Supersevens
| Sport | Rugby sevens |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2019 |
| Administrator | National Rugby League (LNR) |
| No. of teams | 16 (men) 12 (women) |
| Country | France Monaco |
| Most recent champions | French Barbarians (3rd title) (Men) AC Bobigny (1st title) (Women) |
| Most titles | French Barbarians (3 titles) |
| Broadcasters | Canal+ Canal+ Sport |
| Sponsor | In Extenso (title sponsor) |
| Level on pyramid | Professional |
| Official website | supersevens.lnr.fr |
The Supersevens is a professional rugby sevens competition organised by the Ligue nationale de rugby (LNR) since 2020. It is the first professional rugby sevens tournament ever held in France. For sponsorship reasons, the competition has been officially known as the In Extenso Supersevens since its inception in 2020.
Following rugby sevens’ inclusion in the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, French rugby authorities announced their goal of developing the sport domestically and enhancing its competitiveness and popularity.[1] Eight years later, the French men's national sevens team captured the Olympic title at the 2024 Paris Games.
History
Beginning with the 2019–20 season, the LNR established the Supersevens, the first professional rugby sevens competition in France. Sixteen teams participate:
Each squad consists of 20 players.[1] Clubs must select at least fifteen players from their own rosters, including a minimum of three professionals, and may recruit up to four additional players — either members of the France Sevens setup, Pro D2 or Fédérale 1 clubs from the same regional league, or short-term signees such as unattached players or international sevens specialists.[2]
The Monaco team, the Monaco Rugby Sevens, was created as an association for the inaugural edition by former France international Frédéric Michalak.[3]
In September 2019, the LNR announced that the French Barbarians would serve as the invited team from 2020 through 2023, featuring players from Pro D2, Fédérale 1, and foreign federations.[4]
The first edition, held as a one-day event at Paris La Défense Arena, was won by Racing 92, becoming the first professional French rugby sevens champion. The 2020 season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the competition resumed in 2021 with a new format including three preliminary stages and a grand final.
Competition format
The inaugural 2019–20 edition took place as a single tournament on 1 at Paris La Défense Arena, with Racing 92 crowned champion. The second season was initially scheduled to include summer stages before the COVID-19 pandemic in France forced its cancellation.[5] The 2020–21 edition was also cancelled.[6]
From 2021 onward, the competition has been staged over three consecutive weekends in August, prior to the start of the Top 14 season.[5] Sixteen teams compete in a knockout format beginning with the round of 16. The winner of each stage qualifies directly for the final stage in November, which features the eight best-performing teams from the qualifiers.[1]
For the 2026 season, the format was revised to include two summer stages, ensuring parity between the men's and women's tournaments: while the men's series loses one round, the women's circuit gains an additional event.[7]
Champions
Men’s winners
| Season | Stages | Final venue | Winner | Runner-up | Third place |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 1 | Paris La Défense Arena, Nanterre | Racing 92 | Section Paloise | RC Toulon |
| 2021 | 4 | French Barbarians | Monaco Rugby Sevens | Racing 92 | |
| 2022 | 4 | Monaco Rugby Sevens | Section Paloise | Racing 92 | |
| 2023 | 4 | French Barbarians | Section Paloise | ASM Clermont Auvergne | |
| 2024 | 4 | French Barbarians | Section Paloise | Union Bordeaux Bègles | |
| 2025 | 4 | TBA | TBA | TBA |
Women’s winners
| Season | Stages | Final venue | Winner | Runner-up | Third place |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 4 | Paris La Défense Arena, Nanterre | French Barbarians | Section Paloise | Union Bordeaux Bègles |
| 2025 | 2 | TBA | TBA | TBA |
Media and sponsorship
Broadcasting
In 2019, Canal+ acquired the broadcast rights for the competition — along with the Pro D2 — for seven seasons, covering 2020 to 2027, including the initial 2019–20 event.[8]
Title sponsor
On 25, the LNR announced that the competition would be officially named the In Extenso Supersevens under a title sponsorship agreement with In Extenso, a national accounting and business services firm for SMEs and small enterprises.[9] The partnership was renewed in 2025 through the 2030–31 season.[7]
References
- ^ a b c d Bourel, Renaud (14 June 2019). "Supersevens: La LNR lance la première compétition sportive professionnelle de Rugby à 7 en France". L'Équipe. Retrieved 29 July 2019.
- ^ Muzeau, Sylvain (24 May 2019). "Création de la compétition professionnelle « Super Sevens » pour 2020". FFR.fr. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
- ^ Gehin, Nicolas (31 October 2019). "Frédéric Michalak: "L'équipe monégasque sera un peu une dream team du rugby à 7"". Monaco Hebdo. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
- ^ "Les Barbarians intègrent le Supersevens". L'Équipe. 13 September 2019. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
- ^ a b Fadat, Jérémy (22 April 2020). "Phases finales : le premier scénario officiellement abandonné". Rugbyrama. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
- ^ "L'édition 2021 de l'In Extenso SuperSevens annulée". Rugbyrama. 2 December 2020. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
- ^ a b Bernès, Frédéric (25 September 2025). "Le Supersevens change de format et se féminise". L'Équipe. Retrieved 1 October 2025.
- ^ Bourel, Renaud (29 July 2019). "Attribution de l'intégralité des droits audiovisuels de la Pro D2 et du Supersevens à Canal+ pour 7 saisons, à compter de 2020-2021". LNR.fr. Retrieved 29 July 2019.
- ^ "La ligue nationale de rugby et In Extenso s'associent pour le lancement de l'« In Extenso Supersevens »". LNR.fr. 25 November 2019. Retrieved 25 November 2019.