After months of uncertainty, England Rugby Sevens have been handed a short-term lifeline thanks to National Lottery Funding, which will enable them to compete as part of the Great Britain squad at the Tokyo Olympics.<\/p>\n
The 2016 Rio Olympics provided plenty of highlights, but one of them could arguably be the debut of Rugby Sevens at the event.<\/p>\n
The fast-paced matches and end to end action was something that caught the eye and made for an excellent watch.<\/p>\n
With only seven players per team, and each game lasting 14 minutes, it is unique to any other format of rugby.<\/p>\n
England won the first ever seven-a-side tournament to feature national teams in 1973, as well as winning the inaugural World Cup twenty years later.<\/p>\n
The nation has also produced record holders in the sport, with Ben Gollings scoring the most points ever on the Sevens Series, whilst Dan Norton has scored the most tries.<\/p>\n
Even though the stars of the sport may not be household names, they have achieved success on the international stage.<\/p>\n
In the last five years, the men\u2019s GB side have won an Olympic Silver medal in Rio, as well as a third-place finish for England at the 2018 Commonwealth games, whilst the women\u2019s also brought home a bronze medal from the Gold Coast competition.<\/p>\n
They have also competed in the HSBC World Series since 1999, coming head-to-head with some of the best sides in the world.<\/p>\n
Despite this, the future of the sport was plunged into danger last year after the RFU decided to stop funding the program, following the Covid-19 pandemic and the postponement of the Olympics.<\/p>\n
In the months that followed, the lives of the players were turned upside down, both professionally and personally.<\/p>\n
Fortunately, with the help of National Lottery funding, a Great Britain team will compete at this summer\u2019s Tokyo games.<\/p>\n
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A post shared by GB Rugby Sevens (@gbrugbysevens)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n