Bank Holiday sevens bonanza at BT Sport Cardiff Arms Park

Former Wales Sevens star Lee Rees will lead champions Llandovery in their bid to go for a third consecutive Foster’s 7s title at the BT Sport Cardiff Arms Park on Sunday.

Fellow Wales Sevens international Rhodri Davies joins him in the Drovers squad, along with the likes of Shaun Pearce, Aaron Warren, Jack Maynard and Wales Under 20 hooker Dafydd Hughes.
Llandovery impressed last year, beating former winners Pontypridd 45-7 in the final.

Llandovery head coach Euros Evans believes the Foster’s 7s is a great way to warm up for the league season. He said, “The quality of the sides has improved year and year. We are lucky in that we have a proven sevens squad, we have an exciting back line anyway and some of our players have had experience with the Scarlets in the Singha Sevens.”

Llandovery kick off the Bank Holiday tournament with a Round One match against Bedwas at 10am, and if they are successful they will play the winner of RGC v Bridgend in the quarter-finals.

“We’ve got a good blend with some Welsh Sevens internationals and youngsters in the side. The Foster’s 7s has worked well for us in the last few years, both in terms of the tournament itself and to give us a kick start for the Principality Premiership.

“With the change to the Premiership format and the league splitting in January, it’s more important than ever to get momentum very quickly in order to get a place in  the top eight, and we will be looking for a good showing on Sunday, but we are very conscious we’ll need to be on top form to win the title again.

“Having sevens at the Olympics has brought huge profile to the game and will have inspired a new generation of players. Sevens highlights the skills you need in rugby and is an enjoyable game to play and watch in its own right.

“With Sam Cross having graduated from the Foster’s to the Olympics in three years, I’m sure Gareth Williams and Richie Pugh will have a good look at the talent on display on Sunday with a view to the international season ahead, the Commonwealth Games and the next Olympics in Tokyo in four years’ time.”

Last year’s runners up, Pontypridd will give a number of youngsters the chance to shine on Sunday. The likes of Callum Hall, Declan Williams and Wales U18 scrum half Dane Blacker will mix in with Wales Sevens veteran Rhys Shellard in the squad, who play Premiership newcomers Bargoed in Round One.

Coach Gareth Wyatt said, “So many old and new rugby supporters watched the men and women in Rio and saw how entertaining a game it is. The Foster’s 7s has been growing since it started three years ago and sides are taking it more seriously than ever – no one is going to the Arms Park on Sunday just to make up the numbers. You saw what it meant for Llandovery to beat us in the final as they did last season and we’ll be looking to do as well, if not better than last year.

“While we have a 15-a-side pre-season game on Saturday, Sunday gives us a great opportunity to see what these youngsters can do, they are hopefully going to be a big part of the Pontypridd squad this season.”

National Foster’s 7s 2016
When: Sunday 28 August
Where: BT Sport Cardiff Arms Park
Tickets: £10 adults, free entry for Under 16s, on day sales from WRU store, Westgate Street from 9am

Women’s National 7s and Foster’s 7s match schedule:
Women’s National 7s:
9.30 Ospreys v Dragons
9.45 Scarlets v Blues
Foster’s 7s:
1000 Game 1 Llandovery v Bedwas
1020 Game 2 RGC 1404 v Bridgend
1040 Game 3 Ebbw Vale v Cardiff
1100 Game 4 Merthyr v Cross Keys
1120 Game 5 Aberavon v Newport
1140 Game 6 Llanelli v Swansea
1200 Game 7 Neath v Carmarthen
1220 Game 8 Bargoed v Pontypridd
Women’s National 7s:
1245 Blues v Dragons
1300 Scarlets v Ospreys
1320 Plate quarter finals
1440 Cup quarter finals
1610 Women’s semis
1650 Plate semis
1730 Cup semis
1820 Women’s final
1850 Plate final
1920 Cup final