Twentieth New Zealand Marist Sevens tournament this weekend

Above: action from last year’s final between winners North Harbour Marist and Hutt Old Boys Marist

Many of the country’s Marist clubs plus composite North Island and Southland teams descend on Wellington this weekend for the 20th annual New Zealand Marist Federation Club Sevens tournament.

The tournament returns to Wakefield Park, after a successful event on the two new artificial surfaces there last year. The tournament runs over two days on Saturday and Sunday from early morning to early afternoon, fitting in with the international Sevens on both afternoons at Westpac Stadium.

There are four men’s pools of four teams each and one four-team Women’s pool. The New Zealand Marist Secondary School Sevens tournament that was staged alongside this one in the last two years is in abeyance in 2016.

A new men’s champion will be crowned, with the winners of each of the last two years, Hamilton Marist (2014) and North Harbour Marist (2015) not entered this year.

North Harbour Marist defeated local club Hutt Old Boys Marist in last year’s Cup final while the Hamilton Marist Ravens are travelling to Wellington next weekend for the New Zealand Club Sevens tournament in Wainuiomata instead. Hamilton Marist will also be hosting this year’s pre-season fifteen-a-side Marist Spillane tournament in early March.

Wellington’s other affiliated club, Marist St Pat’s, is fielding three teams. MSP’s top side won the 10th Ulalei Sevens tournament last weekend at Porirua Park. Hutt Old Boys Marist, Napier Old Boys Marist and Whakatane Marist are each fielding two sides in the men’s section. Other Marist clubs from Hawke’s Bay, Manawatu, Taranaki, Bay of Plenty and Southland are also playing.

Local clubs MSP and HOBM will be joined by Hastings Rugby and Sports and a South Island Marist side in the women’s draw.

Men’s and Women’s tournament teams will be selected following play on day two.

Play starts at 8.30am on both mornings with the last games starting at 1.10pm on Saturday and at 12.50pm on Sunday culminating with the Men’s Cup final.

Pools and Day One Draw

Pools

Men’s
Pool A: Invercargill Marist, Hastings Rugby and Sports, Palmerston North HSOB Marist, Marist St Pat’s Red
Pool B: Hutt Old Boys Marist, North Island Marist, Marist St Pat’s Blue, Napier Old Boys Marist Black
Pool C: Napier Old Boys Marist, Whakatane Marist, St Michael’s Marist Rotorua, Hutt Old Boys Marist Green
Pool D: Marist St Pat’s, South Island Marist, Tukapa, Whakatane Marist White

Women’s
Hastings Rugby and Sports, Hutt Old Boys Marist, Marist St Pat’s, South Island Marist

Day One Draw (matches side-by-side on both fields)

Men’s
8.30 am: Invercargill Marist v Hastings R & S (Field 1) and Palmerston North HSOB Marist v MSP Red (Field 2)
8.50 am: Hutt Old Boys Marist v North Island Marist (F1) and MSP Blue v NOBM Black (F2)
9.10 am: NOBM v Whakatane Marist (F1) and St Michael’s Marist Rotorua v HOBM Green (F2)
9.30 am: MSP v South Island Marist (F1) and Tukapa v Whakatane Marist White (F2)
10.10 am: Invercargill Marist v Palmertson North HSOB Marist (F1) and Hasting R & S v MSP Red (F2)
10.30 am: HOBM v MSP Blue (F1) and North Island Marist v NOBM Black (F2)
10.50 am: NOBM v St Michael’s Marist Rotorua (F1) and Whakatane Marist v HOBM Green (F2)
11.10 am: MSP v Tukapa (F1) and South Island Marist v Whakatane Marist White (F2)
11.50 am: Invervargill Marist v MSP Red (F1) and Palmerston North HSOB Marist v Hastings R & S (F2)
12.10 pm: HOBM v NOBM Black (F1) and MSP Blue v North Island Marist (F2)
12.30 pm: NOBM v HOBM Green (F1) and St Michael’s Marist Rotorua v Whakatane Marist (F2)
12.50 pm: MSP v Whakatane Marist White (F1) and Tukapa v South Island Marist (F2)

Women’s
9.50 am: Hastings R & S v HOBM (F1) and MSP v South Island Marist (F2)
11.30 am: Hastings R & S v MSP (F1) and HOBM v South Island Marist (F2)
1.10 pm: Hastings R & S v South Island Marist (F1) v MSP v HOBM (F2)

Day Two schedule

Men’s
8.30 am and 8.50 am: Bowl quarter-finals
9.10 am and 9.30 am: Cup quarter-finals
9.50 am: Shield semi-finals
10.10 am: Bowl semi-finals
10.50 am: Cup semi-finals
11.50 am: Shield final
12.10 pm: Bowl final
12.30 pm: Plate final
12.50 pm: Cup final

Women’s
11.10 am and 11.30 am Major finals