Blitzboks legend Kyle Brown is believes Varsity 7s is providing a great opportunity for aspiring 7s players.
The Olympic Bronze medal winner commented on the upcoming Varsity 7s tournament on 4-5 October at the Pirates Rugby Club, and explained how important a tournament like this is.
“South African 7s is longing for a structured feeder platform, and that’s exactly where I see Varsity 7s stepping in. It creates a high-level platform for quality players who see themselves as sevens players to showcase their talents in an arena that is suited to their style of play. The benefits of having a tournament like this is that it gives these players an event to target.”
This year Varsity Women’s 7s has introduced to the tournament, with UP-Tuks (University of Pretoria), UJ (University of Johannesburg), UKZN (University of KwaZulu-Natal) and UFH (University of Fort Hare) forming a round robin competition.
Brown lauded the inclusionary steps Varsity Sports is taking.
“I think we have so much work to do in South Africa to reposition women’s rugby. For the longest time rugby has been seen as a male only sport, and if we look at the global growth of women’s rugby we have seen an amazing progression in the level of competition and quality of play.
“I think it is hugely important for us to create more inclusive, competitive and enjoyable platforms for women to play rugby, this will lead to higher participation and improved skill levels, and ultimately an opportunity to compete for a medal at the Olympics.”
The Varsity 7s teams will be announced on 23 September after the USSA qualifications.
Varsity 7s will be broadcast live on SuperSport 211 on Friday, 4 October and SuperSport 210 on Saturday, 5 October 2019.
Tickets are already on sale and can be purchased here: https://varsitysportsa.plankton.mobi/Events/EventBooking/a6bd891f-cfd3-e911-80c6-0cc47a93d288
