January

Dressed to the nines at the Sevens

Zealous rugby fans are getting their crazy attire ready for one of the biggest rugby events of the year, the IRB Sevens World Series.

The Sevens will be held at Wellington's Westpac Stadium from 2 - 3 February 2007. It attracts 34,500 people and guarantees a carnival atmosphere.

The popular event sold out within 20 minutes of the 10,000 ticket allocation going on sale last November.

NZI Sevens CEO Steve Dunbar told The New Zealand Herald: 'It's great we’ve got another full house at Westpac Stadium for what fans obviously agree is the country's top sports and entertainment event.'

The NZI Sevens involves 16 international teams competing for points that go towards the International Rugby Board (IRB) Sevens series. Eight tournaments make up the IRB series and this one is to be the third leg of the series.

The tournament will see the New Zealand team, as current Commonwealth Games champion and winner of the latest sevens tournament in South Africa, take on defending champions Fiji.

It is played under the same rules of rugby however each game runs for two seven-minute halves, with the final being played over two 10-minute halves.

The annual teams' parade will be held on 1 February 2007, beginning at Parliament and moving along Lambton Quay and Willis Street, ending at Civic square where a reception will be held.

New Zealand goes into the Wellington event on equal points with South Africa.

New Zealand Sevens squad:
Edwin Cocker (Otago)
DJ Forbes (Auckland, captain)
Jarrad Hoeata (Taranaki)
Nigel Hunt (Wellington)
Solomon King (Bay of Plenty)
Zar Lawrence (North Harbour)
Lachie Munro (Auckland)
Alfred Pelenise (Canterbury)
Rene Ranger (Northland)
Lote Raikabula (Hawke’s Bay)
Willie Rickards (Southland)
Nick Thomson (Canterbury)

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