The Rhodes University Sevens rugby squad heads down the Garden Route once end-of-year examinations are over – but it won't be to bask on the beach at Victoria Bay.
The Rhodes University Sevens rugby squad heads down the Garden Route once end-of-year examinations are over – but it won't be to bask on the beach at Victoria Bay.
University rugby coach, Qondakele Sompondo, and his charges will be travelling to George for the 2015 University Sport SA (USSA) Rugby Sevens championships where they'll be up against teams from tertiary institutions from all over South Africa.
The annual tournament, this year hosted by the George campus of Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, takes place from 30 November to 1 December. NMMU will host the USSA rugby sevens tournament for a sixth consecutive year.
This year the field has been left wide open as champions Tuks will not be returning to defend their title as a result of many of their players being unavailable due to exams, giving thirteen teams from universities all over the country an opportunity to battle it out for the cup.
"We are very excited to be hosting this two-day tournament for the sixth straight year,” said George campus sports administrator Marnus de Klerk.
“It is good to know that our campus has established itself as the home of the USSA sevens, and we are honoured to welcome all the teams who’ll be arriving over the weekend."
Sompondo added that the Rhodes Rugby Club is also gearing itself up to qualify for the 2016 Varsity Shield competition. For that reason, he has already compiled a training and preparation schedule for returning and new students for the start of next year.
The Rhodes First XV takes part in the Eastern Cape High Performance rugby league, while the university’s under-20 team contests the Eastern Province Rugby Union’s Under-20 league.
The 7's teams are scheduled to arrive at the NMMU George Campus on Sunday 29 November for registration and to settle in before the matches kick off on Monday. Play-offs will continue on Tuesday, culminating in the finals later that day.
De Klerk said postponed examinations affected the availability of a number of players at several institutions, but at least thirteen squads had confirmed, including Maties, UJ, two from Pukke, two from the Madibaz.
"Tuks have won the last two tournaments. With them not coming it creates a unique opportunity for another team to step up and claim the title. It should make for some spectacular sevens rugby."
Maties could look to return the cup to their trophy case where it stood for three years prior to Tuks winning it in 2013.
Following the Varsity Cup rugby tournament earlier this year UJ have dominated every other tournament in the 15-man format, and are aiming to add the sevens title to their list of achievements. But they should brace themselves for some tough competition from the likes of Kovsies, Pukke and the hosts.
"We are expecting some fast-paced action. Sevens has always been very entertaining rugby, and these young student athletes are sure to put on a show," said De Klerk.
He added that the tournament provided an opportunity to develop young talent in the steadily growing sport of rugby sevens.
"All university tournaments are breeding grounds for young talent, making them very important for sports development and, in this case, for the future of rugby."
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