Declining crowds in recent years suggest the Wellington Sevens has probably done its dash in the capital, leading sports administrator Martin Snedden says.

The man who delivered New Zealand the 2011 Rugby World Cup says the Wellington Sevens has reached the end of its life cycle and could be destined to leave the capital.

Leading sports administrator Martin Snedden believes the half-full crowds the Sevens now attracts are hurting the event's reputation, and governing body World Rugby will not be able to stomach much more.

"History will judge the Wellington Sevens down the track as being an amazing success story, but what's really apparent now is that it's probably run its course," Snedden told Stuff.

DAVID UNWIN/FAIRFAX NZ Snedden, who was in charge of the 2011 Rugby World Cup organising committee, says the apparent demise of the Sevens is not the fault of tournament manager Steve Dunbar, who was tasked with "trying to pull a rabbit out of a hat" to save the event.

"That's not a negative comment. That's really a reflection of the fact that an event has a life cycle ... and this one seems to have reached the end."

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CAMERON BURNELL/FAIRFAX NZ Sights like this have become all too familiar at the Wellington Sevens in recent years.

Sevens officials are predicting about 15,000 fans will attend the 18th instalment of the annual tournament this weekend at the 34,500-seat Westpac Stadium.

In recent years, organisers have reduced the ticket price, added more entertainment and tweaked the food offerings, but have been unable to return the event to the days when it used to sell out within minutes.

Snedden, who headed the 2011 Rugby World Cup organising committee and is also a former head of New Zealand Cricket, said the declining reputation of the Sevens would likely be weighing on the mind of World Rugby.

MONIQUE FORD/FAIRFAX NZ An academic believes Sevens' organisers had no choice but to take a hard line against excessive drinking at the annual event in Wellington.

"If they were to reach a view that a tipping point had been reached with the Wellington Sevens, then they may consider an approach to New Zealand Rugby (NZR) saying, 'hey, maybe this has done its time in Wellington'," he said.

"Panic won't be part of it. It'll just be trying to work out what the best way forward with this. Is it best to keep trying to re-energise it? Or is it 'maybe we're flogging a dead horse?' That's a judgment call they've got to make."

Snedden recently stepped down as chief executive of Duco Events, the management outfit behind the Auckland-based NRL Nines' tournament - an event many say has contributed to the apparent demise of the Sevens in recent years.

While this year's Sevens tournament is the first in a three-year deal with World Rugby, Snedden said there may be out clauses available to all parties if the financial hit proves too great.

"I think, straight after this event, they need to take a step back again and say, 'OK let's just have a really hard think again' about whether they continue down the track they're going for the next two years or they consider other possibilities."

Snedden believed the Sevens' was suffering from the modern-day trend of people being time-poor, which was making it harder to attract fans to longer-form sports events.

GETTY IMAGES Not event the addition of superstar Sonny Bill Williams to the New Zealand Sevens team last year could bring back the crowds.

"People simply aren't prepared these days to so willingly give up their time as they might have done years ago."

World Rugby refused to answer specific questions about the financial viability of the Wellington tournament.

"With more and more global interest in the Sevens game post the Rio Olympics, we are happy that ticket sales are strong heading into the tournament and are confident that NZR will continue their stellar efforts to ensure fans have a great experience," it said in a statement.

MONIQUE FORD/FAIRFAX NZ Sevens general manager Steve Dunbar believes the future of the Wellington event could become clear within the next three or four weeks.

Sevens' general manager Steve Dunbar said a "thorough debrief" would follow this weekend's event.

"We'll see where things have got to and make some decisions from there."

AUT Associate Professor of sports management Geoff Dickson said axing the tournament was unlikely.

TOM DULAT/GETTY IMAGES Replicating bumper ticket sales of the past has remained out of reach for Wellington Sevens officials.

"From World Rugby's point of view, they don't want a tournament disappearing from, arguably, their strongest market, New Zealand," he said.

"From the point of view of NZR, that makes them feel a little bit awkward, embarrassed, that they might be one of the only rugby unions who are unable to sustain a tournament."

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