Blow for Blitzboks as Sevens CUT from Commonwealth Games

In a blow for South Africa’s medal chances, rugby sevens has been canned from the schedule at the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

Country flags at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in 2022. Image: Glyn KIRK / AFP

Glasgow has been confirmed as the host of the troubled 2026 Commonwealth Games, with the Scottish city staging a slimmed-down version of the troubled multi-sport event.

The future of the 2026 edition was thrown into doubt when the Australian state of Victoria, the original hosts, withdrew last year citing rising costs.

Green light

But the Scottish government effectively gave the green light to Glasgow last month and the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) announced on Tuesday the 2014 hosts will stage the next Games, with the event taking place from 23 July to 2 August 2026.

The upcoming edition will feature just 10 sports compared to the 19 on show at the 2022 Games in Birmingham, central England.

Para sport will once again be fully integrated as “a key priority and point of difference for the Games”, with six Para sports included on the programme.

That schedule will include athletics and para athletics (track and field), swimming and para swimming, artistic gymnastics, track Cycling and para track cycling, netball, weightlifting and para powerlifting, boxing, judo, bowls and para bowls, as well as 3×3 basketball and 3×3 wheelchair basketball.

In a major blow for South Africa’s chances of a medal, organisers have cut rugby sevens from the programme.

In addition, diving, cycling (road and mountain bike), hockey, triathlon, beach volleyball, cricket, squash, shooting, badminton, table tennis and wrestling and also been shelved.

South Africa won 29 medals at the most recent Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in 2022 – including the gold medal in the men’s rugby sevens.

Those medals were made up of seven golds, nine silvers and 11 bronzes.

That put South Africa ninth in the final medal table.

No need for public funding

The CGF said Glasgow 2026 will deliver more than £100 million of inward investment into the city and is projected to support over £150 million of economic value added for the region.

“On behalf of the entire Commonwealth sport movement, we are delighted to officially confirm that the 2026 Commonwealth Games will take place in the host city of Glasgow,” said CGF chief executive Katie Sadleir.

Britain and Australia have staged five of the last six editions between them but Sadleir believes a slimmed down model will increase the potential pool of future hosts.

“The 2026 Games will be a bridge to the Commonwealth Games of tomorrow,” added Sadleir.

“An exciting first step in our journey to reset and redefine the Games as a truly collaborative, flexible and sustainable model for the future that minimises costs, reduces the environmental footprint, and enhances social impact – in doing so increasing the scope of countries capable of hosting.

The CGF insisted there would be no need of public funding in order to deliver the Glasgow Games, with Australia providing part of the costs after Victoria’s withdrawal.

Victoria pulled out after citing a projected cost of more than A$6 billion.

The Commonwealth Games, held every four years, evolved out of the British Empire Games and is still made up mainly of countries once subject to British imperial rule.