Africa

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

Published

5 years ago

May 18, 2021

Reading Time: 3 minutes

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.

Africa

Dive Into a Different Kind of Love This February with Springbok Casino’s ‘Whalentines Month’ and Claim 25 Free Spins

Published

1 week ago

February 2, 2026

Wladimir P.

dive-into-a-different-kind-of-love-this-february-with-springbok-casino’s-‘whalentines-month’-and-claim-25-free-spins

This February, SpringbokCasino.co.za redefines the season of love with ‘Whalentines Month’, a unique feature inspired by the majestic whales visiting South Africa’s coast. The campaign celebrates love as a patient, enduring, and natural force.

Players are welcomed with 25 FREE SPINS on the popular slot Buffalo Mania: Thunder Springs.

“February is usually dressed in red — roses, ribbons, and familiar love stories that come and go as quickly as they arrive,” says Daniel Van Wyke, Casino Manager. “But along South Africa’s coastline, love follows a slower rhythm. Whalentines Month honors that deeper connection.”

The feature explores the ocean’s gentle giants:

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A Romantic Sanctuary: Showcases why South Africa’s waters are a chosen haven for whale courtship.
Oceanic Love Songs: Reflects on the whales’ haunting, far-traveling serenades.
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The post Dive Into a Different Kind of Love This February with Springbok Casino’s ‘Whalentines Month’ and Claim 25 Free Spins appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Africa

Sun International Appoints Mark Sergeant as Chief Operating Officer of Gaming

Published

2 weeks ago

January 29, 2026

Wladimir P.

sun-international-appoints-mark-sergeant-as-chief-operating-officer-of-gaming

Sun International CEO Ulrik Bengtsson has announced the appointment of Mark Sergeant as chief operating officer: gaming, responsible for land-based revenue across the group.

Sergeant will head up the casino operations from February, reporting directly to the CEO. He also brings over 25 years of credible leadership experience across all spheres of Sun International’s operations, from gaming to leisure and hospitality, having led two of the UK’s largest casino groups.

As the group managing director at Genting Casinos he oversaw a portfolio of 35 casinos across the UK, an international casino operation in Cairo, a UK integrated gaming and leisure resort, and two online gaming businesses.

Sun International said the appointment marks another giant leap forward for the group as it pursues its strategy to become a digitally-led, market-leading omnichannel gaming company of scale.

Bengtsson said: “Mark brings all the right skills to drive our gaming operations forward as well as a fresh new perspective for how we can continue to build world-class capabilities”

“In addition to his notable skills, we were also impressed by his leadership expertise and his passion for people. He is widely recognised for building high‑performing teams, developing future leaders, and cultivating service‑driven cultures that will ultimately deliver exceptional customer experiences. He has also played a significant role in championing Responsible Gaming strategies, ensuring operational excellence while upholding the highest standards of compliance, integrity, and customer care.”

The post Sun International Appoints Mark Sergeant as Chief Operating Officer of Gaming appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

AFCON 2025

AFCON’s month of football did not lift iGaming demand — Blask data analysis

Published

3 weeks ago

January 22, 2026

Wladimir P.

afcon’s-month-of-football-did-not-lift-igaming-demand-—-blask-data-analysis

AFCON 2025 ran from 21 December to 18 January, packing 52 matches across 19 matchdays. Given that schedule and the heavy interest in favourites such as Senegal, Morocco, Nigeria and Egypt, many expected a measurable boost in online gambling activity. However, Blask data shows the tournament produced only occasional deviations from normal patterns — even in the nations with teams that reached the final stages.

Key findings from Blask data

No broad uplift: Overall iGaming demand did not climb consistently across markets during AFCON.
Weekly rhythm dominated: The Blask Index largely followed pre-existing weekly patterns; matchday timings rarely overrode those cycles.
Host-country anomaly: Morocco — with more viewer-friendly kick-offs (five of seven on Sundays or Friday evenings) — recorded the largest single day-to-day Blask Index move (26 December, Morocco vs Mali at 21:00 local).
Vertical competition mattered: Live-match excitement often drew attention away from casino play rather than increasing it. Hourly Blask Index figures frequently fell or stayed flat during national-team matches.
Market-share stability: Dominant brands (usually 1–4 operators) retained their daily shares; AFCON did not reshuffle leaders in most markets.

Why AFCON didn’t create a sustained iGaming spike

Calendar beats event noise. Daily and weekly user habits — workweek rhythms, prime-time viewing slots and local schedules — remained the strongest determinants of iGaming demand.
Attention is finite. While live betting benefits from matchday attention, casino verticals compete for the same user time. In practice, watching matches often reduced casino activity.
Operator strategy limits volatility. In markets controlled by a few large operators, firms manage audience attention by shifting promotions across verticals rather than expanding overall demand. That keeps market shares relatively steady.

Notable exception: Nigeria’s operator flip-flop

Nigeria bucked the broader trend: two brands controlling 70%+ of audience attention exchanged top positions frequently. Bet9ja was the 2025 leader overall, but SportyBet overtook it on most AFCON days, including all Nigeria team matchdays — showing how high-profile tournaments can temporarily reorder leaderboards where competition is extremely concentrated.

What this means for operators and marketers

Promotions should be tactical, not assuming scale. Expect matchday windows to deliver spikes in live-bet engagement but not necessarily a net rise across iGaming.
Vertical-specific offers perform better. Tailor live-betting promos during matches and protect casino revenues with off-peak incentives.
Local kick-off times matter. Host nations or markets with viewer-friendly schedules can see stronger short-term lifts — use that to time campaigns.

Conclusion

AFCON 2025 drew continent-wide interest, but Blask’s daily and hourly data indicate no broad, sustained iGaming uplift. Instead, the tournament rearranged attention — boosting live-bet engagement at times while leaving overall demand on its usual calendar-driven trajectory. For operators, the insight is clear: the calendar is king, and major sporting events tend to redistribute, not expand, iGaming activity.

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