Sevens retain awesome eight
2 Aug 2007
The success of last year’s Sevens series has seen the IRB announcing the same eight venues for the 2007/8 competition.
The series will once again kick off with the tournament in Dubai, the leg which South Africa won in 2006. Tournaments in Adelaide, San Diego and Edinburgh were such a success in the previous series they have been retained for another term.
“The inclusion of these exciting new locations into the series proved popular and also served to foster the growing global appeal of Rugby Sevens. Each Tournament was a resounding success with over 25,500 fans attending in Adelaide while San Diego’s attendance of 25,000 was a record for a USA Sevens event,” said IRB Sevens Manager, Beth Coalter.
“The series climax in Edinburgh was also a huge success with the competitive action on the field backed up by an attendance of almost 30,000 over the two competition days to see New Zealand lift the title.”
New Zealand won the series on the last day in Scotland which indicates just how tight the title race between New Zealand, Fiji and Samoa was throughout the competition.
“The 2006/07 series was without doubt the most successful in the history of the event, setting new broadcast and attendance records, while the standard of competition on the pitch reached new levels. A total of 32 Unions participated across the eight series Tournaments while there were four different Cup winners, with Samoa securing a series Cup title for the first time,” said Coalter.
IRB Sevens Series 2007/08 Schedule:
Dubai – Nov 30/Dec 1
South Africa – Dec 7/8
New Zealand – Feb 1/2
USA – Feb 9/10
Hong Kong – Mar 28/29/30
Australia- Apr 5/6
England – May 24/25
Scotland – May 31/June 1
9 Comments
2 Aug 2007, 15:30 pm
DRAGONS! DAARSY KOOS!
2 Aug 2007, 23:46 pm
Tweede ;(
3 Aug 2007, 00:54 am
Hong Kong and Wellington are the only festival venues for Sevens. The others are boring.
3 Aug 2007, 01:07 am
SA rugby drops bombshell
02/08/2007 22:39 – (SA)
Hennie Brandt, Beeld
Durban – South African Rugby on Thursday started baring its teeth in an attempt to put a stop to European clubs’ raids on our country’s best players.
No South African player who decides to play abroad after this year’s World Cup tournament will be considered again for Springbok representation at Test match level.
This decision was taken at a meeting of the president’s council of the South African Rugby Union (Saru) at a hotel near O R Tambo Airport in Kempton Park.
In the past few months South African rugby has been suffering under the wealthy European clubs’ efforts to procure the services of our top players.
Springbok captain John Smit and lock Victor Matfield are among the big names who will play in France after the World Cup tournament.
Hooker Gary Botha followed suit last week with his decision to play for the English club Harlequins.
Other members of the World Cup squad who will play overseas next year are Percy Montgomery and Butch James.
The extent of the raid is clear considering that eight players from a small union like Griqualand West have already signed contracts with overseas club teams.
Several other top Currie Cup players have also decided to seek their salvation abroad after 2007.
Have to make a business decision
A member of the president’s council said after Thursday’s decision that players can’t be forced not to play abroad.
“But they will now have to make a business decision if they want to go and play abroad, because after the World Cup tournament they will not be considered for the Springboks.â€
There has long been a concern about the exodus of South African players to Europe.
The role of sponsors in South African rugby, which pays big money for their sponsorships, was also taken into account in Thursday’s decision. There is concern that sponsors will withdraw if they have to be satisfied with second-rate players in series that they sponsor.
Other reasons for Thursday’s decision are that Saru are also trying to ensure that South Africa fields competitive teams in the Super14 series and that the standard of Currie Cup rugby remains at the best and highest possible level.
Australian and New Zealand players who play abroad are also not considered for the Wallabies and the All Blacks.
3 Aug 2007, 01:31 am
Absolute garbage, JC.
I know for a fact that Adelaide was awarded the Australian leg of the Sevens for an initial FIVE YEAR period, with the option to extend thereafter.
Where you pull this “Tournaments in Adelaide, San Diego and Edinburgh were such a success in the previous series they have been retained for another term” nonsense is beyond me.
Do you guys believe in research and factual accuracy or is it a case of sitting around the Monarch table each moring, doing a thumb-suck round and prioritising the best of the thumb sucks as worthy of development into stories?
3 Aug 2007, 05:30 am
They must move the SA sevens to Stellenbosch, but when the students are there. Feb or March.
3 Aug 2007, 06:41 am
Big Apple,
That is not true. You can not use the word “also” when talking about New Zealand and Australia. Players that have played overseas and retuen are considered in these countries. The article is wrong
3 Aug 2007, 06:43 am
Will the South African venue be the same … on TV it did not look like a succuss!
Where were all the people?
3 Aug 2007, 06:55 am
George is a complete dreary disaster.
#6 is right — move it to Stellenbosch when the students are back on campus and SA can then hold a festival occasion.
The boring wimpy wet people of George are all as dull as dishwater. Take the tournament off them and jazz it up a bit by moving it to Matieland.
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