It is hoped that by moving it for from Murrayfield to Scotstoun, recently redeveloped at a cost of £18 million (£28 million/€21 million), it will give a boost to the sport in the run-up to the 2014 Commonwealth Games in the city, as well as providing a £3 million ($5 million€3.5 million) boost to the economy. 

The event at Murrayfield has been losing up to a £1 million ($1.6 million/€1.1 million) each year since it was first staged in 2007 and earlier this year it needed the intervention of Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond to persuade the International Rugby Board (IRB) not to move the tournament from Scotland.

This year's event, won by South Africa, attracted a crowd of only 10,000.


Scotstoun can currently hold a crowd of 5,000 but if the Sevens World Series was held there temporary seating would be brought in to raise that to 15,000. 

Archie Graham, Glasgow City Council's Commonwealth Games spokesman, said: "Rugby sevens is a Commonwealth sport and it is vital that we build excitement ahead of Glasgow 2014.

"We want as many people as possible to watch sevens in the run up to and including the Games.

"World-class events such as the HSBC Sevens World Series would enable us to do that."

Currently Murrayfield is scheduled to host the event on May 5 and 6 next year but plan to switch the event to Glasgow is supported by Ian McLauchlan, the President of the SRU.

"I think it's the best news we've had in Glasgow for a long time; they [the Council's officials] are so keen," he told the Herald.

McLauchlan believes that if the event is a success in the build-up to Glasgow 2014 then it could even host the event at the Commonwealth Games.

At the moment Ibrox Park, the home ground of Scottish champions Glasgow Rangers, is scheduled to host the sport during the Games.

"If they can get Glasgow up and running there in May and it's a success then you take the Commonwealth Games to Scotstoun instead of Ibrox," McLauchlan said.

"We think it's two different audiences for the international sevens and the Commonwealth Games, but they're six weeks apart and I think you can get the same atmosphere for both.

"Ibrox may be too big for it anyway, plus, if Rangers have to qualify for Europe, they are not going to want you playing rugby on their pitch."

The 2011-2012 HSBC World Sevens Series is due to begin on the Gold Coast in Australia on November 25 and 26.

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