Tickets for Commonwealth Sevens go on sale
Rugby Sevens is one of the Commonwealth Games’ core sports. It’s been a popular inclusion in the programme since it was introduced at the Kuala Lumpur Commonwealth Games in 1998. The intense action that comes from having just seven players per team on the pitch playing for seven minutes each half means that the fast and furious matches are thoroughly enjoyed by enthusiastic crowds.
For Glasgow 2014 we can expect to see world-class teams from 16 nations and territories, including New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. From the home nations, we can expect England and Wales to be in the mix, and for Scotland there’ll be extra motivation to perform well on home turf.
The Glasgow 2014 Rugby Sevens tournament comes at an exciting time for the game. With the growing popularity of the IRB World Series, the IRB World Cup Sevens this summer in Moscow and the inclusion of Rugby Sevens in the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games gives the best teams in the Commonwealth the chance to get an early foothold in the sport for the next decade of competition.
For Rugby Sevens there’s the potential to reach a new audience. Not everyone who buys a ticket for Glasgow 2014 will know the history and origins of the Game. When Jedburgh butcher Ned Haig suggested putting on a fundraiser using teams of seven to raise cash for Melrose RFC in 1883, it’s hard to imagine he’d have any idea of how this pared-down competition would catch on. This year the Melrose Sevens celebrates its 123rd edition and as anyone who’s attended the competition knows, it’ll be hotly contested in front of appreciative crowds.
So what about the history of Rugby Sevens at the Commonwealth Games? Well the competition has been dominated by one team. New Zealand has won every Commonwealth Games that has been contested, notching up four golds from 1998 to 2010. Could their winning streak come to an end in 2014? It’s an athlete who represented New Zealand who’s earned the title of most successful Rugby Sevens player at Commonwealth Games level – Amasio Valence won three gold medals between 1998 and 2006. Other big names have played their part. Jonah Lomu won Gold in the first Commonwealth Games Rugby Sevens final in 1998; while former Australian player David Campese won a bronze in 1998.
For the Glasgow 2014 Rugby Sevens competition, the venue will be Ibrox Stadium. One of the city’s iconic landmarks, its 50,000 seat capacity will give the players a great platform to show off their skills. Expect a party atmosphere as the crowds arrive for the competition.
With lots of matches being contested over the weekend it is going to be an exhilarating event for players and spectators alike. We can expect hard hits, lung-bursting sprints and points scored by the bucket-load. Apply for tickets by the 16 September, tickets from £15.00, with half-priced tickets for under-16s and over-60s. Go to glasgow2014.com
