Defending Sevens champions Rotorua bound this weekend

Above: Wellington coaches Scott Waldrom and Sam Rasch and the players in the halftime huddle in last year’s National 7s final in Rotorua.

UPDATED - scroll down for Wellington men's and women's teamlists for the weekend

Defending champions. It has a nice ring to it.

The Wellington men’s team take their first steps in defending their National 7s title at 10.05 am tomorrow morning when they play Wairarapa-Bush in the opening match of the tournament. They play their second and third games of the day against North Harbour at 1.05 pm and Waikato at 4.40 pm.

The Wellington men’s team is joined at the second annual National 7s tournament in Rotorua by their women’s counterparts, who reached the Plate semi-finals last year and have hopes of doing better.

Both teams are being announced later tonight.

The women’s side plays four pool games on day one, against Canterbury at 11.25 am, Bay of Plenty at 12.45 pm, Manawatu at 3.00 pm and Taranaki at 5.00 pm.

The tournament is live on Sky TV on both days, from 10.00 am.

Last year, the Wellington men defeated Otago 24-19 in the knockout stages, Taranaki 10-5 and then Auckland 26-19 in the final of the tournament.

The Wellington women went down to Counties Manukau 5-45 at the Cup quarterfinal stage and 12-29 to Otago in their Plate semi-final. Manawatu are the defending National women’s champions.

Club Rugby has installed both Auckland teams as the teams to beat. Both teams placed high values on their scalps in last Saturday’s warm-up Bay of Plenty Sevens event. The Auckland men’s team defeated neighbours and recent Northern Zone qualifying tournament champions Counties Manukau 26-14 in the final, while their women’s team over-ran South Island champions Canterbury 52-0.

The Wellington men beat Bay of Plenty 17-12 in the playoff for third and fourth, while the women’s side missed out to Canterbury 12-19 in their Cup semi-final.

A total of 16 men’s and 10 women’s teams are descending on Rotorua for the two-day event.

Most of the leading provinces will be there. The exceptions in the men’s competition are Hawke’s Bay and Southland who both missed out on qualifying in December’s regional events, won by Counties Manukau (Northern), Taranaki (Central) and Canterbury (Southern).

The four Heartland unions competing in the men's competition are Horowhenua Kapiti, Wairarapa -Bush, Mid Canterbury and South Canterbury.

A highlight of day one will be an invitational match featuring the legends of the game which takes place following the 2.00 pm opening ceremony.

The Wellington men’s team is expected to welcome back Upper Hutt Rams all-action player Murphy Taramai and Oriental-Rongotai speedster Ambrose Curtis.

The bulk of the All Blacks Sevens squad will also be turning out for their provinces as players to get in valuable game time ahead of the next two legs of the World Series in Wellington (6, 7 February) and Las Vegas (13-15 February).

Pools

Men?

Pool A: Taranaki, Tasman, Northland, Horowhenua Kapiti

Pool B: Counties Manukau, Canterbury, Bay of Plenty, South Canterbury

Pool C: Manawatu, Auckland, Otago, Mid Canterbury

Pool D: Waikato, Wellington, Wairarapa Bush, North Harbour

Women

Pool A: Manawatu, Bay of Plenty, Wellington, Taranaki, Canterbury

Pool B: Waikato, Auckland, Otago, Counties Manukau, Southland

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Schedules:

Wellington Men’s schedule Day One:

10.05 am v Wairarapa-Bush

1.05 pm v North Harbour

4.40 pm v Waikato

Men's final Sunday 5:30 pm

Wellington Women’s schedule Day One:

11.25 am v Canterbury

12.45 pm v Bay of Plenty

3.00 pm v Manawatu

5.00 pm v Taranaki

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Wellington Teams

Men: Hayden Schrijvers (C), Tomasi Alosio, Ambrose Curtis, Afa Fa’atau, Vaea Fifita, Greg Foe, Matt Peni, Sheridan Rangihuna, Inoke Rasabale, Tamati Samuels, Murphy Taramai, Belgium Tuatagaloa

Women: Mary Jane Ale, Georgia Daals, Agnes Dean, Ruby Finau, Lizzie Goulden, Faasua Makisi, Kauna Lopa, Amanda Rasch, Carol Sio, Aimee Sutorius, Timena Tumai’i, Katarina Whata-Simpkins?

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