Rugby World Cup Sevens

The Rugby World Cup Sevens is the world's premier international contest in the Sevens version of rugby union, first held in Scotland in 1993 and held every four years. The prize is the "Melrose Cup", named after the Scottish town where the first Sevens game was played. It is currently held by Fiji.

Tournaments

History

The Rugby World Cup Sevens originated with a proposal by the Scottish Rugby Union to the International Rugby Football Board. The inaugural tournament was held at Murrayfield in Edinburgh in April 1993.

Hong Kong, which had played a major role in the international development of the Sevens game, would host the 1997 event. The final, won by Fiji over South Africa, is still considered one of the best Sevens matches of all time. The Fiji team had promised the country it would return with the title, and captain Waisale Serevi had also promised his daughters the same.

The 2001 tournament, held in Mar del Plata, Argentina, would add another chapter to the legend of New Zealand's Jonah Lomu. Lomu, used sparingly in pool play, received his opportunity when New Zealand captain and Sevens legend Eric Rush broke his leg against England in the last pool match. Lomu went on to score three tries in the final.

The 2005 event returned to Hong Kong. Serevi, who came out of international retirement to captain Fiji, placed an exclamation point on his storied career by leading Fiji to their second Melrose Cup. In the process, they denied New Zealand their second consecutive Melrose Cup and also prevented England from becoming the first nation to hold the Rugby World Cup in both fifteens and Sevens.

See also

• Rugby Union World Cup
• Rugby League World Cup
• Hong Kong Sevens

External Link

• 2005 Rugby World Cup Sevens website (from the IRB)