Sevens titles up for grabs in Waipukurau

Central rugby chairman and Sevens tournament controller Tony Mackie, in action during the competition in 2016. Photo / File

A long-running Sevens rugby tournament which has effectively become a Hawke's Bay championship will be held in Waipukurau tomorrow with just seven of the Bay's 22 clubs taking part.

Traditionally known as the Waipawa Sevens and first held 38 years ago, the tournament will be played at Central Park, Waipukurau, with the first games starting at 10am.

Among the 17 men's teams in the four-pool draw will be two from Napier Pirates and one each from host club Central, traditional Sevens performers Havelock North, and fellow Hawke's Bay Premier-grade clubs MAC, Taradale, Hastings Rugby and Sports and Napier Tech OB.

There are also two Hawke's Bay Fijians teams and a Northern Hawke's Bay combination named Mohaka Bros, with the Fijian community teams and Barbarians combinations from Auckland, Waikato, Rotorua, and Wellington dominating the rest of the draw.

Bay of Plenty side Nga Papaka o Rangataua won't defend the title they won last year with a win which made Havelock North runners-up for the fifth year in a row.

The numbers are, however, slightly more than last year, when 19 teams played across the grades, with just 11 chasing the Ian Baker Memorial Cup in the men's grade. There will also be a three-team Colts grade, for the Angus Cup, but no Women's grade.

Manawatu, from where some of the CHB tournament teams have come in recent years, is also holding its tournament tomorrow, having in the past played after the end of the main rugby season and leading to the National Sevens. It has attracted eight men's teams, five Colts and three women's teams.

The tournament was founded by the Waipawa United Rugby Club which, in 1994, was involved in a merger forming the Central Club in Waipukurau. The Sevens continued to be run at Waipawa ground Coronation Park for some years before being moved to Central Park.

While disappointed with the response from Hawke's Bay clubs, tournament controller and Central club chairman Tony Mackie believes a high-end, entertaining level of sevens competition will prevail, especially with teams having been drawn from such a wide area.

He promised the tournament won't be coming to an end, and will be looking for ideas on how to enhance the competition and the numbers of teams.