The Digicel Suva Rugby Festival Organising Committee is delighted to announce that USA Rugby will send a team to next month’s Digicel Suva Rugby Festival to compete in the International 7s section alongside teams from New Zealand, Australia, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Papua New Guinea and Hong Kong.
Digicel Suva Rugby Festival Organising Committee chairman, Vilikesa Rauca, noted that the USA 7s team have not visited Fiji’s shores since February 2000 when Suva was a leg on the inaugural IRB World 7s Series.
“The news that the USA team will return to Fiji gives the Digicel Suva Rugby Festival yet another boost,” Mr Rauca said. “We are delighted that they complete the international draw, which we will announce next week.”
The International 7s section of the Digicel Suva Rugby Festival will comprise eight teams from overseas with eight of Fiji’s top provinces and clubs that qualify through the Suva 7s Series. Suva and Ratu Filise qualified last month, with two more set to be included after this Saturday’s tournament in Lautoka.
USA 7s coach Al Caravelli first visited Fiji with the Eagles in 1994, then came back with the USA Atlantis team in 1996 and 1997, so he knows Fiji well.
“USA Rugby looks forward to returning to Fiji in January after a long lapse,” Mr Caravelli said. “Over the past three years, we have committed more resources to the national 7s programme and last year it started to bear fruit when the USA team earned the right to compete in all eight IRB 7s tournaments as a core team in the Series.”
“With a brand new squad this year, we need more experience and that is why we have chosen to stay in Fiji for an extra week after the Festival to hold our preparations for Wellington and Las Vegas.”
“We still see Fiji as the spiritual home of 7s rugby, so we are very much looking forward to attending the Digicel Suva Rugby Festival, playing some great rugby, and spending time with local clubs before moving on to Wellington.”
Held 15-23 January 2010 at various venues in the capital, the Digicel Suva Rugby Festival will involve more than 200 rugby teams and is the start of the build-up towards Suva Rugby’s centenary festivities in 2012.
The Digicel Suva Rugby Festival 2010:
| Dates : | 15-23 January 2010 |
| Main venues : | National Stadium, Albert Park, Suva Grammar, USP |
| Organisers : | Suva Rugby Union |
| Categories : |
International 7s (21-23 Jan) – 16 teams |
| Additional sports: | Netball (21-22 Jan) – 64 teams Touch Rugby (21-22 Jan) – 32 teams |
Suva 7s Series 2009-10
The Suva 7s Series will be held as follows:
| Date | Venue | Teams |
| 6-7 Nov 2009 | National Stadium, Suva | 56 |
| (Winners – Suva; Runners-up – Ratu Filise) | ||
| 12 Dec 2009 | Churchill Park, Lautoka | 48 |
| 9 Jan 2010 | Subrail Park, Labasa | 32 |
The winners and runners-up of each of the three tournaments receive automatic qualification to the international section of the Digicel Suva Rugby Festival on 21-23 January 2010.
For more information, please contact the following:
Digicel Suva Rugby Festival, Chairman
Vilikesa Rauca – 747-0983 vilirauca@gmail.com
Digicel Suva Rugby Festival, Secretary (for registration)
Amena Tamanitoakula – 713-2840 or 358-5603 amenatamanitoakula@ymail.com
Sponsorship and Media
Jeremy Duxbury – 707-7704 or 331-2204 sports@connect.com.fj
