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The Eastern Province Rugby Union is confident it will be handed the South African leg of the World Sevens Series this year.

George has played host to the South African leg since 1998 and it has had a positive impact on the economy of the Garden Route.

But that is all set to change this season after Cape Town Stadium, the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth and the Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace in Rustenburg were put forward as alternatives.

The South African Rugby Union (Saru) is expected to make a final decision before the end of March.

EP Rugby Chief Executive Anele Pamba said there was no reason why they should not get it.

“We’ve got a world-class stadium and that gives us an edge over our competitors. There are also signs that the people of the Eastern Cape are hungry for rugby. So yes, we are confident,” he said.

The change from George to Eastern Province could be one of a few changes to the HSBC World Sevens Series over the coming years, with the IRB expected to announce a move from 8 to 10 tournaments imminently. Tokyo looks a possibility as an expansion tournament alongside somewhere in South America such as Argentina or 2016 Olympic hosts Rio, Brazil. Whether the other 7 incumbent tournaments continue remains to be seen with Scotland rumoured to be a possible change with a nation in continental Europe such as Russia or perhaps Geneva, Switzerland.

As the rugby sevens landscape continues to change, the HSBC World Sevens Series moves forward striking into new regions and taking sevens to new markets, as the game continues to grow through exposure. At this time no-one can predict how the series and sevens itself will look in 2 to 5 years time as the journey to 2016 continues.