World Rugby on Wednesday announced the cancellation of the Dubai and Cape Town rounds of the 2020/21 Rugby World Sevens series which was scheduled to take place from 4 to 6 December, as a result of COVID-19.
In June, New Zealand men and women were awarded the 2020 titles for having led the standings before games were suspended.
In a statement, Brett Gosper World Rugby’s chief executive said the decision taken was a difficult one, citing the health and wellbeing of the global Rugby community and its wilder society as a priority. He further said the rugby federation looks forward to welcoming the wonderful destinations back to the series.
Dubai has staged a sevens series event every year since its opening in 1970. It was reported last week that England’s men and women, who are due to compete at next year’s Olympics, may not renew their contracts due to the financial impact of coronavirus.
In a statement, South Africa Rugby CEO Jurie Roux said, the decision was disappointing, but it was expected, as the opening of the borders remains uncertain.
He said the requirements of quarantining and preparation time for teams left the organization with no choice, but to cancel. The Hong Kong, Singapore, Paris and London legs of the series have all been cancelled, as the world body focuses on planning for the remainder of the 2020/21 series, with a build-up to the postponed Tokyo Olympics next year