
After a long break from rugby in the capital and many parts of the country, a red-hot sevens rugby injection comes to Porirua Park this Saturday with the inaugural Bula Fiji 7s tournament.
Rugby-starved fully vaccinated supporters can roll up to Porirua Park from early in the morning to later in the evening to see no fewer than 20 teams from around the country in action in the one-day tournament.
The pools* are:
*subject to change.
Top billing will be the New Zealand Men’s All Black Sevens ‘NZ Ignite’ squad, in need of some competition following their recent withdrawal from the Malaga and Seville legs of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series.
Several crack squads will be hot on their heels, including travelling sevens club Matakesi who have proven over the past couple of years they are a force to be reckoned with in wherever they go. Their team for this Saturday features Wellington players Sam Smith (Wainuiomata) and Jordan Gillies (Hutt Old Boys Marist) – see below.
Local hopes will rest on the Wellington Fijian Flyers (two teams entered) and Lomaiviti Wellington teams. The Fijian Flyers were last in action in mid-November, making the Cup semi-finals of the annual Napier Old Boys Marist tournament.
As listed above in the pools, the Bula 7s tournament also features sides from Otago, Canterbury, South Canterbury and Marlborough in the South Island and Manawatu, Whanganui, Waikato (two teams), Rotorua (two), Hawke’s Bay, Gisborne and Auckland.
The Bula 7s tournament runs all day and into the evening. It kicks off at 8.00am and pool play on fields 1 and 2 runs through to approximately 2.30pm.
The knockout matches are scheduled to start at 3.30pm and run through to 7.30pm with the Cup Final on Jerry Collins Stadium.
Bula 7s scheduled draw is**:
**subject to change.
This is a Covid-event, so all supporters must present their vaccine passports at the entrance on arrival at Jerry Collins Stadium. Supporters will be issued a coloured wristband after paying the $5 entry fee, which will be positive vaccine-status proof.
There will also be several food stalls throughout the stadium.
The tournament after party is at the Hotel Bristol on Wellington from 8.00pm to late.
The Matakesi team for Saturday:
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Waikato Fijians jersey presentation: