Shanghai enters rugby sevens heaven

No longer does our sister city to the south have a monopoly on egg-chasing entertainment, as the inaugeral Shanghai Rugby Sevens tournament kicks off at the Shanghai Rugby Football Club this month.

Okay, it may not be the Hong Kong Stadium, with its worldwide cast of players and South Stand carnival, but humble beginings and all that. And the line up ain’t looking half bad at all.

Sanctioned by the International Rugby Board, the two-day event is the first stop in the newly established IRB Asian Rugby Sevens Series, with national teams from all over the continent competing, including the Chinese Mainland, Japan, Hong Kong, Chinese Taipei and Singapore.

For anybody who hasn’t watched the sport, it is faster and more free-flowing than the 15s game, and just as furious, with two sides of seven taking each other on on a full size pitch over two frenetic seven-minute halves.

The tournament is part of the IRB’s ongoing plan to develop rugby in China, and the international tournament will be supported by a wide range of other matches including a 16-team international club sevens tournament, womens’ sevens, vets tens and kids’ exhibition matches. Off the field a bit of a festival atmosphere will prevail. A supervised kids’ play area is on offer to keep the ankle-biters occupied, freeing up their folk to enjoy the live music stage and a pint of the black stuff or two in the beer garden (sponsored as it is by a certain tipple favored on the Emerald Isle).

The weekend’s proceedings begin with a long lunch on Friday to welcome team representatives and officials to the festivities. Key-note speaker will be New Zealand legend and current Japan coach, John Kirwan. As top try-scorer in the All Black’s World Cup winning side of 1987 he is sure to have some interesting tales from the life on the pitch with which to regail the audience in his repetoir, as well as, one imagines (and hopes!), a fair few from off it. Tickets for the event are available to the public, with part of the proceeds going to support rugby development in China.

The hope is that the tournament will grow in size and stature in the coming years, as organizer Mark Thomas explains: “We would like the Shanghai Sevens to become one of the truly great Rugby Sevens events, up there with Hong Kong and Dubai. The aim is to be integrated as a part of the IRBs World Sevens Series in a couple of years.” He says, “However, such development takes time and this year we’re focusing on getting it established, running a great event, making sure all players and supporters have a great experience and a lot of fun.” Bring it on.

The Shanghai Rugby Sevens tournament takes place on the weekend of the 12th-13th September from 8am-5pm at the Shanghai Rugby Football Club. Tickets are RMB50 for Sat, RMB70 for Sun, RMB100 for a weekend pass and RMB1000 for two-day VIP hospitality and available from www.ticketmaster.cn or the hotline 400 707 9999. For more information or tickets to the long lunch call 6323 2158 or visit www.shanghai7s.com

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