page_title: Women's rugby union
section_title: Women's rugby sevens
hierarchical_section_title: Women's rugby union / Women's rugby sevens
caption_attribution_description: Savannah's Katie Thomen tackling Lauren "Speedy" Buslinger Raleigh Venom vs. Savannah - tournoi de rugby à sept féminin aux Etats-Unis d'Amérique - rugby union seven tournament in the United States
context_page_description: Women's rugby union is a full contact team sport based on running with the ball in hand. The same laws are used in men's rugby union with the same sized pitch and same equipment. Rugby was originally a men's sport, and women's rugby has become popular only more recently. These days, women's rugby gaining a higher profile thanks to international tournaments and financial investment.
context_section_description: The primary annual global competition for women's rugby sevens is the World Rugby Women's World Series. The Women's Series was launched in the 2012-13 season. It features 4-6 tournaments each year.
  Women's rugby sevens at the Hong Kong Sevens has been dominated by New Zealand, with either the New Zealand team (1999–2001) or the Aotearoa Maori team (playing as New Zealand) winning the annual tournament from 1997 until 2007. The United States won the Hong Kong Sevens in 2008 by defeating Canada in the final (New Zealand did not send a team).
  The inaugural Women's Rugby World Cup Sevens tournament took place in Dubai together with the men's tournament in 2009. Australia defeated New Zealand 15–10 in extra-time to become the first to win the Women's Rugby World Cup.
  Women's rugby sevens was included in World Rugby's successful bid to reintroduce rugby to the Olympics in 2016. At the 2016 Olympics, Australia defeated New Zealand in the final to win the gold medal.
  Women's rugby sevens has also been added to several regional multi-sport tournaments, including the Pan American Games in 2015 and the Commonwealth Games in 2018.
caption: A women's rugby sevens game in the United States
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