Brentford’s Gtech Community Stadium will host this year’s Women’s World Sevens tournament, marking the format’s first appearance on UK soil.
Aston Villa, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham are all confirmed for the competition’s third edition, which has previously been held in Portugal and the United States in 2025.
United are taking part for the second time, while Villa will make their debut in the nascent tournament, scheduled to run from 28-30 May.
That will see things wrapped up a day before the Women’s FA Cup final at Wembley, with Liverpool, Brighton, Chelsea and Manchester City the only teams still in the mix.
The remaining clubs, who will all be from the Women’s Super League, will be confirmed in the coming weeks.
“We’re excited to take on a brand new challenge,” said Andy Rogers, Tottenham Hotspur Women’s managing director.
“The World Sevens is a fast-paced competition which can present us with new perspectives on the pitch, while also bringing the fans ever closer to the action.”
Maggie Murphy, Villa’s managing director, added: “It’s a great opportunity to be part of something a little different in the women’s game and we’re looking forward to it.”
How Does the World Sevens Work?
World Sevens is similar to Rugby Sevens in pace and excitement. With no offsides, 15-minute halves and rolling substitutes, the games are fast and hard-fought, with goals almost guaranteed.
As the name suggests, teams are shrunk to seven players apiece; each team plays between three and five matches on grass pitches half the size of the usual 11-a-side field.
While only seven players are allowed in the starting line-up, teams can have double that number in their match squads.
And those extra numbers will be needed, as there’s a lot of football condensed into a relatively short timeframe.
Eight teams are split into two groups, playing in a round-robin format over the first two days. The top two clubs in each group progress to the semi-finals, followed by the grand final.
Brentford has a history of hosting high-profile games at previous women’s football tournaments, including Euro 2022, which the Lionesses famously went on to win.
The Gtech Community Stadium will be filled with a carnival atmosphere once again, as the World Sevens brings its usual energy with DJ sets, smoke cannons and plenty of merchandise.
What’s Up For Grabs?
There’s certainly a sizeable cash incentive for teams to compete in the World Sevens. Previous events in Estoril and Fort Lauderdale offered a prize pot of $5m (£3.76m), split among the eight teams.
This year, however, it will be lower, with a total of $1.5m (£1.1m) on the table.
The winner will earn $500,000 (£372,000), while second place receives $250,000 (£186,000).
The remaining prize money will be split across those who finish in the top four, with 50% going directly to the players and staff competing, and the other half going to the club.
World Sevens, co-founded by entrepreneurs Jennifer Mackesy and Justin Fishkin, is thought to be assessing where best to distribute funds globally after pouring huge investment into the growing format.
Mackesy, who’s the minority owner of Gotham FC and Chelsea, and other financiers have pledged $100m to the competition over five years.
Tournament organisers have previously said they could host up to three World Sevens tournaments a year, held across multiple continents.
