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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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African iGaming Alliance Appoints Former Botswana Regulator Peter Kesitilwe as CEO

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The African iGaming Alliance (AIA) announced the appointment of Peter Kesitilwe, former CEO of the Botswana Gambling Authority, as its first Chief Executive Officer.

The Alliance – founded by betPawa, Betway, 888Africa and Sportybet – was established to promote a responsible, well-regulated online betting and gaming industry across Africa. Its mission is to advance fair competition, consumer protection and sustainable regulatory and tax frameworks that support both growth and responsibility.

“I am deeply honoured to be appointed as the AIA’s first CEO. I look forward to working with regulators and policymakers to build a vibrant, sustainable & competitive industry that upholds the highest standards of responsible gambling and consumer protection,” said Kesitilwe.

Board members welcomed Kesitilwe’s appointment:

Anthony Prissman, Betway Africa : “Peter’s strong regulatory background and leadership experience bring immediate credibility to the AIA. We are excited to work with him to help shape a responsible industry across the continent.”

Dan Thomson, betPawa : “Peter’s appointment reflects the strength of the AIA and our mission to build a vibrant, well-regulated sector throughout Africa.”

Gregory Parsons, SportyBet: “The AIA was created to support balanced regulation and raise standards for responsible gambling. Peter’s leadership marks the beginning of this journey.”

Christopher Coyne, 888Africa: “Following a rigorous recruitment process, Peter’s vision for the future of iGaming in Africa stood out. We look forward to working with him and engaging stakeholders to deliver that vision.”

The AIA aims to be the voice of the online gaming industry in Africa, fostering collaboration between operators, regulators and governments to create a transparent, responsible and commercially sustainable sector.

The post African iGaming Alliance Appoints Former Botswana Regulator Peter Kesitilwe as CEO appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Racing1 is exhibiting for the first time at the Grand Prix D’Afrique

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Full-service hub, uniting four content leaders of racing in 1/ST CONTENT, ARC, RMG and Tabcorp, is set to reinforce its existing racing alliance with SOREC at key Casablanca summit

Racing1, the brand name for the newly formed Strategic Alliance between 1/ST CONTENT, Arena Racing Company (ARC), Racecourse Media Group (RMG) and Tabcorp, is making its conference debut at the Grand Prix D’Afrique (11-13 September, Casablanca), thanks to its partners at SOREC (Société Royale d’Encouragement du Cheval).

The Grand Prix D’Afrique (GPA) has quickly become a must-attend annual event for African lotteries, organized by SOREC and run in conjunction with the African Lotteries Association (ALA). After three successful editions in Marrakesh, the GPA has now moved to Casablanca, Morocco’s economic capital, for this upcoming renewal.

Racing1’s compelling daily timetable of engaging racing action from around the world (UK, North and South America, Turkey, Morocco, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa) boasts a 24/7 chronology to seamlessly complement any lottery or sportsbook programme across any time-zone, supplying global partners with a reliable source of fast-settling betting content at varied viewing windows throughout diverse territories.

Via the Racing1 brand, 1/ST CONTENT, ARC, RMG and Tabcorp are deploying their combined expertise to deliver targeted, localised solutions that appeal to assorted audiences, whether they’re already familiar with racing, or new to the sport and in need of more educational content.

Simon Fraser, spokesperson for Racing1, said: “It’s great to welcome industry delegates to our new stand, where we are demonstrating how Racing1 has conveniently crystallised a once-entangled worldwide web of racing rights into one package, enabling simpler consumption which is crucial in emerging markets.

“Via Racing1’s subsidiary product, Racing1 Markets, we can also demonstrate our one-stop-shop 24/7 racing solution, available in one simple contract and integration via our new iFrame, or existing API solution.

“Racing can be complicated, particularly for those unfamiliar with the space, and a key driver behind Racing1 is to simplify integration and contractual efforts for customers, whilst offering a fully outsourced 24/7 industry-leading offering direct to platforms and operators. It also signals Racing1’s wider intent to return better value to racing’s key stakeholders through more international deals, not merely through the domestic operators where racing is seen as a more traditionally consumed sport.

“Stop by our stand to see how Racing1 benefits consumers and operators alike – with a complete racing package via one contract and one integration.”

The post Racing1 is exhibiting for the first time at the Grand Prix D’Afrique appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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BetKing Renews Ikorodu City FC Partnership for 2025/26 NPFL Season

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BetKing, Nigeria’s leading sports betting and digital entertainment brand under KingMakers, has renewed its official partnership with Ikorodu City Football Club for the 2025/26 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) season.

This marks the third consecutive year of collaboration between both organisations, highlighting a shared commitment to grassroots development, youth empowerment and the growth of Nigerian football.

Since the partnership began in 2023, Ikorodu City FC, popularly known as the Oga Boys, has risen rapidly through the ranks, earning promotion to the NPFL in 2024 and finishing an impressive fourth place in their debut 2024/25 campaign.

Their season was highlighted by a record-breaking 6–0 victory over Katsina United, one of the most dominant results in NPFL history.

BetKing’s support for Nigerian sports extends far beyond football. The company recently commissioned a modern mini sports complex at Ifako Ijaiye, already serving over 400,000 community members, including neighbouring communities.

The post BetKing Renews Ikorodu City FC Partnership for 2025/26 NPFL Season appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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