Cape Town - While South Africa did not come out tops in this year's Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022, the City of Cape Town and its partners are beaming with pride for having hosted a successful three-day event that drew in thousands of supporters.
According to Official numbers reveal that more than 105 000 spectators attended the Rugby World Cup Sevens at the DHL Stadium between Friday 9 September 2022 and Sunday 11 September 2022.
These figures break the previous record numbers set in 2018 at the Rugby World Cup Sevens (RWC 7s) in San Francisco.
While many had fun, the event had a tinge of sadness as South African Rugby once again bid farewell to its long-serving head coach of the Springbok Sevens team, coach Neil Powell.
SA Rugby said that Neil Powell’s golden reign as international sevens coach came to a disappointing end in Cape Town during Rugby World Cup Sevens at the weekend.
"For Powell, the nine years at the helm of one of South Africa’s most popular sports teams remained a time he will never regret."
On his leaving, Powell said: “We had a great time as a squad, with ninety percent more ups than downs. Sadly, this weekend will be remembered as one of the downs, but it is not something that will get out of the memory bank soon.”
Australia's women's team and Fiji’s men's team were crowned the champions of the Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 on Sunday.
With a total of 84 matches played over three days, the fans in Cape Town and those watching via television around the world were kept enthralled by the fast-paced rugby on display.
Many who attended the event also dressed up and made the most of the performances and activities on offer at the event.
Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis said that it was amazing to see the fans come out in their numbers to watch Africa’s first ever Rugby World Cup Sevens.
“The atmosphere was amazing and the action on the field kept the fans on the edge of their seats. A lot of work has gone into making this a successful event. On behalf of the City of Cape Town, I would like to thank all those involved in the planning and execution of this very special event.
“We would also like to express our gratitude to World Rugby for the confidence in Cape Town’s ability to host major events by bringing Africa’s first RWC 7s event to Cape Town. It was a pleasure to host the thousands of sports lovers in our beautiful city,” said Hill-Lewis.
Castle Lite, among other entertainment partners at the weekend, offered attendees an innovative experience in celebration of the tournament’s first turn on African soil.
A Castle Lite spokesperson said: “The fact remains, music and sports are two languages the world understands and speaks fluently. The 3-day entertainment at the Fan Village joined both the local and international spectators through song and dance.”
Finance and Economic Opportunities MEC Mireille Wenger previously said big events like the Rugby World Cup Sevens and the economic benefits they bring to the Western Cape were significant.
Wenger said the Western Cape Convention Bureau, based in the Province’s official tourism, trade and investment promotion agency, Wesgro, secured 18 bids for the 2021/22 financial year, with an estimated economic impact of R264 million.
She said not only did such events strengthen Cape Town’s tourism and hospitality sector, but they also attracted potential business creators and investors to do business in the Mother City and the Western Cape as a whole.
Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Jacques Moolman said the Rugby World Cup Sevens would further rejuvenate the hospitality sector, which had already seen a significant recovery since the lifting of restrictions on international travel.
