OWN CORRESPONDENT, Cape Town | Thursday 6.00pm.
SOUTH Africa is to host the second leg of the new International Rugby Board (IRB) World Sevens Series, which features 10 tournaments in as many countries between December 1999 and May 2000.
The IRB announced details on the inaugural series, which kicks off in Dubai on December 2 and 3, from Dublin today.
The South African leg will take place at the Danie Craven Stadium in Stellenbosch on Friday 10 and Saturday 11 December.
Sixteen teams will take part, including South Africa, Fiji, New Zealand, Australia, Samoa, Argentina, Morocco, Zimbabwe, Kenya and Namibia.
The Council of the IRB, at its recent meeting in Cardiff, approved plans for the tournament.
Bernard Lapasset, chairman of the Board’s international matches and tours committee, told the Council that arrangements had been completed to launch the series and for hosting each event.
”This is a very exciting adventure for the IRB”, he said. ”We have to recognise how much has been achieved by the tournament organisers in each country and by our own staff in the short time since we decided to explore the potential of a structured international sevens series.”
Teams from the major sevens unions hosting tournaments, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, France, Argentina, Fiji and Japan along with Samoa, USA, Canada and the Home Unions will provide the core entry for the series.
”We are excited at being selected to host a leg of the Sevens World Series,” said SARFU CEO, Rian Oberholzer. ”Apart from being a truly international event, the South African tournament can act as a catalyst for the on-going growth and development of Sevens in South Africa”. — Reuters
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