World Sevens Series: 2020-21 Further cancellations in Hamilton and Sydney

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption, The New Zealand men have won 13 World Sevens Series titles, but they will not host any of the 2021 events

The Hamilton and Sydney legs of the 2020-21 World Sevens Series in January have been cancelled because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The combined Dubai and Cape Town event had already been scrapped, and World Rugby now plan for a return to action in Hong Kong and Singapore in April.

World Rugby also say it will provide funding to Olympic-qualified teams.

Around 拢1.86m is available for men's and women's teams preparing for next summer's rescheduled Tokyo Games.

Both events will include 12 teams each, although two qualification spots are currently undecided in the women's competition, while one place still remains in the men's.

"This will ensure Olympic-qualified teams have the necessary training and high-level competition opportunities to optimise their performance and light up the biggest sporting stage at the Games in Tokyo," said World Rugby chief executive Brett Gosper.

The move follows the announcement that Wales Sevens men's team has been suspended for the "foreseeable future" because of the impact of the pandemic.