Hamilton wants London Sevens to become event the capital can't miss

The former Scotland international believes the tournament, which debuted last year, has all the ingredients to carve out a place alongside London’s biggest sporting occasions.

With two-time defending Investec Champions Cup champions Union Bordeaux Bègles, Perpignan and the Barbarians on the bill for Thursday’s extravaganza at the Honourable Artillery Company (HAC), Hamilton, who played 63 Tests for Scotland during his international career and is the Voice of the City 7s, sees a chance to build something that can attract elite players, new audiences and major teams year after year.

“Rugby needs innovation,” he said. “Sevens is a great opportunity as it is an established product already.

“And the London City Sevens is just unique. It’s being played at a venue with an artillery underneath the ground and the pitch that you're playing on. I've played there before – it's a cool place to play.

“You're in a city that already wants rugby, that knows rugby, and that loves rugby. London, it’s the heartbeat of that world. It's a place where business meets sport and entertainment, and that's what sport is now, both at the highest level and globally.

“This is an opportunity to showcase the elite athletes on the pitch, but also a collaboration between businesses and people that are interested in rugby.

“And for me, what excites me is the opportunity, in the future, to have an event like this every year and make this one of the coolest sporting events in London. I hope it grows into being an event that every young athlete or established athlete wants to come play in before the season kicks off.”

Born in the heart of the Square Mile, the London City 7s launched in May 2025 with the aim of bringing world-class sevens rugby back to London after the removal of the European leg from the World SVNS Series calendar.

And once again, London City 7s promises to bring together world-class rugby sevens, business networking and an unforgettable live-event experience.

The inaugural event saw Harlequins edge out a Saracens side which featured England star Noah Caluori, to claim the first title in front of 3,000 corporates at the iconic HAC. With 11 teams competing across men’s and women’s competitions, the event delivers a full day of fast, high-scoring rugby, with pool stages leading through to knockout action and the finals under lights.

The day will begin with the Sport x Business Conference at 9am, before the main event kicks off when gates open at 11am, culminating in the grand finales at 8pm.

Hamilton added: “There's an appetite now for a lot of these athletes to establish themselves in sevens and 15s and cross-pollinate both codes.

“And to have Bordeaux, Perpignan, the Barbarians, it’s really cool. The dream is in the future to have teams from the Prem, the URC and more Top 14 teams, and maybe a team from the US that can come in as well.”

World-class rugby sevens on your doorstep, fast, high-scoring action with great food, drink and an electric City crowd. A premium day out, whether you're a die-hard fan or here for the occasion.

London City 7s brings eleven teams to the heart of the City for one day of elite rugby sevens, a nine-team men's competition of four professional sides and five UK challenger teams, plus a two-team women's competition.