The Varsity Cup may be over, and the Monday night blues setting in on campus. But the party is only just getting started. In little over a week, 2016 Varsity 7s kicks off, as 10 of the country’s top Sevens teams do battle at Villager Rugby Club.
The tournament takes place from 30 April to 2 May in a thrilling three-day format, over the long weekend. If you thought Varsity Cup was a party, here’s why you won’t want to miss Varsity 7s:
1. FREE beer!
No, that wasn’t a typo, you read correctly – free beer!
You can purchase tickets to Varsity 7s on the Varsity Sports app at just R10 a ticket (from Monday 25 April). The first 500 people to purchase their ticket for each day will be entitled to a free beer or soft drink.
That’s cheaper than just buying a beer and you get a full day of scintillating Sevens action thrown in too.
2. Steers Chill Zone
Buy a King Steer Burger at Varsity 7s and receive free access to the Steers Chill Zone. As if it wasn’t already good enough having Steers available to guzzle down all day at Varsity 7s, you can have access to the Chill Zone, where you can also watch all the action live on TV, and hang out with celebs such as the Springbok Sevens.
3. Back Your Varsity Cup Boytjies, again
Many of the 2016 Varsity Cup stars will return to the field to represent their universities in the Sevens format. Those fast, nippy wingers and athletic forwards that caught your eye during Varsity Cup will don their university colours once more. Only now, they’ll have more space and opportunity to show off their speed and skills.
So Back Your Boytjies – they could be the next Springboks Sevens.
4. Springbok Sevens
While many of the young men on the field will aim to be future Blitzboks, representing South Africa at the Olympic Games one day, some of those who have already reached this level will be there.
Last year, Springbok Sevens coach, Neil Powell, and his Blitzboks, were in attendance at Varsity 7s.
“A tournament like this serves as a great platform for the students to show their talent and also allows us to scout that talent, especially players who focus solely on playing Sevens, “ said Powell, last year. “Sometimes it’s difficult to see the guys who play the 15-man format and gauge how well they will do in the Sevens format, so this is a platform for us to scout them.”
5. Fast-paced, action-packed
We all love heading down to Ellis Park, Loftus or Newlands to watch our local Super Rugby team in action, but 80 minutes and it’s all over.
In Varsity Sevens there are up to 25 matches a day, 10 different teams in action and matches are bite-sized at just seven minutes a half. On the field, seven men cover the same distance as 15 typically do. So the action is fast, tries are plenty, and it’s all about raw speed and agility.
6. Power Play
Varsity Sports has become known for their innovation and exciting rule changes. This year, the Power Play can be selected by teams once during a match. During a Power Play, for one minute, any try scored by the team will count double. Look forward to a last-gasp 10-pointer, sealing the victory for a team trailing by nine points.
7. It’s a party
It really is all about the party. Over the long weekend, bring the whole family to enjoy hours of rugby action, a live DJ, giveaways such as FNB ewallets, Samsung
speakers and witness the Sevens stars of the future, blitzing their way over the tryline.
Cape Town, let’s party!
