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Nick Jordan

Fresh from winning the bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games, Paul Treu hopes next month's Singapore Cricket Club Rugby Sevens will provide the springboard for a successful HSBC Sevens World Series.

Treu's South African Vipers, the winners of the event over the past three years, have named eight bronze medalists in their preliminary squad, including SCC 7s veterans Cecil Afrika and Bernardo Botha, as well as returning captain Kyle Brown.

"Last year we gave five players the opportunity to impress at Singapore," said the coach. "

Two of those, Afrika and Botha, went on to play at the Games and another, Chris Dry, would have also been in Delhi had he not been injured.

"Singapore gives us the opportunity to try some new things and also to have a closer look at how some of the newcomers perform in a very competitive environment.

"With the World Series coming up it is an ideal way to build combinations before we finalise our side for Dubai and at home in George."

The SA Vipers will face their biggest challenge yet at the historic Padang ground on November 5-7 with some of the best club teams in the world in attendance. The SCC has expanded the tournament, into its 63rd year and thus the oldest in Asia, and will welcome 24 sides from 13 nations to the event.

Previous winners Ponsonby RFC (New Zealand) and Davetalevu (Fiji) and the world-famous Penguins RFC from the UK will attend along with the national selections of Japan, Hong Kong and Sri Lanka, who are all building up to the Asian Games.

Ponsonby team manager Milton Froggatt says the 2006 champions are eager to get back to Singapore. "We've started our preparation a little earlier than in the past and have a number of players from the team which won the Plate at the Safaricom Sevens in Kenya in June.

"Most of the guys in the training squad were part of the record-breaking Gallaher Shield (club championship) win in August and we'll have one lead-in tournament two weeks before departing where we'll give the young guys an opportunity to stake a claim in the touring team."

"As always one of the main focuses is on development so our team for Singapore will include at least one schoolboy, with at least one other joining us there to carry on to the COBRA 10s in Malaysia the following weekend," said Froggatt.

The Penguins, celebrating their 51st year of touring and coaching, have a strong New Zealand presence.

Coached by former USA mentor John McKittrick and former Hong Kong coach Rodney McIntosh the side includes New Zealand Sevens representative Nafi Tuitavake (12 tournaments) and his North Harbour team-mates Nalu Tuigamala, Ben Botica and Ken Pisi.

Exciting Waikato wingers Frank Halai and Henry Speight are also in the frame for selection.

For the first time ever, the tournament will be staged over three days, with the first round of games being played under floodlights on the Friday night. Another feature on the first day is the first SCC 7s women’s competition, with Singapore competing against national teams from around the region.

In addition, the long-standing schools tournament has an extra incentive, with the Singapore Rugby Union confirming the winners will be crowned National Schools and Colleges Champions of Singapore.

And the finals of the tournament, on Sunday 7 November, will be on StarHub, the first time the action will be broadcast live.

Peter Hutton, Chairman, SCC Rugby 7s Organising Committee, said: "The SCC 7s has been going from strength to strength over the past decade. The tournament is now established as one of the top events on the international calendar and we are proud to have developed a homegrown tournament which brings truly world-class sport to Singapore.

"Interest in rugby is growing, with a record number of women and schools taking part and we therefore felt the time was right to expand the SCC 7s, in terms of teams, categories and, indeed, length. With the tournament renowned for its pitchside party and carnival atmosphere, we are sure that Singaporeans will look forward to this year’s event more than ever before, regardless of their familiarity with rugby."

The Padang holds 7000 fans and the SCC 7s village will also include a children’s playground and warm-up viewing area where fans can get up close and personal with the players.

Tickets are on sale at www.sccrugbysevens.com and are priced at $50 for three days for an adult and $25 for three days for under-18s.

The draw for the Singapore CC Rugby 7s will be conducted on November 4.

SCC 7s Teams:
Casuarina Cougars, Cottesloe, East Ahern Rugby (Gove), NT Mosquitoes, Palmyra, Southern Lions, Sunnybank (Australia)
British Army – Flying Kukris (Brunei)
Davetalevu (Fiji)
Hong Kong Dragons * (Hong Kong)
Japan Samurai *, Tamariva (Japan)
Impala (Kenya)
Borneo Eagles, COBRA, NS Wanderers (Malaysia)
Namibia * (Namibia)
Horowhenua-Kapiti, Ponsonby (New Zealand)
Singapore Cricket Club, Singapore Barbarians (Singapore)
Colombo Cavaliers * (Sri Lanka)
SA Vipers * (South Africa)
Penguins (UK)
* denotes national team