World Rugby has today confirmed that Gilbert - the world’s leading rugby ball brand - has extended its partnership with HSBC SVNS in a multi-year deal.
The announcement comes ahead of the highly anticipated inaugural HSBC SVNS Grand Final in Madrid on 31 May - 2 June, and in advance of the Olympic Games Paris 2024, which rugby sevens has the honour of kicking off on 24 July.
Today’s announcement marks the continuation of a long standing and strong relationship between Gilbert and the short format of the game as Gilbert has been the official match ball of the Sevens Series since its inception in a partnership dating back to 1999.
HSBC SVNS - the global international rugby sevens series - was reinvigorated for the 2024 season, resulting in greater competitiveness than ever before, increased jeopardy to thrill fans and a fresh focus on fan engagement to drive new audience growth around the world.
Worldwide leaders in rugby ball technology, innovation and quality, Gilbert are the perfect fit for World Rugby’s leading sevens competition, having developed the first match ball specifically for sevens rugby some twenty years ago. With 200 years of expertise in crafting the finest rugby balls, Gilbert has created a unique design for each round of the HSBC SVNS complete with the eye-catching new branding introduced for the 2024 season.
Gilbert's dedicated support for rugby around the globe extends beyond SVNS as they also partner with World Rugby development programmes and provide the market leading Gilbert match ball to the Top 20 World Rugby ranked Men’s teams and Top 10 Women’s teams for the first time ever.
Gilbert CEO Richard Gray said: “We’re delighted to extend our partnership with World Rugby into the revitalized SVNS series. The new SVNS Series has kicked off with a bang this season and it’s fantastic to see a growing rugby audience engaging with the shorter format of the game.
“The unique balls our team has created for each series event have been well received by fans across the globe and we look forward to seeing the Grand Final kick off in Madrid this weekend as we lead into providing the balls for the Rugby Sevens at the Olympic Games in Paris in July.”
World Rugby Sevens General Manager Sam Pinder said: “We are very pleased to continue rugby sevens’ longstanding partnership with Gilbert as the world’s leading rugby ball brand.
“Many players have commented positively on the eye-catching design and impressive feel of the ball this season, which enables the teams to showcase their talents and thrill the growing rugby sevens audience around the world with their skills.”
“There has never been a more exciting time for rugby sevens with the inaugural season of HSBC SVNS, an evolving Challenger Series bringing the sport to new countries and the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris where sevens is set to be one of the stars of the show. We look forward to continuing rugby sevens’ journey together with Gilbert.”
