After the success of last year’s inaugural competition, the Shanghai Sevens international rugby tournament returns to Pudong on the first weekend in September for what promises to be a world-class sporting spectacle. Sanctioned by the International Rugby Board, China Rugby Football Union and the Asian Rugby Football Union, it will feature the best Asia has to offer with both a men and women’s international tournament, 16 amateur club squads and a veterans’ match. Overall, the two-day festival of rugby guarantees non-stop, bone-jarring action that will not only entertain, but continue to benefit the development of the sport in China.

Rugby Sevens, also known as seven-a-side, is a form of full-contact rugby union where teams are made up of seven players instead of the usual complement of 15, matches are shorter in length and speed is key. Sevens recently gained Olympic approval and will debut as a medal sport at the 2016 Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In China rugby is known as gan lan qiu, or ‘olive ball’, and traces it roots back to the early 1990s when the Agricultural University of China formed its first team. Growth in popularity saw government recognition and support materialise a few years later. Today, both the Chinese men and women’s sevens squads count themselves among the top teams in Asia.

While the event has a long way to go before it rivals the mighty Hong Kong Sevens Series, organiser Mark Thomas is optimistic about the sport’s outlook on the mainland. “We are fortunate all respective governing bodies, including the Shanghai Government, are committed to supporting the growth of the event this year and well into the future. I think we have set realistic goals this year to increase both scale and participation. We are particularly keen to attract more people to watch some excellent rugby, including a full women's international tournament, and enjoy the festival atmosphere of a sevens event.”