World Rugby has announced the technically advanced ‘Quantum Sevens’ ball, first used at the Olympic Games in Tokyo will be handled again by the world’s best players at Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 in Cape Town from 9-11 September.
The three-day event will see the eyes of the rugby world turned on South Africa as 40 teams battle for the title of men’s and women’s world champions with organizers expecting a packed stadium with more teams, more action and more at stake than ever seen before at a Cape Town rugby sevens event.
The tailor-made Quantum Sevens ball produced by Gilbert has features specifically designed for rugby sevens and is the most technically advanced sevens rugby ball ever produced.
It has been developed to adapt to the unique style of the sevens game with the Multi Matrix grip offering higher, more defined pimples, increasing the ball’s surface area and enhancing the exciting offload skills showcased by sevens players and much loved by fans around the globe.
Inside the ball, Gilbert have included their highly successful copolymer ‘Air-loc’ bladder which optimises air retention, ensuring the ball remains inflated for the maximum amount of time and their patented ellipse TruflightTM valve, to optimise ball rotation.
The look and feel of the ball design has been inspired by elements of the iconic Table Mountain as part of a youthful, fun and festive brand reflecting the bold, energetic and fearless nature of rugby sevens.
World Rugby Chief Executive Alan Gilpin said: “Anticipation continues to grow towards an exhilarating three days of Rugby World Cup Sevens action in front of a large, loud and passionate crowd in Cape Town in September.
“With its unique rugby sevens tailored features the Quantum Sevens ball performed excellently on its debut at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, and with a Cape Town inspired design the best women’s and men’s sevens players in the world will be looking forward to getting their hands on the ball and showcasing their speed, strength and skills to inspire many new players and fans around the globe.”
Richard Gray, CEO Commercial at Gilbert Rugby, added: “We are delighted to launch the exciting new Rugby World Cup Sevens ball and renew our long and successful relationship with Rugby World Cup Sevens. The 2022 tournament promises to be an unforgettable experience – celebrating the best of South Africa and their passionate relationship with rugby. We look forward to the most electrifying rugby sevens’ players lighting up the pitch in Cape Town with the exciting Gilbert ball at the centre of it all.”
As well as being the official rugby ball of Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 and the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, the Quantum Sevens Match Ball is also the exclusive choice of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series and international sevens teams including Argentina, Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Fiji, France, Ireland, Japan, Samoa, South Africa and USA.
The 2022 edition of Rugby World Cup Sevens follows a hugely successful event in San Francisco, USA in 2018 when New Zealand claimed both the men’s and women’s titles – beating England and France respectively in the finals.
With 15 teams still to qualify over the forthcoming months, the anticipation is building around the globe and remaining tickets can be purchased only via www.rwcsevens.com where full details are available.
Fans can get their hands on one of the official RWC Sevens Replica Balls from Gilbert here.