South Africa will be looking for a winning start in Cape Town © Getty Images

Enlarge

The South African leg of the HSBC World Sevens Series will move to Cape Town from next year, the South African Rugby Union (SARU) announced on Friday.

Cape Town Stadium - the stadium built for the 2010 FIFA World Cup - and not Newlands will host the event which will move from the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth. Cape Town is the third venue change for next season with the Australian leg shifting to Sydney from the Gold Coast and Vancouver unveiled as a brand new destination.

SARU chief executive Jurie Roux said Cape Town was the perfect location to fulfil World Rugby's request for iconic locations as Sevens prepares to make its debut at the Rio Di Janeiro Olympics.

"World Rugby wanted global iconic destinations to showcase the new Olympic sport of Rugby Sevens and a world-class stadium, in a world-class city in the shadow of a World Heritage site in Table Mountain provides exactly that," Roux said.

"We enjoyed our stay in George and more recently in Port Elizabeth where we were able to grow the event with the help of the Municipality and the support of the Eastern Province Rugby Union and Eastern Cape fans and we thank them for that. But as the World Sevens Series has grown - and with it the requirements and the expectations - so we needed to go to the next level and Cape Town allows us to do that.

"Cape Town is sports-mad and their crowds frequently top the attendance charts in SA and it is a rugby city. The Fan Walk to the stadium and the proximity of entertainment areas such as the V&A Waterfront are an added bonus and will capture and amplify the unique vibe of Sevens Rugby. It also has the added advantage from World Rugby's perspective of numerous direct international flights and significant hotel capacity, which will ease some of the logistical issues."

World Rugby chairman Bernard Lapasset said Cape Town would be an exciting addition to the Sevens circuit.

"Cape Town is one of the world's iconic cities - a major tourism and sporting destination that has proven to be an exceptional and warm host. Its inclusion within a stellar World Rugby Sevens Series schedule is exciting for fans around the world.

"I am confident that the South Africa Sevens in Cape Town will inspire new audiences and participants and contribute to the continued strong growth of rugby in South Africa and around the world."