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PACIFIC
SEVENS TOURNAMENT KICKS OFF IN AUCKLAND |
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By Ruci Farrell |
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Wellington’s Westpac Trust
Stadium is where all the world sevens action begins this season. And
when NZ runs on to the stadium, there will be a distinct Pacific
presence among its ranks.
Auckland went all out to stamp their reputation in rugby sevens with a
victory at the inaugural Air Pacific International Pacific Sevens
Tournament in Auckland in early January.
Two Saturdays later the Blues swept through the New Zealand national
sevens tournament to take home the coveted championship trophy. Of the
15 member squad picked by coach Gordon Tietjens for the NZ squad, three
are from the Auckland camp — new find Isaiah Toeava and old timers
Orene Aii and Amasio Valance Raoma.
It was sevens rugby that provided the lift-off to stardom for legendary
stars like Eric Rush, Waisale Serevi, Jonah Lomu and Rupeni Caucau. It
was the code that catapulted All Blacks Jerome Kaino and Jo Rokocoko
into international rugby fame.
Sixteen teams kicked off the inaugural Pacific International Sevens
Tournament at the Ericsson Stadium on Saturday January 8 in what could
be Aucklandís answer to the International Rugby Boardís sevens
tournament in Wellington.
Alongside talent scouts mingling among the crowd was New Zealand coach
Gordon Tietjens on the lookout for player potential to fill NZís 2005
sevens squad.
“We don’t have many good sevens tournaments in NZ. I felt it was a very
good tournament, good standard of play, good for me and good for the
Pacific teams.” “David Smith the young winger from Auckland stood out
for me but he is unavailable for NZ for another couple of years, but he
is one who showed a lot of potential and it was a great opportunity for
him. Players like Orene Aii, Amasio Valence Raoma were standouts. I
thought Filimoni Vulavuso played very well too.” “I certainly will be a
spectator next year and I will try to encourage other traditional sides
to seek inclusion in the Pacific Sevens tournament. It’s just before
our national tournament and it will give players valuable game time
just to get them back into the rigors of sevens because they have just
had a long break,” Tietjens said.
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South Pacific Event Management congratulating Eric Rush’s
Auckland NPC side in winning 2005 Pacific International 7s
Tournament against Samoa selection Moata’s Barbarians 33 - 5. |
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Alongside talent scouts among the crowd was New Zealand coach
Gordon Tietjens with Joeli Vidiri (Counties Manukau 7s coach)
and New Zealand 7s international Orene Aii. |
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Sevens maestro Waisale Serevi lead the Lomaiviti Barbarians
which took home the Jensen Cup (Plate final) of the 2005 Pacific
International 7s Tournament in Auckland. |
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Sevens maestro Waisale
Serevi took a break from the UK to lead the Lomaiviti Barbarians which
took home the Jensen Cup (Plate final) after beating the Joeli Vidiri-coached
Counties Manukau side 24-19.
But it was Eric Rushís Auckland NPC side that took home the crown
jewels, the Pacific International Sevens Cup plus $5000 cash, trouncing
a Samoan selection Moataís Barbarians 33-5.
Auckland Samoa edged Ponsonby RFC off the block, 29-24, to take home
the bowls championship title.
Tournament organiser Wilmason Jensen was rapt with the outcome and
standard of competition and is determined to keep the concept alive in
the City of Sails.
“I know we’ll get more players and more teams next year. We plan to run
a qualifying tournament somewhere in the Pacific and fly in the winners
for next yearís tournament,” Jensen says.
For someone with a background in marketing and business, Jensen knows
only too well the importance of sponsorship deals to keep sporting
competitions of this magnitude alive.
“Organising a tournament like this for the first time and trying to
convince sponsors is never easy,” Jensen said.
Potential sponsors watching from the confines of the VIP boxes may
provide the real deal for the International Pacific Sevens Tournament
2006 which is ideally placed to kickstart the international sevens
programme in early January.
With heavyweights like Eric Rush, Gordon Tietjens and Waisale Serevi
giving the International Pacific Sevens the thumbs up is the icing on
the cake for Jensen whose family company, South Pacific Event
Management, has organized sevens tournaments since 1994.
This yearís Pacific International Sevens Tournament was sponsored by
Air Pacific, Vailima, Niu FM and Ethnic Communications. Here are the
results of the finals:
The IRB rugby sevens schedule is: Wellington February 6-7, Los Angeles
February 13-14, Hong Kong World Cup March 26-28, Singapore April 3-4,
Bordeaux (France) May 29-30 and London June 5-6.
Results from the Air Pacific International Pacific Sevens Tournament :
BOWL
Quarter Finals: Northland Maori 31 Cook Island Invitational 10,
Auckland Samoa 31 Niue Barbarians 17, Nadi Cavaliers 12 Ponsonby 21,
Ulalei 21 Grammar Carlton 17
Semi Finals: Ponsonby 26 Northland Maori 12, Auckland Samoa 42 Ulalei
21
Final: Ponsonby 24, Auckland Samoa 29.
PLATE
Final: Counties 19, Lomaiviti Barbarians 24.
CUP
Quarter FInals: Counties 19 Auckland Marist 10, Lomaiviti Barbarians 21
Tonga Barbarians 17, Tahimate 7 Moata’a Barbarians 26, Auckland 14
Waikato 7.
Semi Finals: Moata’a Barbarians 21 Counties 5, Auckland 35 Lomaiviti
Barbarians 14.
Final: Auckland 33, Moata Barbarians 5
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Copyright Event Polynesia Ltd.
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