Organisers of Independence International 7s Tournament have begun planning ahead for the event. The Independence Rugby 7s tournament is held annually to commemorate Nigeria’s Independence anniversary. The tournament will be staged again at the Onikan stadium on the 9th and 10th of October 2015. The two day tournament which started in the year 2009 has since grown to be the biggest Rugby 7s party in West Africa. Its 2013 edition had a wider International participation with clubs from the UK, Egypt and Ghana adding the much needed International flavour. However, clubs from every zone in Nigeria competed extremely well last year and we witnessed an electrifying final year between Cowrie RFC and Barewa RFC of Kano. Cowrie RFC beat Barewa RFC 27-14 to emerge 2014 champions.
“The 2015 edition promises to be bigger and better, eleven local and five international teams will battle for this year’s trophy, We have received expression of interest from Ultimate Rugby 7s team from the Uk, Blitzboks 7s from South Africa, Accra Sharks of Ghana and two more foreign teams. This tournament is potentially a major tourist attraction and we are putting all structures in place for a great tournament”. Says Tournament coordinator; Olatunji Fasimoye
Fasimoye also stressed that last year’s finalists, Cowrie RFC and Barewa RFC have automatic spots if they express interests this year but other local teams across the country will have to go through a “playoff” for a spot in the tournament due to increasing number of foreign team’s participation as it was done last year. Modalities of Playoffs will be announced shortly.
Rugby sevens, also known as seven-a-side, Sevens, 7s or VIIs, is a variant of rugby union in which teams are made up of seven players, instead of the usual 15, with shorter matches. Rugby sevens is administered by World Rugby, the body responsible for rugby union worldwide. The game originated in Melrose where the Melrose Sevens tournament is still played annually. The game in an Olympic sport and is popular at all levels, with amateur and club tournaments generally held in the summer months. Sevens is one of the most well distributed forms of rugby, and is popular in parts of Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas.
newfanzone 