North Island Secondary School Sevens teams descend on Rotorua

North Island Secondary School Sevens tournament is in Rotorua this weekend. Photo/File

Rotorua will be treated to an abundance of sevens rugby at the North Island Secondary Schools Sevens at Rotorua International Stadium this weekend.

The Bay of Plenty Rugby Union said it was excited to again host the tournament showcasing the future stars of New Zealand and Olympic Sevens.

The competition includes 12 U15 boys teams, with five making up the U15 boys open grade and seven teams forming the U15 boys' co-ed grade, and 11 U15 girls teams and 14 U19 girls' teams. Five of the girls' teams will compete in the development grade and nine in the open grade.

An added incentive will be the presence of the New Zealand Sevens talent identification team on finals day.

New title holders will be crowned for the U15 boys and U15 girls grade. Current title holders Rotorua Boys' High School are not attending, but Tauranga Girls' College will be back to defend their U19 girls title in a tough grade.

Former champions Hamilton Girls' and Feilding are also in the hunt to retake their former titles.

Tournament director Ian Parata said this was a great tournament and the start of an Olympic journey for some. The addition of an U19 girls' development grade to the tournament for the first time was a reflection of the growth in girls' rugby nationally.

"The talent that we will have on display will be fantastic to watch and to see the growth in these young athletes' skillset will provide plenty of excitement for spectators. We are confident this tournament will continue to be a high quality experience for all involved," said Mr Parata.

NZSSSC U15 Boys and U15 & U19 Girls 7s Tournament Details:
Date: Friday and Saturday
Time: 10am - 5pm
Venue: Rotorua International Stadium
Draw and results: click here.