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.

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

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 Rotorua. 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 2004–2013 Pub Charity Ltd 2014–2018 Bayleys Realty 2018–present TECT

The National Sevens moved to Queenstown for ten seasons from 2004. The 2009 event was the first tournament where the entire event was screened live by Sky TV.Pub Charity Sevens to kick off the 2008 rugby year. Sky Sport. 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

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:

1975–2002 Year Venue Champion1975Auckland Marlborough1976Christchurch Marlborough1977Blenheim 1978Hamilton 1979Palmerston North 1980Palmerston North 1981Palmerston North Taranaki1982Feilding Taranaki1983Feilding 1984Feilding 1985Feilding1986Feilding 1987Feilding1988Feilding 1989Christchurch 1990Palmerston North 1991Palmerston North 1992Palmerston North 1993Palmerston North 1994Palmerston North1995Palmerston North1996Palmerston North Palmerston North 1997Rotorua 1998Rotorua 1999Palmerston North 2000Palmerston North 2001Palmerston North 2002Palmerston North

Notes There were two events in 1996 due to a seasonal switch from March to November. Waikato won four titles between 1996 and 1998.

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. The new venue was the Recreation Ground in Queenstown which hosted the National Sevens for ten years from 2004 to 2013.

Year Venue Cup final Placings Winner Score Runner-up Plate Bowl Shield2004Queenstown48–72005Queenstown42–122006Queenstown43–122007Queenstown36–17 2008DetailsQueenstown24–15 2009DetailsQueenstown 2010Queenstown21–142011Queenstown36–262012Queenstown2013DetailsQueenstown32–17

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 Winner Score Runner-up Semi-finalists2014DetailsRotorua26–192015Rotorua38–19 2016Rotorua 54–142017Rotorua 14–72018Rotorua21–17Tasman2018–19TaurangaTasman12–7 2019TaurangaWaikato31–5 2020Cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic

Women's tournament Women's teams initially competed at the National Sevens from 1998 through to 2002. After a ten-season absence, the women's tournament was reintroduced for the 2013 National Sevens held in Queenstown, with Manawatu earning the title. 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 Champion1998Rotorua 1999Palmerston North 2000Palmerston North 2001Palmerston North 2002Palmerston North

2013 onwards Year Venue Cup final Placings Winner Score Runner-up Semi-finalists2013Queenstown 36–17 ?2014Rotorua19–12 Winner Score Runner-up Third Fourth2015Rotorua29–142016Rotorua16–19 2017Rotorua 24–172018Rotorua17–15 Tauranga12–72019Tauranga 12–52020Cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic

References

External links