Rugby Football Union - International Henley Sevens

International Henley Sevens


	Marauders - victorious last year at the Henley

The 9th International Henley Sevens on Saturday August 10th promises to be the best ever - which is saying something as Fiji playing as Fiji Spartans scored a hat-trick of wins in the late nineties with the most dramatic final of all in 1998. On this occasion they played Manua Samoa in a repeat of the Hong Kong Sevens final running out winners 31-28 after trailing with not much more than seconds left.

The Henley Sevens went international by name in the same year but this year, for the first time, it is more than likely it will have teams from the national squads of the four home countries. Scotland paved the way last year when they sent their squad which is sponsored by insurance brokers NIG who were also one of the sponsors of last year’s tournament. Team manager Roy Laidlaw commented, “I was impressed with the standard of sevens throughout the tournament.” He has already confirmed that NIG Scottish Thistles will be playing again this May. Invitations have, therefore, been sent to England, Ireland and Wales.

The opposition to overcome will include the British Army side that won the Middlesex Sevens last season as well as the Samurais who were beaten semi-finalists in that tournament. The international flavour is endorsed with entries from Begles-Bordeaux and London Irish who should qualify for the latter stages of the Henley Oxfordshire Cup.

Beside the cup event there are competitions at plate and shield level. Local teams, such as the hosts Henley Hawks, Bracknell and Newbury, as well as Oxford and Cambridge Universities, can also go away with silverware and some of the prize money, which should be about £10,000. Last year the day was embellished by a women’s event and a tag tournament for local schools. There will be something for everybody at Dry Leas on May 11th.