A rugby union version of the Hundred aimed at attracting younger fans to the sport is to be launched in September. The world’s leading sevens players, possibly bolstered by some exciting up-and-coming 15s talent, have been contracted to play in the Ultimate Sevens Championship which will involve events in Spain, Wales and France followed by a grand final at Brentford’s Gtech Community Stadium in west London on 24 September. The new tournament will feature six men’s and women’s teams with an initial player salary budget of £2m. The top 75 players on the world sevens circuit have already been recruited to represent one of six squads representing six different global regions with the aim of attracting future individual franchise investment. “We’ve secured incredible host city locations, committed the sport’s top athletes and signed partners who genuinely understand what we’re building,” said Barney Pascall, the managing director of Ultimate Sevens.…