Those followers who bought tickets for this weekend’s Cape Town Sevens on the Cape Town Stadium are in for a impolite shock.

This comes after World Rugby confirmed a surprise, late change to how the pool format will work within the Mother City on Saturday.

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In a change from final weekend’s season opener in Dubai – and a change from how issues labored final season – the 12 groups have been divided into 4 swimming pools of three groups every.

The 4 pool winners will advance on to semi-finals and an opportunity to achieve the medal podium in Cape Town.

That means there shall be no quarter-finals now in Cape Town.

The second positioned groups will enter the Fifth-Eighth place playoffs and the third positioned groups go into the Ninth-Twelfth place playoffs.

This was NOT the case in Dubai this previous weekend – nor final season – the place there have been three swimming pools of 4 groups every with the highest two in every pool plus the subsequent two finest sides progressing to the quarter-finals.

That means a complete of 12 pool matches (down from 18) for each the women and men.

In addition, the truth that there may also be no Last 8 stage means one other EIGHT fewer matches to take pleasure in (4 for the lads and 4 for the ladies).

The swimming pools for Cape Town have been allotted primarily based on rankings on the finish of the Dubai event.

The Blitzboks have been drawn in Pool C alongside Argentina and Ireland.

Argentina completed third in Dubai with the Springbok Sevens aspect in sixth. Ireland have been eleventh.

The Springbok Women’s Sevens aspect will not be in motion in Cape Town.

Meanwhile, the schedule for the weekend has been confirmed with the Blitzboks enjoying Ireland at 11:44 and Argentina at 18:41 of their pool matches on Saturday.

Thanks to the less fixtures, followers should wait a yawning almost SEVEN HOURS between the Blitzboks’ two fixtures.

Cape Town pool fixtures – Saturday, 7 December

Women
09h00: USA v Fiji
09h22: Ireland v Spain
09h44: Japan v China
10h06: Canada v Brazil
12h16: Great Britain v Fiji
12h38: France v Spain
13h00: New Zealand v China
13h22: Australia v Brazil
15h42: Great Britain v USA
16h04: France v Ireland
16h26: New Zealand v Japan
16h48: Australia v Canada

Men
10h38: France v USA
11h00: Australia v Kenya
11h22: Great Britain v Uruguay
11h44: South Africa v Ireland
13h54: New Zealand v USA
14h16: Spain v Kenya
14h38: Fiji v Uruguay
15h00: Argentina v Ireland
17h35: New Zealand v France
17h57: Spain v Australia
18h19: Fiji v Great Britain
18h41: Argentina v South Africa

CAPE TOWN SEVENS POOLS

MEN

Pool A: Fiji, Great Britain, Uruguay

Pool B Spain, Australia, Kenya

Pool C: Argentina, South Africa, Ireland

Pool D: New Zealand, France, USA

WOMEN

Pool A: Australia, Canada, Brazil

Pool B: New Zealand, Japan, China

Pool C: France, Ireland, Spain

Pool D: Great Britain, USA, Fiji

Your ideas on the late change to the pool format and the less matches?

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