From Melrose to Hong Kong and now Rio
1883: Sevens rugby was first played at Melrose rugby club in the Scottish Borders, thanks to a creative fundraising ploy by Ned Haig, a local butcher and player
1921: Buenos Aires becomes the first sevens tournament outside of Scotland, followed by one south of the border at Percy Park in North Shields
1968: Hong Kong hosts its first sevens events: the Bill Raich 7s at the Royal HK Police Rugby Club and the Blarney Stone 7s at the HK Football Club
1976: The first official Hong Kong Sevens tournament played. Sponsors, including Cathay Pacific and later Hongkong Bank, sign up, paving the way for what is today known as the world’s leading sevens event. Fiji’s athleticism and fluid style becomes a hallmark of this dazzling spectacle
1993: The inaugural World Cup Sevens takes place at Murrayfield. England beat Australia in the final
1994: Jonah Lomu of New Zealand bursts onto the world scene at the Hong Kong Sevens, widening the global appeal of the format and signalling the birth of rugby’s first international superstar
1999: The IRB World Sevens Series is launched, later becoming the HSBC Sevens World Series. Its key tournaments include Hong Kong, Dubai and the Marriott London Sevens.
2009: The International Olympic Committee decides to include rugby sevens at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro