New Zealand National Rugby Sevens Tournament

The National Sevens is a rugby sevens tournament for New Zealand provincial teams. It is held annually and features a men's event and a women's event. The best teams in the country compete over two days for the respective men's and women's titles. The tournament is currently held in Tauranga.

New Zealand National Sevens
Tournament logo introduced in 2018
SportRugby union
Founded1975
No. of teams16
CountryNew Zealand
Most recent
champion(s)		Tasman – Men (2018)
Manawatu – Women (2018)
Official websitewww.nationalsevens.co.nz

The National Sevens also serves as an opportunity for players to be selected in New Zealand's national sevens teams.[1]

History

The National Sevens was first held in 1975 in Auckland, where Marlborough were the very first champions. Since then the tournament has been held every year (except 1987, 1988, and 2003) and held at various venues. A women's competition was introduced for the 1998 tournament in Roturura. In the first three decades Palmerston North hosted the National Sevens thirteen times, the last of which was in 2002. This was also the last tournament to host women's sevens until women's teams were reintroduced a decade later.

Sponsors of the National Sevens
2004–2013Pub Charity Ltd
2014–2018Bayleys Realty
2018–presentTECT

The National Sevens moved to Queenstown for ten seasons from 2004.[2] The 2009 event was the first tournament where the entire event was screened live by Sky TV.[3] A women's competition was reinstated in 2013. The National Sevens was relocated to Rotorua in 2014 and then to Tauranga in December 2018.

Format

The sixteen teams for men are divided into four pools. On day one each team plays the other three teams in its pool. The top two teams from each pool qualify for the championship playoffs while the bottom two enter the bowl competition.

Venue

The first tournament was held in Auckland in 1975. From there it moved to various venues around the country: Christchurch, Blenheim, Hamilton, Palmerston North, Feilding, Pukekohe and Rotorua. From 2004 to 2013 it was hosted in Queenstown at the Recreation Ground, which is usually the home of the Wakatipu Rugby Club. The tournament then returned to Rotorua for five seasons and, since December 2018, it is held in Tauranga.

Participants
A map of NZRU provincial union boundaries, including unions competing in the National Sevens

The following teams have participated in the tournament:

Province Appearances Championships 2009 Placing
Auckland 2005-2009 2005,2006,2007,2008
Bay of Plenty 2006,2008-2009
Buller 2006
Canterbury 2006,2008-2009
Counties Manukau 2006,2008-2009
Hawke's Bay 2006,2008-2009
Horowhenua-Kapiti 2008-2009
Manawatu 2006,2008-2009
North Harbour 2004,2006,2008-2009 2004, 2009
North Otago 2005
Northland 2008-2009
Otago 2004-2009
Otago Country 2007, 2009
South Canterbury 2006,2008,2010
Southland 2006,2008-2009
Taranaki 2006,2008-2009
Tasman 2008
Waikato 2006,2008-2009
Wellington 2006,2008-2009
West Coast 2006,2008-2009

Results by year

Men's tournament

National Sevens winners since 1975:[4]

1975–2002
Year Venue Champion
1975 Auckland Marlborough
1976 Christchurch Marlborough
1977 Blenheim Manawatu
1978 Hamilton Manawatu
1979 Palmerston North Manawatu
1980 Palmerston North Auckland
1981 Palmerston North Taranaki
1982 Feilding Taranaki
1983 Feilding Auckland
1984 Feilding Auckland
1985 Feilding Counties
1986 Feilding North Harbour
1987 Feilding North Harbour
1988 Feilding Auckland
1989 Christchurch Auckland
1990 Palmerston North Canterbury
1991 Palmerston North Auckland
1992 Palmerston North North Harbour
1993 Palmerston North Canterbury
1994 Palmerston North Counties
1995 Palmerston North Counties
1996 Palmerston North Waikato
1996–97 a Rotorua? Waikato
1997 Rotorua Waikato
1998 Rotorua Waikato
1999 Palmerston North North Harbour
2000 Palmerston North North Harbour
2001 Palmerston North North Harbour
2002 Palmerston North Wellington

Notes

^a There were two events in 1996 due to a seasonal switch from March to November.[4] Waikato won four titles between 1996 and 1998.[5]

2004–2013

The National Sevens switched from a November schedule to a January schedule for the 2003–04 season and, as such, the 2002 tournament was followed by the 2004 tournament.[6] The new venue was the Recreation Ground in Queenstown which hosted the National Sevens for ten years from 2004 to 2013.[7]

Year Venue Cup final Placings Ref
Winner Score Runner-up Plate Bowl Shield
2004 Queenstown
North Harbour		 48–7
Otago
Auckland
Canterbury
Manawatu		 [8]
[9]
2005 Queenstown
Auckland		 42–12
Northland
Wellington
Otago
Manawatu		 [10]
2006 Queenstown
Auckland		 43–12
Wellington
Bay of Plenty
Southland
Canterbury
2007 Queenstown
Auckland		 36–17
Canterbury
Counties Manukau
Wellington
Northland
2008
Details		 Queenstown
Auckland		 24–15
Counties Manukau
Manawatu
Wellington
Tasman
2009
Details		 Queenstown
North Harbour		 29–26
Counties Manukau
Wellington
Otago
Southland
2010 Queenstown
Waikato		 21–14
Bay of Plenty
North Harbour
Horowhenua-Kapiti
2011 Queenstown
Auckland		 36–26
Taranaki
North Harbour
Manawatu
Canterbury
2012 Queenstown
Auckland		 36–24
Otago
Taranaki
Tasman
Bay of Plenty		 [11]
2013
Details		 Queenstown
Taranaki		 32–17
North Harbour
Auckland
Hawke's Bay
Counties Manukau

2014 onwards

The tournament moved from Queenstown to Rotorua in 2014 for five seasons. A switch from playing in January to December coincided with the event moving to Tauranga for the 2018–19 season.

Year Venue Cup final Placings Ref
Winner Score Runner-up Semi-fi nalists
2014
Details		 Rotorua
Wellington		 26–19
Auckland
Taranaki
Northland		 [12]
2015 Rotorua
Waikato		 38–19
Wellington
Counties Manukau
Bay of Plenty		 [13]
2016 Rotorua
Counties Manukau		 54–14
North Harbour
Wellington
Bay of Plenty		 [14]
2017 Rotorua
Counties Manukau		 14–7
Waikato
Taranaki
Wellington		 [15]
2018 Rotorua
Waikato		 21–17
Tasman
Wellington
Taranaki		 [16]
2018–19 Tauranga
Tasman		 12–7
Counties Manukau
Wellington
North Harbour		 [17]
[18]
2019 Tauranga
Waikato		 31–5
Auckland
Taranaki
Bay of Plenty		 [19]
[20]
2020 Cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic

Women's tournament

Women's teams initially competed at the National Sevens from 1998 through to 2002.[4] After a ten-season absence, the women's tournament was reintroduced for the 2013 National Sevens held in Queenstown, with Manawatu earning the title.[21] The tournament then moved to Rotorua in 2014 for five seasons. A switch from playing in January to December coincided with the event moving to Tauranga for the 2018–19 season.

1998–2002
Year Venue Champion
1998 Rotorua Auckland
1999 Palmerston North Wellington
2000 Palmerston North Wellington
2001 Palmerston North Auckland
2002 Palmerston North Canterbury

2013 onwards
Year Venue Cup final Placings Ref
Winner Score Runner-up Semi-fi nalists
2013 Queenstown
Manawatu		 36–17
Waikato
Auckland		 ? [22]
2014 Rotorua
Manawatu		 19–12
Auckland
Counties Manukau
Waikato		 [12]
Winner Score Runner-up Third Fourth
2015 Rotorua
Auckland		 29–14
Manawatu
Waikato
Bay of Plenty		 [13]
2016 Rotorua
Manawatu		 16–19
Wellington
Counties Manukau
Canterbury		 [23]
2017 Rotorua
Counties Manukau		 24–17
Manawatu
Auckland
Waikato		 [24]
2018 Rotorua
Manawatu		 17–15
Waikato
Auckland
Counties Manukau		 [16]
2018–19 Tauranga
Manawatu		 12–7
Waikato
Auckland
Bay of Plenty		 [25]
[18]
2019 Tauranga
Counties Manukau		 12–5
Waikato
Auckland
Bay of Plenty		 [26]
[20]
2020 Cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic

References
  1. "NZ rugby sevens in Queenstown". One Sport. 13 January 2006. Retrieved 30 October 2011.
  2. "Queenstown shaping up for sevens fest". The Southland Times. 9 January 2008. Archived from the original on 11 January 2008.
  3. Pub Charity Sevens to kick off the 2008 rugby year. Sky Sport.
  4. White, Steven (25 January 2015). "National Sevens in Rotorua this weekend". Club Rugby. Archived from the original on 27 January 2019.  1996: Waikato (Won March & November official National events) 
  5. "Counties Manukau, Waikato claim National Sevens titles". 15 December 2019. Archived from the original on 24 January 2020. Retrieved 24 December 2019.  It is Waikato's eighth national title having won four-in-a-row between 1996-98 ...
  6. "De Goldi to lead New Zealand". ESPN. 29 January 2003.
  7. Caldwell, Olivia (11 January 2013). "Last home tournament". Otago Daily times. Archived from the original on 27 January 2019.
  8. "Sevens fun, even if we never made the final". Southland Times. 11 January 2013. Archived from the original on 24 January 2020. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
  9. "North Harbour take sevens title". ESPN. 18 January 2004. Archived from the original on 24 January 2020. Retrieved 18 December 2019.
  10. "Auckland win 2005 National Sevens". New Zealand Rugby Museum. 16 January 2005.
  11. "Auckland win 2012 National Sevens". New Zealand Rugby Museum. 8 January 2012.
  12. "Wellington men, Manawatu women National Sevens champions". Club Rugby. 13 January 2014. Archived from the original on 22 January 2014.
  13. "National Sevens Day 2 Results". Club Rugby. 18 January 2015. Archived from the original on 29 January 2015.
  14. "Day 2 - Men's Play-offs" (PDF). nationalsevens.co.nz. 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 January 2016.
  15. "Day 2 - Men's Play-offs" (PDF). nationalsevens.co.nz. 2017. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 January 2017.
  16. "National Sevens results January 2018". Archived from the original on 30 January 2018.
  17. "National Sevens results Day 2 – Men December 2018" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 January 2019.
  18. "Tasman make sevens history with men's title as Manawatū retain women's trophy". Stuff. Retrieved 27 January 2019.
  19. "National Sevens results Day 2 – Men December 2019". Archived from the original on 22 January 2019. Retrieved 18 December 2019.
  20. "Waikato regains mens title and Counties Manukau lift womens trophy". Stuff. Retrieved 18 December 2019.
  21. "Women's Rugby History". communityrugby.co.nz. Archived from the original on 27 January 2019. Retrieved 27 January 2019.
  22. "Manawatu surprise winners of 2013 National Sevens". rugbygirl. 13 January 2013.
  23. "Day 2 - Women's Play-offs" (PDF). nationalsevens.co.nz. 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 January 2016.
  24. "Day 2 - Women's Play-offs" (PDF). nationalsevens.co.nz. 2017. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 January 2017.
  25. "National Sevens results Day 2 – Wonen December 2018" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 January 2019.
  26. "National Sevens results Day 2 – Women December 2019". Archived from the original on 18 December 2019.
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