Olympic sport and broaden its international reach. The revised model introduces a single-season competitive pathway featuring a greater number of international tournaments, aimed at accelerating development ahead of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
Qais Al Dhalai, President of the Asian and Arab Rugby Federations and Vice President of the UAE Rugby Federation, welcomed the announcement, saying the event reflected World Rugby’s confidence in the UAE Rugby Federation.
He added that hosting the tournament underlined the UAE’s role in supporting and developing rugby at both continental and global levels, while reinforcing Dubai’s position as a key destination for international sporting events.
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