Formed 2004 ... Herts 7s U14 Runners-up 2005 ... North Herts U14 team, Herts Youth Games 2005 runners-up (coached by Letchworth)... Herts Superteams U14 Runners-up 2005 ... Herts SuperTeams "Fairplay" winners 2006 ... Rochford 10s U17 Champions 2006 ... East Midlands 10s U17 Runners-up 2007 ... East Midlands 10s U17 "Fairplay" winners 2007 ... National 10s U17 5th place and "Fairplay" winners 2007 ... Herts 7s U17 Plate runners-up 2007 ... National 7s U17 Plate winners 2007 ... RFU "President's XV" Award winners 2007 ... Herts Superteams winners 2007 ... Midlands 10s U18 Runners-up 2008 ... National 10s U18 4th place 2008 ... North Herts U11 team, Herts Youth Games 2008 runners-up (coached by Letchworth girls) ... London and SE 7s U18 Plate runners-up 2008 ... Herts 7s U18s runners-up 2008 ... National 7s U18s quarter-finalists 2008 ... Gloucester City 10s U18 Bowl runner-up (6th) 2009 ... Worthing 10s U18 Plate runner-up 2009 ... National 7s U18 Plate winners 2009... Worthing 10s U15 Plate winners 2010... Worthing 10s U18 Shield winners 2010... Herts 7s U15 and U18 Bowl runners-up 2010... National 7s U18 Plate runners-up 2010...

Friday, February 27, 2009

Sevens World Cup starts next week

At 3pm next Friday (our time) the first ever Sevens World Cup kicks off in Dubai. 

Sevens rugby has a pretty low reputation in the UK - its not "real" rugby, and is still largely seen as a bit of end-of-season fun. However, most of the rest of the world (and especially the women's rugby world) rather disagrees. 

This year's Six Nations is the first stage of the qualification process for next year's 15-a-side World Cup in England. Over the next few months about 25 teams from across the world will be competing for the 12 places available in the tournament.

In contrast SEVENTY nations took part in qualifying tournaments for next week's tournament - 33 from Europe alone - with 16 teams making it through. As far as most women in most rugby playing world are concerned Sevens is rugby, and Dubai 2009 is the main event. England 2010 will be merely an interesting curiosity.

One result of this is that many nations who might not usually associate with rugby are significant rugby powers when it comes to Sevens. From the Six Nations, only three qualified for Dubai - England, France and Italy - the other three European places going to Russia, Netherlands and Spain. And no-one was surprised.

The Asian qualifier resulted in similarly "unusual" names  - Japan, Thailand and China - making it through at the expense of Asia's traditional "giant",  Kazakhstan. And in the Pacific the qualifier was won by Australia... ahead of New Zealand.

And it will be Australia who will open the competition, with a game against China in the main stadium (most of the women's games prior to the semi-finals will be on the second pitch as apparently there is a men's tournament taking place at the same time).

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