Singapore Rugby sets world pass record

Singapore - Singapore late on Tuesday surpassed the world record for most rugby passes in an hour as part of activities before it hosts a leg of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series next year, organisers said.

Twenty-one national players completed 4 002 passes (66.7 per minute / 1.11 per second) during the time period, beating the Guinness Book world record of 2 336 set by Maccabi GB junior team in England in 2013, Singapore Rugby said in a statement.

The rules call for players, standing at least 5.0 yards (4.6m) apart, not to drop the ball during the entire hour, and every pass must be a standard rugby pass.

The record-breaking attempt was part of a day-long carnival to drum up support for Singapore's hosting of the eighth leg of the World Rugby Sevens series on April 16 and 17 at the city-state's National Stadium, the organisers said.

The series kicked off in Dubai earlier this month and will go to South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, the United States, Canada and Hong Kong before coming to Singapore.

France and England host the final two legs.