This archive report was first published on 29 October 2019.
On Tuesday, the World Rugby Council announced that South Africa will host the Rugby World Cup Sevens in 2022, a decision that marks a significant milestone for African rugby.
The tournament, which will be the first to be held in an African nation, is set to take place in September 2022, with the exact dates to be confirmed later.
World Rugby Chairman Sir Bill Beaumont praised South Africa's bid, saying, “Congratulations to South Africa on being elected Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 hosts. We were impressed with South Africa’s detailed and comprehensive bid and we look forward to working in partnership with them on another inspiring and record-breaking tournament.”
South Africa's hosting rights come at a time when rugby sevens is gaining popularity, with the sport set to make its second Olympic appearance at Tokyo 2020.
Meanwhile, Kenya's national men's rugby Sevens team, Shujaa, will be without their talisman Collins Injera at the upcoming Africa Sevens-cum-2020 Olympic qualifiers in Johannesburg, South Africa, due to an arm injury sustained at the Safari Sevens two weeks ago.
