THREE MINUTES after it became available, tickets for the 2010 New Zealand Sevens were snapped up be excited Sevens fans.  Organisers ascribed this to the improved technology applied to ticket sales this time around.

NZI Sevens General Manager, Steve Walters said “Although tickets may have sold out this morning, we hope fans will see there are still a number of ways to embrace the 2010 NZI Sevens.”

Organisers were further encouraged by the fact that demand and popularity for the tournament remains, even during these slower economic times.

Mr Walters continued: “It’s a great tribute to the tournament that fans continue to love the great sports and entertainment event we have here in Wellington.

The 2009 tournament showed many fans will venture into Wellington even without a ticket. With the street parade, big screens in the city centre and many events going on, visitors and Wellingtonians continue to embrace the excitement and atmosphere that the event creates.”

The NZI Sevens will be held at Westpac Stadium on February 5th and 6th 2010. Wellington will be the third leg of the 2009/2010 IRB Sevens World Series.

Those who missed out this morning are encouraged to sign up to the e-newsletter at www.nzisevens.co.nz which keeps fans updated with the latest news and ticket competitions.

Hospitality and travel packages to the NZI Sevens are also available. For more details see www.nzisevens.co.nz

Captain my Captain.  The NZ players follow their legendary leader, DJ Forbes

The New Zealanders today announced that tickets for their tournament on the IRB Sevens World Series will go on sale on Tuesday 29 September 2009 from 9am. 

Tickets can be bought from Ticketmaster online at http://www.ticketmaster.co.nz or by calling Ticketmaster on 0800 111 999.

Make sure to pre-register your details with Ticketmaster by creating a Ticketmaster account. This will not guarantee tickets, but will speed up the purchase process.

For a full ticket price list visit www.nzisevens.co.nz

See you in New Zealand!

The NZI Sevens is pleased to announce the Wellington leg of the IRB Sevens World Series for 2010 will take place on 5-6 February. For the second successive year, the tournament will take place over Waitangi weekend. This will be Wellington’s eleventh IRB World Series Sevens tournament.

NZI Sevens General Manager, Steve Walters, said: “We are delighted to confirm the tournament dates for next year, knowing Wellington and the fans alike will once again embrace the NZI Sevens. Our tenth anniversary event was our best tournament yet and we look forward to an even better event in 2010.”

Tickets to the 2009 NZI Sevens sold out within 10 minutes of going on sale. Tickets to this iconic Wellington event have sold out for the last eight years, with the popularity of the tournament growing every year. Tickets will go on sale to the public in September with an exact date yet to be confirmed.

The IRB recently heralded the NZI Sevens as the tournament that sets the world standard for the IRB Sevens World Series.

Yes… you read the headline correct.

One of the benefits of writing for a Fan’s website is that one can say things that journalists probably steer clear of.  I don’t report to an editor, a sub-editor, web-editor or the tea-lady for that matter.  So for that reason I can happily say that…

I screamed myself hoarse for the English! 

Like many South Africans my pal Roy Raubenheimer in Taoyuan City (Taiwan) will probably understand the feeling, with respect, being half South African and English himself.  So yes, when Isoa Damu pulled out all that he had left to run those last few metres to score the equaliser for the English against New Zealand in the NZ Sevens Cup Final, he probably pulled out his last ounces of energy because of all the Poms in the stands… and me!  When Ben Gollings converted, if it wasn’t for the Springbok Supporters tracksuit I was wearing, the patrons in Delaney’s Kowloon would have thought I was English!

Verraaier! (turn-coat) I hear you say.  Not so.  I screamed for the Poms because I didn’t want New Zealand to win this one. Period. Full stop. Punt. Alles Klaar (I don’t have to translate the last two… you get my drift.)  The quintessetial t-shirt slogan on the ‘SA side’ of the stands is undoubtedly: I support South Africa and anyone who plays the Aussies.  Well, the Aussies don’t really feature in world Sevens and with respect and in support of the BOK… for today’s Cup Final, I supported the English.

So before you start burning effigies of me, let me put it into perspective: if New Zealand had won, it would have put them on equal points with the Bokke on the Sevens World Series log and while I have the utmost respect for (New Zealand) captain DJ Forbes and coach Tietjens, in my neck of the woods… that’s a no-no. 

While I was critical of Mpho Mbiyozo about the way he gave away that crucial penalty, the stand-in captain and his Bokke managed to secure the Plate Final and in the process take home 8 crucial points on the Series log, putting them on 48 points going into San Diego (USA Sevens a week away).

The Kiwis and England are on joint second place four points adrift with Argentina and Fiji a distant 20 points back on 28 points. 

So, when Mpho dropped the Plate during the prizegiving ceremony, South Africans Sevens fans all over gave  a collective sigh of relief because (yes the trophy’s not made of glass) but more crucially, thanks to Captain Ollie Phillips and his band of (by now) merry Englishmen, South Africa retains the top spot on the log and…

live to fight another day.

Bring on San Diego.

Bokke (still) bo!

Winners: England’s Isoa Damu tries to grab SA’s Renfred Dazel.

Videos by www.irb.com

“Contagious Behaviour” Eng. Coach Ben Ryan

(remember this phrase)

England stalwart, Ben Gollings

The All Blacks, this morning, reversed the outcome of their Cup Final against SA in George, this time around in the Quarter-finals of the New Zealand Sevens, beating the Bokke by 7-0.

Despite losing their captain Mzwandile Stick, Phillip Snyman as well playmaker Gio Aplon before the game, the Bokke still had enough  firepower in their arsenal to put up a good show against the Kiwis.  In fact, the game was scoreless at half-time, indicating what a close match it was.  In situations like this, the team to come out on top is probably the one who has both the skill as well as discipline. 

Sadly it was not the BlitzBokke.  With less than 2 minutes to go, Mpho “Impi” Mbiyozo, in a moment of madness and on his birthday, brought down a New Zealander in a vicious tackle that not only earned him a deserved yellow card, but also meant that his team had to take on a dangerous All Black side, bouyed by the return of their inspirational leader in DJ Forbes, with six players.  An almost impossible task.  Impi’s transgression also led to the try by Lote Raikabula that won the game for Forbes and his All Blacks.

But this is Sevens, and you play the game on the day and with the  hand dealt to you.  On this occassion, the Bokke lost because the odds and too many mistakes counted against them.

Mpho Mbiyozo during practice

Register by clicking on Comments to take part in the discussion on the knock-out stage of the New Zealand Sevens. Remember to ‘Refresh” your browzer regularly to see the latest comments.

The day’s schedule is as follows:

(game no.)

25 Tonga – Niue, 1/4 final Bowl
26 Samoa – France, 1/4 final Bowl
27 Canada – Cook Islands, 1/4 final Bowl
28 Australia – Scotland, 1/4 final Bowl

29 Kenya – Wales, 1/4 final Cup
30 Fiji – England, 1/4 final Cup
31 Argentina – USA, 1/4 final Cup
32 N/Zealand – South Africa, 1/4 final Cup

33 Loser M25 – Loser M26 SF Shield
34 Loser M27 – Loser M28 SF Shield

35 Winner M25 – Winner M26 SF Bowl
36 Winner M27 – Winner M28 SF Bowl

37 Loser M29 – Loser M30 SF Plate
38 Loser M31 – Loser M32 SF Plate

39 Winner M29 – Winner M30 SF Cup
40 Winner M31 – Winner M32 SF Cup

41 Winner M33 – Winner M34 Final Shield

42 Winner M35 – Winner M36 Final Bowl

43 Winner M37 – Winner M38 Final Plate

44 Winner M39 – Winner M40 Final Cup

I probably don’t have to tell you that Day 1 of the New Zealand Sevens was one of many upsets.   I am also not even going to go into the match stats, I am sure that reams of copy on match analysis have been filed on the wires worldwide. What I would like to tell you about, is a little bit of my own tale of woe.  While I was frantically trying to arrange access to Supersport 1 on my computer, hosts New Zealand LOST to Wales AND Fiji succumbed to the USA!  Getting Supersport here in Hong Kong, or rather AFFORDABLE access to Supersport I should say, borders on mission impossible.  But that’s another story for another day.

I had actually planned to write something in the run-up to Wellington that happened today… to the Springboks to be precise.  I remember the headline I was going to type:

Watch out for those Kenyans!

And then they go and beat us!  As I said, around 3pm local time, I finally managed to find a place that showed the Sevens and as I was sitting down, the first of a total of four transgressions by the BlitzBokke happened.  Though not a transgression by definition, speedster Robert Ebersohn was at the receiving end of a masterful hand-off by a Kenyan player that led to their first try. 

Up until then I thought that our Boys were doing quite well and would probably cruise to a comfortable win in their last game of Day 1.

But it was not to be.  When Mpho was penalised, the Kenyans capitalised and brought the score to within 2 points (17-15) of the Bokke.  The conversion levelled things up.  A final penalty for not rolling away again led to a five-pointer and took the Kenyans into the lead and they never looked back.  The BlitzBokke were stunned by the 22-17 loss.

Although the Supersport producers showed the Kiwis taking on the Boks in the Cup 1/4 Finals tomorrow, they later ‘corrected’ it and placed the defending champions New Zealand up against Kenya.  When I got home and settled in behind my monitors, it was confirmed that SA will take on NZ in the Cup quarters after all.

To tomorrow, we will have a replay of the 2008 George Cup Final …

in the New Zealand Sevens Quarter Finals!

(irb.com Wednesday February 4, 2009)

Wellington’s annual NZI Sevens tournament could become even bigger in future years, with plans for a week-long festival.

New Zealand’s capital city and the Wellington Rugby Union this year unveiled plans to transform the successful event into a seven-day carnival within four years, 10 years after the first event.

“We’re conscious that this is a very good blast for the economy and that it’s good to get people into Wellington so we’re trying to grow the tournament as being more than just the two days,” said Steve Walters, General Manager of the NZI Sevens.

“We’re working on this concept of ‘Seven days of the Sevens’ so you can come along to Wellington, have a great week, experience all the things that Wellington’s got to offer and then have it culminate in the two days of the NZI Sevens.”

Eighteen thousand people turned up on the first day of Wellington’s maiden tournament back in 2000. On day two 25,000 passed through the gates and, from then on, the tournament has experienced steady and reliable growth.

“To me it’s about the spirit of Wellington, it’s about the crowd’s enthusiasm and creativity, which they bring to this tournament.

The spirit of Wellington

“From the research we’ve done there are 70,000 people wanting tickets on top of the 35,000 who manage to get them, which is really great.”

As well as a phenomenal fan base, the tournament’s 50 sponsors and partners also appear willing to weather the global economic downturn and pledge their continued support.

“Our hospitality sales are up – a lot of that was sold six months ago – and our tickets sold out in September. We know we’ve got a very loyal and passionate following.

“Realistically, we are confident that we will continue to sell out. How well our other markets continue to go, our travel packages and our hospitality, we know we’ll take a bit of a dent [on those] but we’re still feeling pretty secure about the tournament itself.”
Wellington also remains confident of keeping the event long-term, despite developments elsewhere in the country which are set to produce facilities able to cater for greater numbers of fans.

“I’d love to have a bigger stadium but we can’t afford to build a 105,000-seater stadium with the kiwi dollar at the moment, which is a shame,” said Walters.

“Of course there is Eden Park being rebuilt for the Rugby World Cup, so we’re very wary of that but we’ll do all we can to make sure that it stays in Wellington.”

Why doesn’t the George Sevens have anything that comes close to the New Zealand Sevens website?  Have you had a look at it?  Click here if you haven’t.  It’s an absolute Wellington EXPERIENCE! 

It’s not just about Sevens rugby… it’s about the region, the people and the sights.  In addition to the on-field action, at the click of a mouse you can learn about Wellington, where to stay and what to see while you’re there. 

On the rugby side, you can register as a “Friend” and receive updates and other privileges.  You can even receive updates via you mobile phone!  There are pictures, merchandise, hospitality packages and competitions.  All in one place.

So, Sevens fans, while you’re watching the games during the Wellington, New Zealand Sevens this weekend and your team are not playing, have a look at their website and learn some more about the host city.

I will.

The Kiwi fern.

Niue. Huh?

Ja. Ja.  I know you had that very same question when you saw the fixture list for the Wellington, New Zealand Sevens.  Pool B: New Zealand, Australia, Wales and Niue.

Thankfully you have me… with lots of time on my hands and access to Google & WikiPedia on several computers.  So here’s the low-down:

Niue (pronounced /ˈnjuːeɪ / in English) is an island nation located in the South Pacific Ocean. It is commonly known as the “Rock of Polynesia“. Natives of the island call it “the Rock“.

Though self governing, Niue is in free association with New Zealand, and thus lacks full sovereignty. Queen Elizabeth II is also Niue’s head of state. Most diplomatic relations are conducted by New Zealand on Niue’s behalf.

Niue is 2,400 kilometres northeast of New Zealand in a triangle between Tonga, Samoa, and the Cook Islands. The people are predominantly Polynesian. (WikiPedia)

Like most of the islands in this part of the world, its not surprising that rugby is the most popular sport on Niue.  WikiPedia goes on to say:

Despite Niue being a small country, a number of different sports are popular there. Rugby union is a popular sport in Niue played both by men and women; as of 2008, Niue are the current FORU Oceania Cup champions.

I searched a little further and found this surprising fact:

Niue is a tier three rugby union playing nation. They began playing international rugby in the 1950s and have yet to make the Rugby World Cup. Teams from Niue have competed in the Commonwealth games.

When Niue competed in the 2001 Wellington 7s, they took a completely local-based squad, and though they scored tries against England and Canada, they were crushed in most games. Infamously, they surprised everyone by beating Japan 31-19 in 2002.

Whoa!  I’ve seen the Japanese play Sevens during the last Hong Kong Sevens as well as the 2008 Asian Qualifiers for Sevens RWC, and that’s no mean feat ek sê!  Granted, the men from the-land-of-the-rising-sun are no longer small and even sport a few “imports” themselves.  What I am saying is that the Nuie-blokes probably deserve their Pool-placing and should be treated with kid-gloves.

 Away from rugby, if you’re thinking of your next holiday break-away and Thailand seems too “rough”… why not give Niue a chance?  If these pics are anything to go, you will not be disappointed! Maybe you’ll get to scrum against one or two of their National Sevens players on the beach!

“Scully… is that you?”

Read more about the place they call Nuie here