World Rugby confirms SVNS 3 joins top-tier Dubai Sevens for first time in November

World Rugby has confirmed that HSBC SVNS 3 will take place alongside the top-tier HSBC SVNS event at the Emirates Dubai Sevens on November 27-28, marking the first time the third-tier competition has shared a stage with the elite division at the fan-favourite tournament.

Six international men’s and women’s teams will compete in SVNS 3, with most squads having already secured their places through regional qualifying. In the men’s draw, Hong Kong China, Canada, Italy, Chile, Zimbabwe and Samoa have all confirmed their spots. China, Mexico, Poland, Colombia and Samoa are among the women’s teams confirmed, with one berth still to be decided.

The stakes are significant: the top two finishers in both the men’s and women’s competitions will earn promotion to SVNS 2, which itself offers a pathway to the HSBC SVNS World Championship. SVNS 2 fixtures are scheduled across Nairobi, São Paulo and Montevideo in early 2026.

“The return of HSBC SVNS 3 to Dubai is another important moment for the development of international rugby sevens and our ambition to create meaningful opportunities for more nations to compete on the global stage,” said World Rugby Sevens World Series General Manager Sam Pinder. “With promotion to HSBC SVNS 2 at stake, there is plenty to play for.”

SVNS 3 will run concurrently with the first division, which features the top eight women’s and men’s teams in the world. New Zealand are the defending champions at both levels, with the Black Ferns Sevens and All Blacks Sevens claiming titles at last year’s Dubai event.

Dubai opens the 2025-26 SVNS season, with Cape Town to follow before the New Year. Singapore, Perth, Vancouver and New York will host the remaining regular-season legs, ahead of a World Championship spread across Hong Kong, Valladolid and Bordeaux, where 12 women’s and men’s teams will contest the circuit’s top prize. Teams competing in SVNS 3 in Dubai could, in theory, qualify for the World Championship through the promotion pathway.