Newquay Surf 7s International Rugby 2009 will again bring exciting top class Seven-a-side Rugby to Cornwall this July.
More than a thousand rugby players, plus their friends and supporters, will enjoy three days of Sun, Sea, Sand, Surf and Sizzling Sevens Rugby in Newquay.
“The magnificent sporting weekend which was first introduced last year, and was the biggest Rugby event in Newquays history, is definitely returning. It promises to be bigger and better with more teams and more spectators expected.”
“This year, we are planning to widen the appeal of the event by introducing a Charity Fun Run on the Sunday morning.” said Tournament Director Andy Hawken.
“Cornish comedian Jethro has also generously offered to do a charity event supporting Newquay 7s, as long as the money raised goes to the Precious Lives Appeal. It’s now just a matter of finding a venue in Newquay large enough to cope with a thousand or more people on the Saturday night.”
“Newquay Surf 7s International Rugby 2009 will be held from Friday 17th July until Sunday 19th July.”
“The inaugural Charity Fun Run, ‘Run for Cornwall’, will take place on Sunday 19th July starting at 10am. We are hoping to attract 2,000 runners, with all runners being asked to raise funds for one of the Newquay Surf 7s four selected Charities, or for a Charity or Not-for-profit organisation of their own choice.”
“This year our four chosen Charities are CLIC Sargent, Precious Lives, Cornwall Hospice Care and Cornwall Air Ambulance,” continued Andy Hawken.
“Our target for 2009 is to improve on the £15,000, delivered to Cornish Charities last year. The sum will hopefully be raised between the Newquay Surf 7s Rugby festival and the Surf 7s 20K Charity Fun Run through Newquay. Hopefully, this wonderful sum of money will certainly make a lot of difference to the lives of many people in Cornwall.”
Last year in 2008, the Acorn sponsored Newquay International Rugby 7’s was the first ever seven-a-side Rugby Tournament to be held in Newquay. It lived up to its promise and provided a weekend full of great festival rugby, when internationally-renowned professional seven-a-side rugby teams competed for over £10,000 worth of prize money, with £15,000 being raised and presented to key Cornish charities.
“This year the Saturday and Sunday will once again be full of fast and exciting seven-a-side rugby. But, lovers of Rugby will also enjoy a great Friday as the weekend will be heralded with a full fifteen-a-side evening rugby match between a Classic Lions Team and a Newquay Hornets Presidents Invitation Team. Both teams will be full of quality players with many from the world of international rugby.”
“The interest and desire from teams across the UK to once again be involved, after the success of 2008, is terrific. In fact, many top rugby teams unable to be involved last year have now signed up early to ensure inclusion. These include Graham Dawes Plymouth Albion, the Cornish Pirates, Mounts Bay and others. In fact, even at this very early stage there is only one place left in the top Invitational competition.”
The Friday evening Classic Lions match, as last year, will be followed by a Grand Presentation Dinner for players, sponsors and guests. It will also include an auction in aid of our chosen Cornish charities. Last year the Auction alone raised a wonderful £4,725.”
The main Invitational 7-a-side rugby competition for top teams will take place on the Saturday. The Men’s Open and Women’s Open competitions will also be played on the Saturday.
“Some of the best sevens rugby teams in Europe played in last year’s Invitational Competition on the Saturday. The British Army team, stocked full of fast and brilliant Fijians, eventually won a great final against the famous Marauders team from Hampshire.”
“Equally important was the Women’s Open Competition with the incredibly impressive Wooden Spoon Ladies team demonstrating brilliant skills and talent when they beat a very impressive Pink BaBas in their final,”
As well as the 20K Fun Run, the Sunday will also be a fun day of rugby as visiting Rugby Clubs from all over the UK will have their own competition. Last year wonderful games of flowing sevens rugby were enjoyed by all, but the outstanding final between two Devon rugby clubs was eventually won by an impressive Kingsbridge Young Guns when they beat a very good Collumpton side.
“But to kick-start the whole weekend, 400 boys and girls from schools throughout Cornwall will once again come together, playing Tag-Rugby on the Friday afternoon, to contest the Rugby Newquay Surf 7s Schools Trophy, all in partnership with NTS Sport (Newquay Tretherras Sport) and Cornwall Active Sport.”
In conclusion Andy Hawken said; “2008 saw 92 seven-a-side teams competing in a festival of rugby in five separate tournaments and without exception they all wanted to come back in 2009 to do it all again. This year it appears most of them are!”
Photo: The British Army team, winners of Newquay Surf 7s in 2008
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Cornwall’s own festival of seven-a-side rugby is back in Newquay again this coming weekend. 1,500 players plus supporters and friends, will enjoy a second year of Newquay Surf Sevens competitive sport with fun for all the family.
Internationally-renowned professional seven-a-side rugby teams will compete for over £10,000 worth of prize money. “The Newquay Surf 7s International Rugby tournament will provide a weekend full of sparkling running rugby this Saturday and Sunday at Newquay Sports Centre. It will rival any in Europe this summer,” said Tournament Director Andy Hawken. “108 teams will be competing in a festival of sevens rugby in four separate competitions. Included are some of the best seven-a-side rugby teams in the country. The British Army team return again, stocked full of fast and brilliant Fijians, having won last year’s great final in Newquay against the famous Marauders team from Hampshire.”
The main Invitation Rugby Sevens Festival featuring internationally renowned teams including, Kooga Wailers, Samurai International, Plymouth Albion, Marauders, and the Westcountry Cavaliers will start at 10.00am on Saturday 18th July, with the Final expected to be played at approximately 7.00 pm.
KooGa Wailers are expected to name a host of Newcastle Falcons players for next Saturdays Invitational Competition, as the Newquay tournament forms part of the Falcons preparations for the well known Middlesex Sevens, which they won for the first time in the clubs history two years ago.
The Men’s Open has attracted 24 teams from all over the UK again, including some top class teams who were sadly too late to sign up for the Invitational Sevens Competition. These include such teams as Worcester Trojans and Ronin Impact. The RAF Spitfires and the Royal Navy Sharks will also once again be trying to get the upper hand.
Equally important is the Women’s Open Competition with the incredibly impressive Wooden Spoon Women’s team. They demonstrated wonderful skills and talent when they beat a very impressive Pink BaBas in last year’s Newquay final. The Wooden Spoon Women’s team also played in the final of the first women’s competition held in Rome last year.
Twenty four top quality women’s sevens teams from as far afield as Dublin Police (Garda), Wasps Ladies, Worcester Ladies, Richmond and the intriguingly named team Faunchy Ruckers are all signed up for the Newquay Sevens.
Sunday 19th July will also be a great sporting and fun day, as 48 visiting Rugby Clubs from all over the UK will compete for the new Newquay Presidents Cup in their own competition. Including last year’s impressive winners from Devon, the Kingsbridge Young Guns,
“Quality professional and amateur rugby players, with the support of referees from all over the UK will ensure a great weekend of fun and enjoyment for all ages.”
“In the present economic climate, sponsorship has been difficult to find for so many sporting events across the country, as it also is in Cornwall. But we have ensured that the important elements have been focused on, to continue the greatly acclaimed and positive success of last year’s inaugural Newquay 7-a-side rugby weekend.” said Andy.
The weekend of party and festival atmosphere for all ages will be aided by various events involving the Royal Air Force, Royal Navy and the British Army, a surf simulator, with of course locally made refreshments of all types.
"Once again the sensational combination of Sun, Sea, Sand, Surf and Sizzling Sevens Rugby here in one of the UK’s leading beach resorts, is sure to make our event a great success,” concluded Andy Hawken .
Entry price for the three days; Saturday 18th July - £5, Sunday 19th July - £5 Children under 14 free plus Car Parking is free
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