Billed as the Marston’s GB7s the new premier league is the highest standard of sevens competition outside of full internationals and is compared to a combined Celtic League/Premiership created for the fast growing sport of rugby sevens. It promises a day of fast, entertaining, action-packed sport.
Round 1 sees past, current and future international players battling in a custom-designed tournament that guarantees every match is competitive. A more traditional knockout format gives a tournament winner on the day and every match also attracts league points which accumulate across the three week series to decide the British Champions.
Home fans will be getting behind Crawshays Welsh guided by Wales Sevens assistant coach Gareth Williams. More Celtic interest comes from the Scottish Thistles and Irish Exiles with the five remaining members of the eight team league being drawn from across England.
Rupert Moon, General Manager of Rygbi Gogledd Cymru, has been key in bringing the opening round of the new league to North Wales.
He says: “Rugby is getting stronger and stronger in North Wales. We’re building an exciting future here.
“So much has been achieved already and it is great to see local boys like Iolo Evans stepping up to the national sevens squad. I hope the GB7s inspires more promising athletes to follow players like Alex Cuthbert and Justin Tipuric to international success,” added Moon.
Cuthbert was ‘discovered’ playing sevens for one of the other GB7s teams, the Marauders, and was quickly pulled into the Wales development system while Tipuric is one of many Welsh players to have been through the national sevens squad.
Tickets for the Parc Eirias leg of the British Premier League Rugby Sevens are available from the ground priced at £5 for adults and children under 16 free. The first match kicks off at 10.50 in the morning with the final game scheduled for 7.00pm.
Round 2 of the Marston’s GB7s is in Edinburgh on 8th June with the finals at Allianz Park in London on 15th June.
