Tournament Rules

1) The Laws of Rugby

The Tournament shall be played in accordance with the 2026 Laws of Rugby Union and the 7s Variations as published by World Rugby.

2) Match Duration

The duration of matches will be seven minutes each half with a one minute half time interval.

3) Team Registration

a) The Team Manager shall register the team’s players for the Tournament with the Event Manager at least 20 minutes before team’s first match. A maximum of thirteen players may be registered to participate in the Tournament.

b) At most twelve of the team’s registered players may play in each game of the tournament. 

4) Coin Toss

The coin toss for each match will take place in the Referees area at the half time interval BEFORE the next game to be played. A Team that fails to have a representative present at the toss will forfeit the toss, and the team present will be given the choice of in which half of the field they wish to begin the game and whether they wish to take the first kick-off or receive it.

5) Tournament Points

Tournament Points in Pool Matches shall be awarded as follows:

a) Win - 3 tournament points

b) Draw – 1 tournament point

c) Loss – 0 tournament points

6) Forfeiture or failure to take the field

a) Team officials are responsible for getting their teams onto the field by the time shown on the draw.

b) Failure to field at least five players will result in forfeiture of the game and thus a walkover for the team that is ready to play with that team:

(i) Being awarded three tournament points; and

(ii) Being credited with three converted tries.

c) The Event Manager is NOT allowed any discretion in this matter.

7) Tie-breakers

a) Pool Matches

If at the end of the Pool Matches two or more sides have the same number of points awarded to them, the final Pool positions will be determined by application of the tie-breakers below in the order in which they appear.

(i) The winner of the match in which each pair of tied Teams have played each other shall be the higher ranked.

(ii) If (i) above is inconclusive then the Team of each pair of tied Teams which has the better difference between points scored for and points scored against in all its Pool Matches shall be the higher ranked of that pair.

(iii) If both (i) and (ii) above are inconclusive then the team of each pair of tied Teams which has the better difference between tries scored for and tries scored against in all its Pool Matches shall be the higher ranked of that pair.

(iv) If (i) to (ii) above are all inconclusive then the team of each pair of tied Teams which has scored the greater number of points in all its Pool Matches shall be the higher ranked of that pair.

(v) If (i) to (iv) are all inconclusive then the team of each pair of tied Teams which has scored the greater number of tries in all its Pool Matches shall be the higher ranked of that pair.

(vi) if none of the above produce a conclusive result then ties will be resolved by a toss of a coin in the case of two tied Teams or by the drawing of lots in the case of three or more tied teams.

b) Knock-out matches

(i) During the knock-out competitions, in the event of a match being drawn at the end of normal time, up to two periods of sudden death (ie “first score wins”) extra time will be played until a winner is determined. The duration of each period of extra time will be five minutes. If neither team has scored in the first period of extra time the teams will change ends without interval and play a second period of extra time. In extra time the Team which scores first will immediately be declared the winner without further play. If neither Team has scored after two such periods of extra time have been completed than the result of the Match will be determined by the toss of a coin.

(ii) A toss by the Team Managers and the Referee will be conducted to determine which team will kick off the the first period of extra time and chose which end the team will kick off from.

8) Playing area

a) There can be no more than seven players from each team in the playing area.

b) When a conversion is being taken, the opposing team must immediately assemble close to their own 10 meter line. Failure to do so shall not prevent the conversion being taken, but an unsuccessful attempt may be retaken if the scoring team wishes to do so.

c) A conversion attempt must be a drop kick, but it may be taken from the field of play or the in-goal area, on a line through the place where the try was scored. The kick shall be taken within 30 seconds of the try being scored.

d) Following a score, the team that scored will restart the match with a drop kick from the half way line.

9) Substitutions

a) A team may nominate and use up to five substitutes in each match.

b) A player who has been substituted may subsequently return to the field of play as a substitute subject to no more than five tactical substitutions being made in total during the match.

c) A player who has been substituted may subsequently return to the field of play as a substitute to replace: 

(i) A player with a blood injury;

(ii) A player with a head injury; or

(iii) A player who has been injured as a result of foul play (as verified by the match officials).

10) Head Injury Assessment

HIA will NOT be in use for this tournament. Players suspected of suffering from a concussion as determined by the Match Doctor will not be permitted to return to play for the remainder of the tournament. The Tournament Doctor’s decision will be final and the Tournament Umpire is NOT allowed any discretion in this matter.

11) Medical personnel

Only medically trained persons, other than players and the referee, may enter the playing area. Teams traveling with designated Team Physios or Team Doctors shall submit the medical qualifications of those persons by November 29th if they wish them to be able to access the playing area. A Tournament Doctor will be appointed by the Event Manager.

12) Team briefings

Coaches may brief their teams at halftime from the touch line but the interval will not be extended to allow such team talks to be completed and the coach may not enter the field of play or the players leave it without the consent of the referee.

13) Water carriers

The coach of a team playing may not act as a water carrier. This is to prevent additional coaching on the field of play. Breaches of this rule may be referred to the Event Manager for further review.

14) Match Official Abuse

If any member of the sideline team, be they coach, substitute, water carrier or medical personnel, use abusive language or actions towards any of the officials during their matches, that individual will given a yellow card and sent to the stand for the remainder of the game. If the that same individual commits a second yellow card offence they will not be allowed back on the sideline.

15) Borrowing players

A team which can field only seven or less than seven players because of injury, may borrow players or reserves from sides that have already been eliminated. A team that borrows a player must retain that player as a member of their squad for the remainder of the Tournament, unless that player is injured, and shall register the borrowed player with the Event Manager before the start of the first match in which the borrowed player is to play.

16) Yellow Cards and Red Cards

A player Red Carded and sent off under law 9 will not be permitted to play again during the tournament and the referee shall submit a written report to the constituent body or Rugby Union of which the player’s team is a member. A player temporarily suspended with a Yellow Card three times during the Tournament, will not be permitted to play again in the Tournament.

17) Referee’s decisions

The referee’s decision on all matters arising during playing of any game will be final.

18) Tournament Rules

The rules of the Tournament – including their interpretation – are matters solely for the Event Manager.