SCC Rugby Sevens - ASIA’S OLDEST RUGBY SEVENS TOURNAMENT SEES THE RETURN OF OLD FRIENDS A
2nd Nov 2018 -
1 Nov, Singapore – Asia’s longest running international club rugby sevens tournament - the Singapore Cricket Club International Rugby Sevens (SCC7s) returns for the 71st edition and promises an up close spectator experience of an exciting tournament befitting of its billing as “the friendly sevens”. The tournament will see 12 top teams from around the world competing for the prestigious Ablitt Cup, including six-time champion Daveta from Fiji and three-time champion Ponsonby from New Zealand. Recent Asian Games Gold Medalists Hong Kong will be attending as the Hong Kong Dragons along with first time visitors Stanislas Sevens from France.
“The challenge is always to deliver something befitting of a 71-year-old tournament and we hope that the tournament will do that this year for everyone, from us volunteers to the fans to the players,” said Sam Sharpe, Co-Chair of the Organizing Committee on the sides of this afternoon’s kick-off press conference.
The SCC Sevens is affectionally dubbed as the ‘Friendly Sevens’ and over the decades, legends like the late Jonah Lomu, New Zealand Rugby World Cup Sevens winning captain Eric Rush, All Blacks’ Hall of Famer Tana Umaga and South Africa’s former World Player of the Year Cecil Afrika graced the Padang on their ascendency to rugby stardom.
Fijian powerhouse Daveta, formerly known as Davetalevu, will again start as pre-tournament favourites having won the first Ablitt Cup in 1994, 1995, 2002, 2005, 2011 and 2012 with their flair and “mystical’ style of Fijian rugby. Daveta are keen to capture the cup once again after an exciting 24 -21 final loss to the French Development side in 2017. Expect a talent-laden side full of smiles ahead of the tournament.
Ponsonby Rugby Football Club from New Zealand is arguably one of the most successful clubs from the land of the long white club, with the most number of All Blacks produced from the Auckland Club. The “Ponies” make a welcome return to the tournament after a long absence and will be coached by former All Black Kevin Senio who played both 15s and 7s for New Zealand. The side will be loaded with up and coming talent from Auckland, who just won New Zealand’s domestic provincial tournament.
A crowd winner during this year’s SCC Sevens will be the famed Guinness Bar in the public gallery. While the adults enjoy pints of Guinness fresh from the tap with world-class rugby action, children will have a rumbling good time at The Fry Group Kids Zone complete with inflatables, play areas with chaperones and fun activities such as clay modelling and face painting, and enjoy free popcorn and candy floss. The more active ones can also attend free rugby-specific kids clinic conducted by UFIT Singapore.
Now in its 71st year, the SCC Sevens is the third oldest sevens tournament in the world and it has certainly established itself as an iconic elite tournament with its signature location and vibrant party atmosphere. The 2018 SCC Sevens takes place from Friday 2 November to Sunday 4 November, at a purpose-built spectator-friendly festival arena at the Padang, capable of holding over 5,000 fans.
The Schools & Colleges and Corporate Touch pool matches commence on Friday, while the Main Tournament for the Ablitt Cup kicks off on Saturday. The finals of the Len Foster Trophy (Schools Under 14), John Clark Shield (Schools Under 16), Sithawalla Cup (Schools & Colleges Under 19) and the final rounds of the Ablitt Cup will on Sunday.