The first national Schools Sevens tournament will be held during the Varsity Sevens from 5-6 October at the Pirates Rugby Club in Johannesburg.

The high-school teams will be chosen via the U17 Provincial Schools Sevens series, which includes approximately 290 schools from across the country.

‘This tournament is the first of its kind and is unique in that it gives schools across the country an opportunity to compete at a national level,’ said South African Schools Rugby Association chairman Noêl Ingle. ‘Sevens, by nature, levels the playing fields by allowing smaller schools to be competitive. It will be a wonderful showcase of the talent and skill level of our youth.’

The competing universities will be decided at this year’s USSA Championships in September. The top 10 teams going through to the Varsity Sevens will focus on claiming the trophy from defending champions UJ.

Varsity Sevens manager Xhanti-Lomzi Nesi believes the tournament will smooth the road for players going from high school to university level.

‘We believe this tournament will develop an eco-system between the schools and universities as we see these players go from grassroots to greatness. The double-header tournament is sure to further develop South Africa’s rich rugby talent and lead to a new generation of South African sevens legends.’

Photo: Luke Thorrold/Varsity Cup