Final squads confirmed ahead of RWC Sevens kick-off

By NBC SportsJul 20, 2018, 9:43 AM EDT

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All 40 teams competing in the Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018 have confirmed their final squads for the tournament, which begins Friday at AT&T Park in San Francisco.

Defending champions New Zealand will have its men’s and women’s teams named strong squads for the three-day event.

View the final women’s squads here, and the final men’s squads here.

Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018 will mark the third such tournament with women’s competition and the seventh with men’s, which was first held at Murrayfield, Scotland in 1993.

This year’s event will introduce a new “knock-out” format, meaning that squads will have to win each match to advance in both the men’s and women’s competitions.

World Rugby postponing July test matches

Associated PressMay 15, 2020, 4:44 PM EDT

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World Rugby has postponed July test matches involving southern and northern hemisphere nations because of ongoing restrictions on international travel during the coronavirus pandemic.

The sport’s international governing body issued a statement Friday saying the mid-year test window will be rescheduled when cross-border travel and quarantine regulations are relaxed.

New Zealand had been scheduled to play Wales and Scotland, Australia was set to play Ireland and Fiji and South Africa had planned to host Scotland and Georgia. World Rugby said the postponement is due “to ongoing government and health agency COVID-19 directives.”

Bill Beaumont re-elected as World Rugby chairman

Associated PressMay 2, 2020, 6:43 PM EDT

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Former England captain Bill Beaumont has been re-elected as World Rugby chairman on Saturday after beating Agustín Pichot, the current vice-chairman.

The sport’s governing body says the 68-year-old Beaumont achieved a first-round majority of 28 votes to 23.

Beaumont says: “I am honored to accept the mandate of the World Rugby Council to serve as the international federation’s chairman once again.”

He begins his four-year term after a council meeting on May 12.

French rugby federation president Bernard Laporte becomes Beaumont’s new vice-chairman.