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The South African Rugby Union has confirmed the teams for the annual SARU Inter-Provincial Sevens Tournament on 6-7 November at the Xerox Stadium of the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in Port Elizabeth.

Sixteen provincial teams will play in the men’s tournament while the women’s section boasts eighteen teams after the inclusion of Defence (SANDF) and Correctional Services.

Mahlubi Puzi, the SARU Manager of Women and Sevens Rugby, said he is particularly pleased with the inclusion of the Defence and Corrections Services women’s teams.

“These two institutions have very good facilities and their members have showed an eager willingness to play at a more competitive level. The pleasing aspect of this is that we have an opportunity to increase the footprint of the women’s game through their involvement and we are looking forward to their participation,” said Puzi

The 2009 competition also sees the introduction of prize money for the respective category winners. In the men’s category the Cup winners will receive R60 000 and the runners-up R40 000 and there is also prize money on offer for the Plate winners. The victorious women’s team will receive R30 000 and the runners-up R20 000.

The participating teams are:

Men: Blue Bulls Tshwane, Blue Bulls Limpopo, Boland, Border, Eastern Province, Falcons, Free State, Golden Lions, Griffons, Griqualand West, KwaZulu Natal, Leopards, Lowveld, Mpumalanga, South Western Districts, Western Province.

Women: Blue Bulls Tshwane, Blue Bulls Limpopo, Boland, Border, Eastern Province A, Eastern Province B, Falcons, Free State, Golden Lions, Griffons, Griqualand West, KwaZulu Natal, Leopards, Mpumalanga, South Western Districts, Western Province, Correctional Services, SANDF.

7s hits Cape Town

The Western Province Rugby Football Union will be hosting the Cape Town Sevens tournament at Brookside in Claremont this weekend (October 24).

The tournament will see the Western Province A and B sides take on their counterparts from the South Western Districts, as well as the South Africa A and B sides. The two national teams are made up of the Springbok Sevens training squad, which is currently preparing to defend the IRB Sevens World Series title that they won earlier this year.

Also on show at Brookside will be South Africa’s Women’s side as they take on their counterparts from Boland, SWD and Western Province.