BREAKING: The Wellington Sevens has officially been moved

Dark day for Wellington but a bright day for Hamilton, as the news that the capital have been dreading is here.

Hamilton will be the home of the New Zealand leg of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series for 2018 and 2019.

Wellington's Westpac Stadium has hosted the event since 2000 but crowd numbers have dwindled in recent years from the glory days when the tournament would sell out in a matter of hours.

The announcement of the shift was made by New Zealand Rugby's Chief Strategy and Operations Officer Nigel Cass at FMG Stadium Waikato today.

Cass said Hamilton offered a world-class stadium built for rugby fans, a central location for travelling fans, and most of all, a host community that loves rugby.

"Hamilton and the Waikato region are rugby mad and we're looking forward to introducing international sevens to the local community and for visiting fans from around New Zealand to experience the heart of rugby in New Zealand."

• This article was first published on nzherald.co.nz and is republished here with permission.