New Zealand National Rugby Sevens Tournament Explained
The National Sevens is a rugby sevens tournament for New Zealand provincial teams. It is held annually and features a men's event and a women's event. The best teams in the country compete over two days for the respective men's and women's titles. The tournament is currently held in Tauranga.
The National Sevens also serves as an opportunity for players to be selected in New Zealand's national sevens teams.[1]
History
The National Sevens was first held in 1975 in Auckland, where Marlborough were the very first champions. Since then the tournament has been held every year (except 1987, 1988, and 2003) and held at various venues. A women's competition was introduced for the 1998 tournament in Roturura. In the first three decades Palmerston North hosted the National Sevens thirteen times, the last of which was in 2002. This was also the last tournament to host women's sevens until women's teams were reintroduced a decade later.
| Sponsors of the National Sevens |
|---|
| 2004–2013 | Pub Charity Ltd |
| 2014–2018 | Bayleys Realty |
| 2018–present | TECT | |
The National Sevens moved to Queenstown for ten seasons from 2004.[2] The 2009 event was the first tournament where the entire event was screened live by Sky TV.[3] A women's competition was reinstated in 2013. The National Sevens was relocated to Rotorua in 2014 and then to Tauranga in December 2018.
Format
The sixteen teams for men are divided into four pools. On day one each team plays the other three teams in its pool. The top two teams from each pool qualify for the championship playoffs while the bottom two enter the bowl competition.
Venue
The first tournament was held in Auckland in 1975. From there it moved to various venues around the country: Christchurch, Blenheim, Hamilton, Palmerston North, Feilding, Pukekohe and Rotorua. From 2004 to 2013 it was hosted in Queenstown at the Recreation Ground, which is usually the home of the Wakatipu Rugby Club. The tournament then returned to Rotorua for five seasons and, since December 2018, it is held in Tauranga.
Participants
The following teams have participated in the tournament:
| Province | Appearances | Championships | 2009 Placing |
|---|
| Auckland | 2005-2009 | 2005,2006,2007,2008 | |
| Bay of Plenty | 2006,2008-2009 | | |
| Buller | 2006 | | |
| Canterbury | 2006,2008-2009 | | |
| Counties Manukau | 2006,2008-2009 | | |
| Hawke's Bay | 2006,2008-2009 | | |
| Horowhenua-Kapiti | 2008-2009 | | |
| Manawatu | 2006,2008-2009 | | |
| North Harbour | 2004,2006,2008-2009 | 2004, 2009 | |
| North Otago | 2005 | | |
| Northland | 2008-2009 | | |
| Otago | 2004-2009 | | |
| Otago Country | 2007, 2009 | | |
| South Canterbury | 2006,2008,2010 | | |
| Southland | 2006,2008-2009 | | |
| Taranaki | 2006,2008-2009 | | |
| Tasman | 2008 | | |
| Waikato | 2006,2008-2009 | | |
| Wellington | 2006,2008-2009 | | |
| West Coast | 2006,2008-2009 | | | |
Results by year
Men's tournament
National Sevens winners since 1975:[4]
1975–2002
Notes
There were two events in 1996 due to a seasonal switch from March to November.[4] Waikato won four titles between 1996 and 1998.[5]
2004–2013
The National Sevens switched from a November schedule to a January schedule for the 2003–04 season and, as such, the 2002 tournament was followed by the 2004 tournament.[6] The new venue was the Recreation Ground in Queenstown which hosted the National Sevens for ten years from 2004 to 2013.[7]
2014 onwards
The tournament moved from Queenstown to Rotorua in 2014 for five seasons. A switch from playing in January to December coincided with the event moving to Tauranga for the 2018–19 season.
Women's tournament
Women's teams initially competed at the National Sevens from 1998 through to 2002.[4] After a ten-season absence, the women's tournament was reintroduced for the 2013 National Sevens held in Queenstown, with Manawatu earning the title.[21] The tournament then moved to Rotorua in 2014 for five seasons. A switch from playing in January to December coincided with the event moving to Tauranga for the 2018–19 season.
1998–2002
2013 onwards
Notes and References
- News: NZ rugby sevens in Queenstown . 13 January 2006 . . 30 October 2011 . 16 June 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110616143211/http://tvnz.co.nz/content/648951 . live .
- Web site: Queenstown shaping up for sevens fest. https://web.archive.org/web/20080111173559/http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/4349116a10295.html . dead . 11 January 2008 . The Southland Times. 9 January 2008.
- http://www.skytelevision.co.nz/Default.aspx?tabid=272&art_id=18538 Pub Charity Sevens to kick off the 2008 rugby year
- Web site: White . Steven . National Sevens in Rotorua this weekend . Club Rugby . https://archive.today/20190127081144/http://www.clubrugby.co.nz/national/story.php?id=1751 . 27 January 2019 . 25 January 2015 . 1996: Waikato (Won March & November official National events) .
- News: Counties Manukau, Waikato claim National Sevens titles . 15 December 2019 . 24 December 2019 . https://archive.today/20200124183438/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=12294029 . 24 January 2020 . It is Waikato's eighth national title having won four-in-a-row between 1996-98 ... . live .
- News: De Goldi to lead New Zealand . ESPN . 29 January 2003 . 27 January 2019 . 27 January 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190127154108/http://www.espn.com.au/rugby/story/_/id/15360043/de-goldi-lead-new-zealand . live .
- News: Caldwell . Olivia . Otago Daily times . 11 January 2013 . Last home tournament . https://web.archive.org/web/20190127072732/https://www.odt.co.nz/regions/queenstown-lakes/last-home-tournament . dead . 27 January 2019.
- News: Sevens fun, even if we never made the final . 11 January 2013 . Southland Times . https://archive.today/20200124193518/http://www.stuff.co.nz/southland-times/8165114/Sevens-fun-even-if-we-never-made-the-final . 24 January 2020 . 24 January 2020 . live .
- Web site: North Harbour take sevens title . ESPN . https://archive.today/20200124192914/https://tv5.espn.com/rugby/story/_/id/15372288/north-harbour-take-sevens-title . 24 January 2020 . 18 January 2004 . 18 December 2019 . live .
- Web site: Auckland win 2005 National Sevens . New Zealand Rugby Museum . 16 January 2005 . 18 December 2019 . 18 December 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191218031817/http://rugbymuseum.co.nz/tdih-january-16-2005-auckland-win-2005-national-sevens/ . live .
- Web site: Auckland win 2012 National Sevens . New Zealand Rugby Museum . 8 January 2012 . 18 December 2019 . 18 December 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191218031832/http://rugbymuseum.co.nz/tdih-january-8-2012-auckland-win-2012-national-sevens/ . live .
- Web site: Wellington men, Manawatu women National Sevens champions . Club Rugby . https://web.archive.org/web/20140122202136/http://clubrugby.co.nz/ . 22 January 2014 . 13 January 2014.
- Web site: 18 January 2015 . National Sevens Day 2 Results . Club Rugby . https://web.archive.org/web/20150129020426/http://www.clubrugby.co.nz/. 29 January 2015.
- Web site: 2016 . Day 2 - Men’s Play-offs . nationalsevens.co.nz . https://web.archive.org/web/20160122173211/http://www.nationalsevens.co.nz/downloads/BN7s-Day-2-Mens-Playoffs.pdf . 22 January 2016.
- Web site: 2017 . Day 2 - Men’s Play-offs . nationalsevens.co.nz . https://web.archive.org/web/20170123130405/http://www.nationalsevens.co.nz/downloads/BN7s-Day-2-Mens-Playoffs.pdf . 23 January 2017.
- Web site: National Sevens results January 2018 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20180130174957/http://www.nationalsevens.co.nz/draw--results/ . 30 January 2018.
- Web site: National Sevens results Day 2 – Men December 2018 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20190122043948/http://www.nationalsevens.co.nz/downloads/TECT-NATIONAL-SEVENS-RESULTS-DAY-TWO---MEN.pdf . 22 January 2019.
- Web site: Tasman make sevens history with men's title as Manawatū retain women's trophy . Stuff . 27 January 2019 . 27 January 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190127205638/https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/sevens/109389855/tasman-make-sevens-history-with-mens-title-while-manawat-retain-womens-trophy . live .
- Web site: National Sevens results Day 2 – Men December 2019 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20190122043948/https://www.nationalsevens.co.nz/downloads/2019-Dec-Nat-7s-Results---MEN-D1.xlsx . 22 January 2019 . 18 December 2019 .
- Web site: Waikato regains men's title and Counties Manukau lift women's trophy . Stuff . 18 December 2019 . 18 December 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191218014802/https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/sevens/118209424/national-sevens-waikato-regain-mens-title-and-counties-manukau-lift-womens-trophy . live .
- Web site: Women's Rugby History . communityrugby.co.nz . https://archive.today/20190127074658/http://www.communityrugby.co.nz/women-s-rugby/history . 27 January 2019 . 27 January 2019.
- Web site: Manawatu surprise winners of 2013 National Sevens . rugbygirl . 13 January 2013 . 27 January 2019 . 1 February 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190201060019/http://rugbygirl.co.nz/news.php?id=211 . live .
- Web site: 2016 . Day 2 - Women’s Play-offs . nationalsevens.co.nz . https://web.archive.org/web/20160122173215/http://www.nationalsevens.co.nz/downloads/BN7s-Day-2-Womens-Playoffs.pdf . 22 January 2016.
- Web site: 2017 . Day 2 - Women’s Play-offs . nationalsevens.co.nz . https://web.archive.org/web/20170123130315/http://www.nationalsevens.co.nz/downloads/BN7s-Day-2-Womens-Playoffs.pdf . 23 January 2017.
- Web site: National Sevens results Day 2 – Wonen December 2018 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20190121232935/http://www.nationalsevens.co.nz/downloads/TECT-NATIONAL-SEVENS-RESULTS-DAY-TWO---WOMEN.pdf . 21 January 2019.
- Web site: National Sevens results Day 2 – Women December 2019. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20191216035859/https://www.nationalsevens.co.nz/downloads/2019-Dec-Nat-7s-Results---WOMEN-D1.xlsx. 16 December 2019.
