The 26th year of the annual competition boasts a star cast headed up by a British Army side who will be defending their crown.
“We are thrilled with the quality of the competing teams” said competition organiser Julan Bracey. “There are a number of sides in contention for the first prize of £5,000”
“Both the international reputation and current form of The British Army and the Samurais give the tournament a very high profile.” added Bracey.
“The Army – our defending champins – have twice won the Middlesex Sevens in recent years and this year triumphed at the Rosslyn Park, Ledbury and Rome Sevens whilst the Samurais have just won the Amsterdam and Belfast tournaments.”
The Army will be led by Scotland Sevens captain Mark Lee and will contain a large contingent of Fijians, including the brilliant tried and tested trio of Ledua Jope, Pecelli Nacamaavuto and Apolosi Satala.
The Samurais will challenge the Army for favouritism, as they will be spearheaded by one of the great sevens players of the last decade in England’s Rob Thirlby – the scorer of over a hundred tries at IRB Sevens tournaments – and include New Zealand Sevens player Justin Wilson.
The Army and the Samurais are seeded to meet in the final but what marks out this year’s Cwmtawe Sevens is the quality of challengers to the big two.
The Scorpions are made up of South Africans now playing professional rugby in Europe and field sevens experts in Trevor Grundelingh, Morne Swanepoel and Ryder Pearson.
The Tongan Barbarians led by Worcester’s Aisea Havili are an amalgam of Bristol, Worcester and Leeds players and noone will discount last year’s Cwmtawe runners-up the Kooga Wailers.
The Wailers – made up of Newcastle Falcons academy players – went on to win the 2007 Middlesex sevens and look on the Cwmtawe event as vital preparation for their challenge at Twickenham on August 16.
The 2008 Bath Charity Sevens winners Kaiviti Crusdaers as well as Covenant’s Brother, RLC Warriors and RBS Royals are all full of South Sea Islanders whilst Stade Frenchay from Bristol have just won the Bournemouth Sevens.
Llanelli will be looking to Wales’s IRB Sevens stars Jonathan Edwards and Lee Williams, Neath will include Lee Beach and James Merriman whilst the Young Ospreys will surprise everyone if they suddenly turn up with Shane Williams, Gavin Henson and James Hook.!
Swansea, who along with Vardre, Pontardawe and Alltwen have played in every Cwmtawe tournament since 1983, won last year’s Plate – worth £1,000 – with Ricky Williams voted most promising player and always compete well at Parc Ynysderw.
24 teams have been divided up into eight pools of three with the winners going through to the last eight of the main competition and the runners-up moving into the Plate event.
Play starts at 11.30 am with the main competition final scheduled for 6.30 pm. All proceeds will as usual go to local charities and hospitals.
