The Rugby World Cup Sevens tournament kicks off this Friday in Cape Town, South Africa, with the Sevens format proving an exciting one to watch and a popular one to bet on.
Check out Jim Tucker’s preview and best bets for both the men’s and women’s draw below!
2022 Rugby World Cup Sevens Preview & Betting Tips
Toss out everything you traditionally think of for a Rugby Sevens tournament format. The Rugby World Cup Sevens in Cape Town from Friday afternoon is played in a straight knockout format. With pool play, you can sometimes drop a match and still advance to the finals as the Australian women did recently at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games. The Aussies tripped up against Fiji in pool play, still advanced, beat New Zealand in an epic semi-final and won the gold by beating Fiji in the final. In Cape Town, one slip up and the prize is gone. It’s a shorter format too. The winning men’s and women’s team will play just four matches...a Round of 16 game on Day 1, a quarter-final on Day 2 and a semi-final and final on Day 3. It’s a format made for an upset outcome.
Women's Rugby World Cup Sevens Preview
Bet365 has set the Kiwis ($2.00) and the in-form Aussies ($2.37) as clear favourites to win the women’s event with only the Fijians ($5.50) as a possible spoiler.
The young guns in the Aussie line-up have really revitalised the sevens program and are running high on confidence. We’re talking about the brilliant Madi Ashby, with her ball-playing and running, long-striding finisher Maddi Levi, Faith Nathan and Co. They are thriving off the guidance of World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year cert Charlotte Caslick and veteran Sharni Williams, who will flip to the 15-a-side game for her fourth World Cup in New Zealand after this tournament. At 34, this will be Williams’ sign-off sevens tournament in gold after a magnificent career. It’s a special something for the whole team to play for.
The Aussies have beaten the Kiwis in Langford (Canada) and at the Commonwealth Games in recent tournaments while the Kiwis got one back by winning the final in Toulouse. The Aussies don’t have an easy draw. After they stroll by Madagascar in Friday’s opener, they’ll likely have to beat England and the USA to make the final. The Aussies are a far better team than the one which lost in pool play to the USA at the Tokyo Olympics last year but there is danger. The Aussies are the value to win the event considering their World Series and Commonwealth Games highs already this season.
The Kiwis are switched on for this and the bookies probably have it right at $2.00. Teenager Jorja Miller is a fresh and exciting face for them. For a bet, take the eight first round favourites as a multi at $1.95. It’s available at TAB.
Eight First Round Favourites MULTI
$1.95 (5 Units)
Men's Rugby World Cup Sevens Preview
The men’s Rugby World Cup Sevens event is far closer. If we are to separate three from the pack, it has to be Fiji ($3.25), South Africa ($4.33) and New Zealand ($4.33). The Aussies are hovering around $5.50 at Bet365.
The format here consists of a “Pre-Round” of eight matches which is a way of saying “Jamaica, Korea, Germany, Zimbabwe and Co... take your best shot.” The eight winners will join seeds South Africa, Fiji, Australia, NZ, England, France, USA and Argentina in the Round of 16 matches later on Day One. A few factors are in play.
The South Africans rouse themselves on home soil and there’s the potential for a 50,000-strong crowd to stir them even more. They are coming off a stunning 31-7 upset of Fiji for gold at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games. The Blitzbokke beat Fiji and made it all the way to a final against NZ in the South Africa Sevens when they were last played in 2019 in Cape Town. The organisers can’t pick South Africa’s opponents, but they can plan the timings. The South Africans play the last game in the feature slot on Day One and, should they win, on Day Two as well. The way the draw looks, they’ll have to beat Fiji and NZ to win this event which is a massive ask.
The Kiwis won over Fiji in the final of the recent Los Angeles Sevens but lost four players to injury through the tournament. Strategically, they rested experienced weapons Sam Dickson, Scott Curry and Dylan Collier from LA so all will be fresh additions for Cape Town.
Back Fiji or the Blitzbokke to win this. The Australians are World Series Sevens champions because of their consistency not because they win a lot of tournaments (one from nine in the 2021-22 World Series). They were held to a 12-all draw by Uganda at the Commonwealth Games yet upset NZ to win the London Sevens final. They could spring an upset at any time in Cape Town so stay tuned.
Fiji to Win
$3.25 (3 Units)
