With 11 days to go until the Olympic rugby sevens competition starts in Tokyo, World Rugby and Gilbert have unveiled the ‘Quantum Sevens’ match ball that will be used by the world’s best sevens players as they compete from 26-31 July at Tokyo Stadium.
The Quantum Sevens ball is the most technically advanced sevens rugby ball ever produced and has been tailor-made with features specifically designed for rugby sevens.
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 impressive offload skills shown by 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.
World Rugby Chief Executive Alan Gilpin said: “Rugby sevens has achieved huge global appeal in a short space of time thanks to its fast-paced, high-octane and skillful nature, with end-to-end action interspersed with incredible offloads and outrageous individual skills.
“As we look ahead with great enthusiasm to the sport’s second Olympic appearance, it is fantastic that Gilbert has produced a match ball tailor-made with technical features specifically designed for rugby sevens. The ball is now in the hands of the players to show the world what they can do on the greatest sporting stage of all.”
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Last week, the match schedule for the men’s and women’s events was confirmed. Each of the six days of action is split into two sessions with six matches involving all 12 teams taking place during each session of the early stages of both the men’s and women’s competitions. The finals sessions will include four matches and the victory ceremony.
In both competitions, the 12 teams are split into three pools of four with those matches taking place over the first day and a half.
The top two teams from each pool, plus the two best third-placed teams, will progress to the last eight. Those quarter-finals take place on the second session of day two, while the resultant semi-finals will happen in the first session of day three.
The final session will feature the matches to decide who claims the greatest honour in world sport and become Olympic medallists.
