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Dates and new qualification pathway confirmed as Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 looks to inspire a new generation of rugby fans

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Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 to take place from 9-11 September, 2022; New striking RWC Sevens 2022 brand and RWCSevens.com website unveiled; RWC Sevens 2022 will be contested by 24 men’s and 16 women’s teams; New qualification process will see non-qualified teams qualify only through regional competitions; 16 men’s places and 11 women’s places available for non-qualified teams; South Africa’s women secure automatic qualification as tournament hosts.

World Rugby (www.World.rugby) and hosts South Africa Rugby today confirmed Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 in Cape Town will take place from 9-11 September, 2022.

The eighth edition is the first to be hosted in Africa with organisers anticipating a very special and record-breaking event at the iconic 57,654 capacity Cape Town Stadium.

Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 will be contested by 24 men’s and 16 women’s teams.

The top eight men’s teams and top four women’s teams from the hugely successful RWC Sevens 2018 in San Francisco, USA, have already secured automatic qualification for the tournament in 2022.

The qualified teams for the men’s event are defending champions New Zealand, England, South Africa Fiji, Argentina, USA, France, Scotland, while defending champions New Zealand, France, Australia and USA have already booked their tickets to the women’s event in Cape Town. South Africa’s women will join them as the host nation.

Teams that have not qualified automatically will do so via their respective regional tournaments held in Europe, Oceania, Asia, North America, South America, and Africa. With 16 places available in the men’s tournament and 11 in the women’s from regional competitions.

The HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series will no longer form part of the qualification pathway for Rugby World Cup Sevens. Regional qualification is expected to start in August of this year with further details to be announced at a later stage.

World Rugby Chairman Sir Bill Beaumont said: “We are delighted to announce the tournament dates for Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 alongside the unveiling of a striking new brand that truly captures the unique, fun and carnival spirit of the tournament.

“This is an exciting time for rugby sevens with less than 70 days to go until the upcoming Olympic Games in Tokyo and now with Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 also on the horizon. South Africa has a rich history in hosting world-class international rugby sevens events, and we anticipate that Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 will once again raise the bar for this unique tournament and be like no other.”

“South African rugby is eager to turn the vibrancy of this new brand into the vibrancy of a packed live event where we can showcase both our country and our passion for the sport,” said Mr Mark Alexander, president of SA Rugby. “This will be the first senior World Cup we have hosted since 1995 and we are determined to make it as special in its own way.

“The HSBC Cape Town Sevens has established itself as a major must-see event on our national sporting calendar, but we will be taking Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 to the next level.”

Alongside confirmation of the dates and new qualification pathway, the bespoke tournament brand, developed by World Rugby and SA Rugby, has also been unveiled.

The striking brand radiates unity, energy and passion and celebrates the spirit of rugby sevens that will ignite Cape Town’s finest rugby stage, as the top men’s and women’s teams from around the world compete to be crowned world champions.

World Rugby Chief Marketing Officer Marissa Pace today said “Our goal is to ignite Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 with a bold event mark, reflecting the fast pace and dynamic play of Sevens, but also the vibrancy of Cape Town and South Africa. With Table Mountain at the heart of the new logo, our team has also included elements within to represent both the event year and the iconic Cape Town Stadium. We look forward to watching the brand come to life via our partners and hosts South Africa Rugby.”

The tournament is expected to build on the massively successful 2018 edition hosted at AT&T Park in San Francisco, which attracted record attendance for a rugby event in the USA with a total attendance of more than 100,000 fans.

In addition, RWC Sevens 2018 attracted cumulative domestic and global broadcast audiences of more than 24 million and 31 million viewers respectively, which included a record-breaking live broadcast audience of 1.7 million on its final day. The tournament also leveraged 22.5 million social media video views on World Rugby channels over the course of the event.

Details of the ticket sales launch will be announced later this year.

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SOFTSWISS Launches First South African Project with Mzansibet

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SOFTSWISS, a global tech provider with over 15 years of iGaming expertise, proudly announces the launch of its major South African project with Mzansibet. It marks the first project in the country to utilise both the SOFTSWISS Sportsbook and the SOFTSWISS Casino Platform.

According to the recently released South Africa: iGaming Market Overview 2025 by SOFTSWISS, the country’s iGaming sector is growing at an impressive annual rate of 20–25%, driven by increasing mobile penetration. In line with this trend and evolving player needs, SOFTSWISS strongly focuses on mobile optimisation across its platforms, enabling seamless and enjoyable gaming experiences for Mzansibet players.

The launch in South Africa, ensuring full compliance with local technical standards, required meticulous preparation. SOFTSWISS products – including its sports betting software and online casino platform – underwent rigorous certification with Gaming Laboratories International (GLI), one of the most reputable and globally recognised independent testing laboratories in the iGaming industry. Following this process, the solutions were officially approved for local operation by the Western Cape Gambling and Racing Board – a respected and influential regulator in the region – affirming the high quality and compliance of SOFTSWISS software.

Max Trafimovich, International Non-Executive Director at SOFTSWISS, shares: “Mzansibet entered the market with a bold ambition to become a top-tier brand – and we are not only proud to support that vision from day one, but also well-equipped to ensure its sustainable growth. Leveraging our global and local expertise, we provide the technical, business, and service tools necessary for a smooth launch and scalable development. This is made possible thanks to our robust and stable architecture with 99.999% uptime and a flexible platform ecosystem. In addition, the brand launched a nationwide TV advertising campaign and has already attracted tens of thousands of players across the country – a powerful testament to its growing presence and trust.”

In addition to backend certification, the SOFTSWISS team invested heavily in frontend localisation to align with the partner’s vision and market requirements. The Mzansibet project has been fully adapted to meet South African player behaviour and betting patterns.

 

About SOFTSWISS

SOFTSWISS is an international technology company with over 15 years of experience developing innovative solutions for the iGaming industry. SOFTSWISS provides comprehensive software for managing iGaming projects. The company’s product portfolio includes the Online Casino Platform, the Game Aggregator with over 35,000 casino games, the Affilka Affiliate Platform, the Sportsbook Software and the Jackpot Aggregator. In 2013, SOFTSWISS revolutionised the industry by introducing the world’s first Bitcoin-optimised online casino solution. The expert team counts over 2,000 employees.

The post SOFTSWISS Launches First South African Project with Mzansibet appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Rise & Hustle launches tap-to-earn street game platform in Nigeria with real-world rewards

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Rise & Hustle, Africa’s next-gen tap-to-earn gaming operator, has launched its reward-based mobile street game series in the Nigerian market. Running on its proprietary platform, Rise & Hustle gives players the opportunity to rise from Hustler to Kingpin, earning Bucks during the grind to unlock real-world rewards.

Created for Africa’s mobile-first generation, Rise & Hustle enables taps and achievements to be redeemed for mobile airtime, tangible rewards & Rise Tokens – all without spending a cent. The portfolio of free-to-play games and lottery products is designed in-house, giving Rise & Hustle the ability to deliver energetic and competitive experiences that appeal to players.

The company was co-founded by Anthony Broadhurst, a key player in Africa’s gaming and crypto world, and Josh Jones, an experienced iGaming entrepreneur with a stellar record of building successful platforms.

Rise Tokens are crypto-backed rewards on the Binance Smart Chain and power a real economy that rewards loyalty. Squads and community are central to gameplay with leaderboards, status, and real-time tournaments making each session count.

Embracing AI technology, local partnerships, and sharp design, Rise & Hustle is on the path to becoming Africa’s most culturally relevant gaming operator. A full Real Money Gaming offering is due for launch imminently.

Beyond Nigeria, expansion plans include Kenya and Ghana, with launches scheduled for completion by the close of 2025. As Rise & Hustle scales, it will strengthen collaborations with mobile networks, pioneering brands, and influencers to accelerate mass adoption. With its bold brand, crypto-powered rewards, and laser focus on mobile-first entertainment, Rise & Hustle’s platform is the future.

Rise & Hustle CEO and co-founder Josh Jones commented: “Rise & Hustle is flipping the script on how value is created for an entire generation’s time and talent spent on mobile games. We’re here to turn everyday entertainment into real-world rewards. This isn’t just a game – we’re building a cultural movement where players grind together to reach the top through ambition and hustle.”

The post Rise & Hustle launches tap-to-earn street game platform in Nigeria with real-world rewards appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Shaden Dre Shabalala (Captain of the MSSA Protea Esports Team for MLBB) will lead his brave, and dedicated, team against Madagascar on 23 July 2025 at 19H00)

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With the South African Protea Esports Team for the Mobile Legends Bang Bang title having laid waste to all its opponents in its group (Namibia and Congo), the Proteas now have to do battle against Madagascar.

Madagascar has also won all its matches in its group having beaten both Mauritius and Zimbabwe.

Thus to see which country earns its place to represent Southern Africa at the prestigious IESF World Esports Championships – WEC25 – the two titans will meet on the field of battle.

The winner of this clash on 23 July 2025 will see only one country emerge to represent Southern Africa at IESF’s WEC25.

Thus, there is much at stake, honour, prestige, and a nation’s pride!

The match is a thrilling best-of-five games in which, all MSSA is confident that the Proteas will emerge victorious!

As usual the dedicated team from Waylander Gaming will stream the match on https://youtube.com/@waylander_gaming at 19H00.

The battle hardened veteran team of Protea athletes for the Mobile Legends Bang Bang esports title are:

Name Club Nick Province
Shaden Dre Shabalala (Capt.) King of the Hill SUPER Shady Gauteng
Mogamat Junaid Ismail King of the Hill JụjuMC.♡ Western Cape
Slindokuhle Ndlovu King of the Hill lindo Gauteng
Umer Ali Khan King of the Hill VeloTzy. Gauteng
Schalk Rademeyer Paradox SUPER Light Eastern Cape

The post Shaden Dre Shabalala (Captain of the MSSA Protea Esports Team for MLBB) will lead his brave, and dedicated, team against Madagascar on 23 July 2025 at 19H00) appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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