Spotless Stadium will host next year's Sydney Sevens at the beginning of February.GETTY IMAGES
Next year’s Sydney Sevens will be played on the first weekend of February at Spotless Stadium instead of Allianz Stadium as Rugby Australia "prepares to roll the dice on staging an event at an oval-shaped ground rather than a rectangular one," according to Tom Decent of the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD. The '19 event was moved from its traditional home because of the NSW government’s A$2B ($1.5B) stadium rebuild plan that is "slated to go ahead at the end of the year." RA's preference was always to honor the last year of a four-year deal and play the Sydney Sevens at Allianz Stadium but has "now been forced to change plans." McDonald Jones Stadium in Newcastle was "explored as a potential back-up venue," but RA is preparing to stage the event at Spotless Stadium -- the home ground of Australian Football League side Greater Western Sydney. While Newcastle was "appealing from a spectator perspective," it is understood event sponsors and World Rugby "pushed for the tournament to be hosted in a major city rather than two hours up the M1" (SMH, 3/22).
