National Sevens this weekend in Rotorua

Many of the country’s leading men’s and women’s players will descend on Rotorua this weekend for the 2017 Bayleys National Sevens tournament.

Sixteen men’s teams and 12 women’s (up from 10 previously) teams will compete in the two-day tournament which kicks off at Rotorua International Stadium on Saturday.

The teams are seeded in four men’s and three women’s pools , having qualified from the three zone tournaments late last year.

In the men’s draw Waikato is the top seed and leads pool A and Northland heads pool B after winning and coming runner up respectively in the Northern Region qualifying tournament.  Bay of Plenty leads pool C, and Central Region winners Wellington head pool D. 

On the women’s side of the draw, central winner Manawatu is seeded first and heads pool A, Wellington tops pool B and Counties Manakau leads pool C. 

Many of the leading contenders played in the Bay of Plenty tournament last weekend, taken out by the Waikato men and Manawatu women respectively.

Counties Manukau (men) and Manawatu (women) are the defending national tournament champions. Counties Manukau beat North Harbour 54-14 in their final to win for the first time since 1995, while Manawatu captured their third win four years in beating Wellington 26-19 in their final.

The winner of the Joe Taiwi Memoral Trophy for Men’s Player of the Tournament last year was presented to Augustine Pulu, while Wellington’s Kat Whata-Simpkins was the Anna Richards Trophy winner as the Women’s Player of the Tournament.

As an added incentive, incoming All Blacks Sevens head coach Clark Laidlaw and Black Ferns Sevens head coach Allan Bunting will both be on hand, and will be naming their squads for the 2017 HSBC World Sevens Series after the tournament.

Tournament Details:

What: 2017 Bayleys National Sevens
When: Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 January
Where: Rotorua International Stadium
Time: From 10am both days
Entry Fee: $15 Adult, $5 Child under 15, Under 5 Free, Family Tickets $35 (2A and up to 3C)
Draw and Results: See below for the day one draw

The teams and pools are:

Men
Pool A: Waikato, Hawkes Bay, North Harbour, Southland
Pool B: Northland, Counties Manukau, Manawatu, South Canterbury
Pool C: Bay of Plenty, Taranaki, Tasman, Canterbury
Pool D: Wellington, Auckland, Otago, Horowhenua Kapiti

Women
Pool A: Manawatu, Waikato, Otago, North Harbour
Pool B: Wellington, Bay of Plenty, Auckland, Hawkes Bay
Pool C: Counties Manukau, Canterbury, Tasman, Taranaki

Day one schedule:

Men’s games
10.25am: Waikato v Southland
10.45am: Hawke’s Bay v North Harbour
11.05am: Northland v South Canterbury
11.25am: Counties Manukau v Manawatu
11.45am: Bay of Plenty v Canterbury
12.05pm: Taranaki v Tasman
12.25pm: Wellington v Horowhenua-Kapiti
12.45pm: Auckland v Otago and Waikato v North Harbour
1.05pm: Hawke’s Bay v Southland
1.25pm: Northland v Manawatu
1.45pm: Counties Manukau v South Canterbury
2.35pm: Taranaki v Canterbury
2.55pm: Bay of Plenty v Tasman
3.15pm: Wellington v Otago
3.35pm: Waikato v Hawke’s Bay and Auckland v Horowhenua-Kapiti
3.55pm: North Harbour v Southland
4.15pm: Northland v Counties Manukau
4.35pm: Manawatu v South Canterbury
4.55pm: Bay of Plenty v Taranaki
5.15pm: Tasman v Canterbury
5.35pm: Otago v Horowhenua-Kapiti
5.55pm: Wellington v Auckland

Women’s games
10.25am: Counties Manukau v Taranaki
10.45am: Canterbury v Tasman
11.05am: Wellington v Hawke’s Bay
11.25am: Bay of Plenty v Auckland
11.45am: Manawatu v North Harbour
12.05pm: Waikato v Otago
2.35pm: Bay of Plenty v Hawke’s Bay
2.55pm: Manawatu v Otago
3.15pm: Waikato v North Harbour
4.15pm: Tasman v Canterbury
4.35pm: Counties Manukau v Canterbury
4.55pm: Auckland v Hawke’s Bay
5.15pm: Wellington v Bay of Plenty
5.35pm: Manawatu v Waikato
5.55pm: Otago v North Harbour