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Following the recent announcement of dates for next season IRB World Sevens Series there has been the familiar debate unfolds on whether there should be a change in location and scheduling.

The Eastern Province Rugby Union is the latest party to make some noise. They believes they can make a strong bid to host the South African leg in Port Elizabeth, but face a battle with incumbent city George who are determined to fend off all pretenders when the contract comes up for renewal in two years.

EPRU acting chief executive Anele Pamba said yesterday: “We understand (hosting of) the tournament will be opened for tender (in 2011). Our plan is to bid. We believe we have an excellent case.

“We now have the 48000- seat Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, a world-class facility which will come with the good standing of being Fifa-approved for the World Cup games.

“The Lions‘ game against the Southern Kings, the first at the new stadium, was a great success and proved we are ready and that the people in this region are hungry for major sporting events.”

Pamba said the ERPU had the support of the PE Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the city‘s tourism bodies.

“PE, as a tourist-oriented city with beach, ocean, hotels and many attractions, would provide the perfect backdrop for the IRB Sevens tournament.”

The various legs of the Sevens championship are played as two-day rugby festivals at big stadiums around the world.

The crowning of the Springbok Sevens team as world champions this year has sparked additional interest in the Sevens game in South Africa.

The Western Province Rugby Union yesterday also confirmed its interest in hosting the tournament. Marketing manager, Gavin Lewis said “we will certainly be interested” should the hosting right go to tender.
George Mayor Flip de Swardt said George had hosted the SA leg of IRB Sevens since 2002 and was determined to win a new contract in 2011.

“We will fight to keep the tournament. George has become synonymous with Sevens rugby around the world. We have improved the tournament and attracted more spectators every year since 2002.”

Although George did not take any portion of the gate- money from the event at Outeniqua Park de Swardt claims the event is vital for the town‘s economy.

“For every R1 we spend on the event, R6 flows into the town,” he added.

Keeping the Sevens tournament was in line with his council‘s main strategy to make George the sports mecca of the Southern Cape.

He added that R4,5-million had been budgeted to upgrade Outeniqua Park from 8000 to 10000 seats for this year‘s tournament on December 11 and 12.

The SA Rugby Union wanted at least 12000 seats, and the George council intended asking Saru and the South Western Districts Rugby Union to chip in about R300000 for another 1000 seats.

The council would spend another R2-million next year on replacing the stadium‘s turf to also accommodate soccer, so providing a training pitch for one or two World Cup teams expected to use George as a base camp, he added.

Melrose voted ‘top 10 stadium in world’

Melrose, the home of sevens, is another venue which is often touted as potentially hosting an IRB Sevens leg.
The Greenyards, which each year attracts thousands back for the town’s rugby sevens tournament, came eighth in a recent list of the top ten rugby stadiums in the world, published by New Zealand Rugby World magazine.

But it is the picturesque setting and deep-rooted history of the Greenyards that has seen it listed alongside such stadium heavyweights such as the Millennium Stadium and Twickenham Stadium.

At the end of the latest IRB season England coach Ben Ryan was the latest big name to lend support to a potential move to Melrose.

"In modern rugby you look at the top stadia and all sorts of stuff, when actually playing at Melrose would make the Scottish event a unique part of the calendar. We play in a baseball stadium and a Test match cricket oval, and I think Melrose would add to the nature of it,” said Ryan.

The attendance at Edinburgh has dropped over the past two years, but Gordon McKie, the SRU Chief executive, was still pleased with over 20,000 supporters this year.

"The 2009 Emirates Airline Edinburgh Sevens was the best yet. It created the perfect finale for the IRB Sevens World Series and won international praise from supporters and players alike, said McKie

"The fans, the weather, the back-pitch festival and the Scotland team's outstanding performance all came together to create a fantastic weekend of rugby, and I'm sure next year's event can be even bigger and better."