Invitational, provincial, local & school sevens tournaments

[Stargazer]

Hawke's Bay men
Teihana Brown (c), Kalin Paewai, Damien Scott, Trent Hape, Hayden Hann, Siosaia Paese, Tamati Samuels, Sebastian Visinia, Zachary Donaldson, Tom Iosefo, Tyrone Dodd-Edwards, Danny Toala

Hawke's Bay women
Shaylee Tipiwai (c), Lara Kendrick, Liana Mikaele-Tu'u, Niamh Jefferson, Teilah Ferguson, Hanna Brough, Julie Ferguson-Ngawaka, Krysten Cottrell, Hope Hakopa, Cortez Te Pou, Anna Powdrell, Felicity Powdrell

[taniwharugby]

couple of pretty harsh YCs in the Waikaot-CM game (One each way) CM come through with a try on FT to win

[taniwharugby]

Auckland beat NOrthland 17-12, score pretty flattering for Northland.

LIke the look of Potolaka Maake who @Steven-Harris said to keep an eye on, Northland need to give him the ball, or just get some ball!!

[Steven Harris]

@taniwharugby not to mention dealing with kick offs,there’s some pace in this young Northland team,but you need to get a hold of some ball..!

[Bovidae]

I watched a little bit of the Condor Sevens on TV. It was funny to see 2 m+ Josh Lord, a NZSS lock, playing sevens.

As far as the Northern Regional sevens tournament goes, Counties-Manukau won the mens comp and Auckland the womens comp.

[Stargazer]

Central Zone

Final ranking men:
Wellington, Hawke's Bay, Manawatu, Taranaki, Wairarapa Bush, Wanganui, Horowhenua-Kapiti (IIRC, the first 5 qualify for the Nationals)

Final ranking women:
Manawatu, Wellington, Hawke's Bay, Taranaki (all qualify for the Nationals). One team pulled out of the tournament late, I think it was Poverty Bay, but not sure.

.

Unfortunately, the outcome of the Nationals may again be influenced by the availability of AB7s and BF7s players, who are not spread evenly over the teams, especially now that they are centralised.

[Stargazer]

The World Schools Sevens start tonight.

Broadcast/streaming details

NZ Based Viewers:

Streaming through our streaming partner Sideline App- go to www.sidelineapp.com to register. Only $9.95 NZD for the tournament.

Sideline will cover all games (Field 1) Fri night Dec 14th 6-9:30pm
and (Field 2) Sat Dec 15th all games 9am -5pm
and (Field 1) 9am-12:15pm.

Sky TV ( SSP1 Sky Channel) will cover games on 
(Field 1) Sat Dec 15th 12:18-5:30pm

International Viewers ( Pacific Islands- through FIJI TV)

All other international viewers USA, Asia, Australia and the rest of the World get coverage of all games on Field 1 & 2 through our streaming partner sideline app www.sidelineapp.com. Only $9.95 NZD for the tournament.

Tournament Times:

New Zealand Time Fri Dec 14th 6pm-9:30pm
New Zealand Time Sat Dec 15th 9am- 5:30pm

Correction: it will be on Sky Sport Pop-up 1 (channel 55), not Sky Sport 1. The schedule says the broadcast starts at 12.30pm.

[Stargazer]

Not going to post all team line-ups, just these few. You can find more on World Schools 7s FB page.

Boys - Tonga

Boys - Samoan Barbarians

Boys - NZ Fijians

[Stargazer]

The National Sevens are also this weekend.

Pools
Men
Pool A - Counties Manukau, Manawatu, North Harbour, Wairarapa Bush
Pool B - Waikato, Auckland, Otago, Southland
Pool C - Wellington, Ta$man, Northland, South Canterbury
Pool D - Hawke’s Bay, Bay of Plenty, Taranaki, Canterbury

Women
Pool A - Auckland, Canterbury, Otago, Taranaki
Pool B - Manawatu, Counties Manukau, Wellington, North Harbour
Pool C - Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Hawke’s Bay, Ta$man

Men's Day One TECT National Sevens Draw (pfd)
Women's Day One TECT National Sevens Draw (pdf)

Field 1 games will be televised (Sky Sport 3). All other games will be televised, nor streamed, which is really odd. The livestream of the regional qualifiers was of good quality; why couldn't they organise the same for the Nationals?

There is an app - designed by Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology students - for the tournament; you can download it here.

[Daffy Jaffy]

Auckland team for TECT National 7s (15/12 & 16/12):
1.William Talataina
2.Freedom Vaha'akolo (Co-Captain)
3.Matthew Johnson
4.Joe Ravouvou
5.Samuel Livingston
6.Gerald Van Wyk (Co-Captain)
7.Junior Matautia
8.Niu Osika
9.AJ Lam
10.Spencer Bishop
11.Simon Fauo'o
12.Campbell Busby
•Head Coach: David Ross
•Ast. Coach: Tutu Tairea
•Ast. Coach: Rocky Khan
•Ast. Coach: DJ Forbes
•Manager: Gareth Hastings
•Physio: Chris Wilson
•Analyst: Kieran Griffiths

[Higgins]

Have been flicking over to the 7s coverage to keep up with scores etc between overs in the cricket and can't help but notice that there have been no men officiating womens matches. The increasing number of female referees must be a valuable new resource to rugby given they are, presumably, winning those appointments on merit against all referees available.

[KiwiPie]

I was there from the Womens Semi-finals onwards yesterday. First time being held in Tauranga and also switched to before Christmas. There were a fair few people there (not on TV as they were all sheltering from the sun) but it felt like most of them were "rugby people" rather than the general public. Of people I know I would expect to attend, everyone was already busy with other pre-Christmas activities.

There were some good food stands, entertainment for the kids etc but being Tauranga Domain it is all on the field next door and quite some way from the main grandstand.
Ta$man won the mens comp and looked the best team, beating Counties in the final - Manawatu won the womens comp again beating Waikato. I didn't see any individuals stand out for the men - lots of big guys with some pace but nobody that made you pay attention - maybe with the injuries to the AB 7s, all the next level have already been taken into the squad. One guy who surprised me was Jesse Parete in the bowl/plate/saucer final for Taranaki - didn't realise he had enough pace for Sevens and looks like he has a huge engine. The boy just needs to start playing with his brain as well.

In the womens, it was the usual suspects who stood out - the 7s and 15s internationals were a step up in class. Selica Winiata is such a good player.

[ARHS]

@kiwipie

I arrived at a similar time. Yes, seemed mostly like family and friends of the players there. Bit of an odd setup. Lots of expense for the sunny grandstands, but few people there. The corporate tents blocked out the view of one end if you sat too low.

Not many standouts, but the Ta$man team was great. Pittman, Lash, Stephens - the usual suspects. Warwick Lahmert was a threat for Taranaki and Parete powerful. Enjoyed watching Valynce Te Whare bump off players and accelerate away. Ropati and Tagicakibau were good for counties. Winiata, Goss and Mayes were standouts in the ladies event.

[Baron Silas Greenback]

@higgins said in Invitational, provincial, local & school sevens tournaments:

Have been flicking over to the 7s coverage to keep up with scores etc between overs in the cricket and can't help but notice that there have been no men officiating womens matches. The increasing number of female referees must be a valuable new resource to rugby given they are, presumably, winning those appointments on merit against all referees available.

You think they are winning the appointments on merit and not gender? I dont.

[Chris B.]

Hey - What the fuck?!!!

TASMAN WINS!!!!!

Woo hoo - we're the best!!!!

In your face Auckland and Canterbury!!!

[KiwiPie]

@arhs Good calls. You'd have to be crazy to sit on the sunny side for hours at a time.

Feel like they have to do more to keep the actual fans happy or they won't turn up. Corporates and teams get all the shade and food stalls - the plebs have to sit on hard wooden benches to get shade or walk a long way to get food (and then have nowhere shady to eat it).

[ARHS]

@kiwipie

Yes, I agree. They do seem to cater well for the teams and the corporates. But, sitting on those stands, looking into the sun, is hard yakka. Took me quite a while to work out where the food and drink stalls were, and how far away that was.

I enjoyed the Northern Sevens tournaments at Blake Park, lying down on the grass bank there. That is what makes the cricket ground so good now.

Really not sure about the Tauranga Domain as a rugby ground. Nice exterior setting. But, it seems a hell of an effort moving stuff in and out to host an event there.

[Bovidae]

I was pleasantly surprised that the young Waikato women's team did so well, including beating Auckland in the SF and then running the Poo close.

While it was great to see Goss and Winiata playing for Manawatu why weren't the other BF sevens players playing too? If they were all available they should have been playing to support the event.

[Daffy Jaffy]

Hamilton men's squad -

After a horror run of injuries at the end of last year, Coach Clark Laidlaw has an almost fully fit squad to select from.

Kurt Baker - Manawatu
Dylan Collier - Waikato
Scott Curry (c) - Bay of Plenty
Sam Dickson - Canterbury
Scott Gregory - Northland
Andrew Knewstubb - Horowhenua Kapiti
Vilimoni Koroi - Otago
Tim Mikkelson (c) - Waikato
Sione Molia - Counties Manukau
Jona Nareki - Otago
Amanaki Nicole - Canterbury
Joe Ravouvou - Auckland
Tone Ng Shiu - Ta$man
Regan Ware - Taranaki

[Stargazer]

The All Blacks Sevens Development and Black Ferns Sevens Development teams have been named. They'll travel to Okinawa, Japan for matches against the Japanese national sevens teams.

All Blacks Sevens Development team
Losi Filipo - Wellington
Dan Fransen - Canterbury
Taylor Haugh - Otago
Jacob Kneepkens - Taranaki
Peni Lasaqa - Bay of Plenty
James Little - North Harbour
Josh Moorby - Waikato
Curtis Reid - North Harbour
Adam Simpson - Wellington
Te Puoho Stephens - Ta$man
Te Rangatira Waitokia - Manawatu
William Warbrick - Bay of Plenty

Black Ferns Sevens Development team
Kendall Buckingham - Canterbury
Amy du Plessis - Otago
Dhys Faleafaga - Wellington
Tynealle Fitzgerald - Bay of Plenty
Tysha Ikenasio - Auckland
Isla Norman-Bell - Auckland
Rina Paraone - Waikato
Mererangi Paul - Bay of Plenty
Cheyelle Robins-Reti - Waikato
Kennedy Simon - Auckland
Grace Steinmetz - Canterbury
Kiki Tahere - Bay of Plenty
Kalyn Takitimu-Cook - Manawatu

Players were selected to trial from their performances at Red Bull Ignite7 and or the National Sevens at the end of last year.

The Black Ferns Sevens Development team is coached by Jimmy Sinclair and Victoria Grant. After playing in Japan they will also take part in an invitational tournament in Auckland in March. The team features Crystal Mayes and Cheyelle Robins-Reti who have previously played for the Black Ferns Sevens.  

The All Blacks Sevens Development team is coached by Peter Nock and Johnny Weston. Taylor Haugh, who made his All Blacks Sevens debut in Cape Town in December, is named in the 12, and newly contracted player Niko Jones will also travel with the team. Wellington’s Losi Filipo earns a remarkable elevation into the development side, after outstanding performances at the National Sevens and subsequent national trial.

http://www.allblacks.com/News/33710/japan-beckons-for-sevens-development-teams