Brumbies Rugby, in conjunction with the Australian Rugby Union (ARU) will be hosting the Canberra leg of the National Schoolboys Sevens (Years 11 & 12) tournament on Friday, 26 February at Viking Park from 9.30am.
Ten schools from Canberra and the surrounding region, including St Edmunds College, Bateman’s Bay and Albury will be competing for the top two spots in their respective pools. These four school teams will progress to the ACT & Southern NSW semi finals to be played as a curtain raiser to the CA Brumbies Investec Bank Super 14 fixture against the Sharks on Saturday, 13 March.
The final series will feature Canberra’s top-placed semi-finalists competing against the best teams from Queensland and NSW. The finals will be hosted in Sydney on Wednesday, 31 March at St Ignatius College, Riverview.
This tournament highlights the growing interest in Sevens rugby, which involves two seven-minute halves and only seven players on the field for each side. The ARU is developing its Sevens programs in both schools and in club rugby ahead of its inclusion at the 2016 Olympic Games.
Brumbies Rugby Development Coordinator Adam Fahey says he is pleased the shorter version of the game is getting a chance to develop some of its younger prospective stars.
“This a great opportunity for the younger generation to be involved in the faster game of Sevens rugby, emulating stars such as Matt Giteau and Chris Latham who played the sport at the 2006 Commonwealth Games,” he said. “The players cover a lot more distance on the park and are fit and mobile. We will get a chance to see the future of Australian Sevens in action and hopefully will culminate in a winning ACT side at the finals.”
What: National Schoolboys Sevens tournament
When: Friday, 26 February, 2010
Time: 9.30am-3pm
Where: Viking Park, McBryde Crescent, Wanniassa
