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With the South American Sevens season as always kicking off the new year, Frankie Degas, previews the first big tournament in 2010 – Seven de Punta del Este.

Frankie takes us back through the history of the event, why the big names return to Uruguay year-on-year and the unfortunate timing of this year’s event.
 

Punta's very first Sevens tournament started back in the summer of 1989. The sun soaked beaches of Punta del Este, Uruguay, are amongst the best in South America and as much as Uruguayans flock to their own beaches, neighbouring Argentines usually cross the wide River Plate to find their summer playground.

Rugby has always been a part of the city – rugby balls seen in beaches such as Solanas to the South or Montoya to the North. Touch rugby on the beach was fun, but when the wise men of the British School Old Boys decided to have a Sevens tournament, they were hit with a response that shocked them.

As all good ideas, it needed the widespread support of the rugby community and with a trip to Punta del Este on the offing, a number of Argentine and Paraguayan sides made the trip for the inaugural tournament, played on January 6, 7 and 8th, 1989. The venue was to be in Punta del Este’s nearest stadium, the Campus de Maldonado in the centre of the Maldonado town, minutes from the beaches. The Campus hosted all but one of the sevens – in 1995 whilst it was being refurbished.

Organisers Old Boys were the winners of the very first Punta Sevens. Played in the middle of summer, matches only started late afternoon and the final kicked-off after midnight, becoming a feature.

Beautiful Punta pulls stars

The early success gave organisers sufficient momentum. By 1990, individual invitations were sent out: Wallaby Simon Poidevin, All Black Craig Innes, French fly-half Franck Mesnel who brought his Racing CF team-mates Ivon Rousset and Eric Blanc.

“They became ambassadors for the Punta del Este Sevens,” said Pedro Bordaberry, one of the original organisers and recently Uruguayan National President Candidate. “We made sure they loved their time here and they in turn spread the good word.”

The international star numbers grew and between ’91 and ’92 players of the stature of Zinzan Brooke, Walter Little, John Timu, Frank Bunce, Eric Rush, John Eales, Darren Junee, Denis Charvet came to Uruguay.

With the birth of Rugby World Cup Sevens in 1993, Punta del Este became a great warm-up tournament and now national teams were competing with club and composite teams.

That year 33 teams played. A New Zealand VII beat Australia in the final and that inaugural World Cup also helped to further spread the Punta Gospel, with Australian Bob Dwyer being a great supporter.

The Waisale Serevi-led Fiji Cavaliers won the 1994 tournament which had World Cup Sevens winner and future 15-a-side World Champion, Lawrence Dallaglio, playing for the Public School Wanderers. “I remember that tournament very well; it was the old amateur days and in Uruguay we had superb fun. Everything was late,” he said recently.

The growth of the tournament was sustained and received IRB-backing in 1997 when it hosted a RWC 7s Qualifying Round. When the IRB Sevens Series started in 1999-2000, Punta del Este was an established tournament and a natural stop, becoming the third tournament in the Series history.

This tournament had a peculiarity. Gordon Tiejtens, who had first visited Punta del Este in 1996, on arrival in Uruguay was informed his father had passed away. He returned home for the burial and back to Uruguay, missing only the first day of the tournament. This is understood to be the only time that he missed any New Zealand Sevens games since he became coach in 1996. With “Tietj” back on the sidelines, New Zealand crushed Fiji in the final.

Punta maintains core values

Rugby World Cup Sevens came to Mar del Plata (Argentina) in 2001; Punta del Este missed out as a venue for the IRB Sevens – dates clashed – and later a savage economic crisis meant they missed out on the international circuit.

The British School Old Boys never surrendered, even if it meant going back to its roots. It has regained some of its shine and what has never faltered is the spirit of the organisers, ensuring every detail is covered so that fun, friendship and rugby are top of the agenda. This tournament is an integral part of the sporting and social agenda of a city that in summer buzzes in excitement.

For the 2010 tournament, 21 teams have been divided into seven pools. Punta del Este and regional association Confederación Sudamericana de Rugby (CONSUR) failed to come to an agreement with dates.

In a region where international events don’t come very often, to have the Punta del Este Sevens played on January 3rd and 4th and the CONSUR Sevens in Mar del Plata on the 5th and 6th, followed by a third day with international teams, is a missed opportunity.

In its 21st season, it is clearly the senior statesmen of summer sevens and some common ground could have been found. The competing teams, announced by organisers are: two-time defending champion Samoa, Tonga, Canada and Italy; from Uruguay organisers Old Boys, Carrasco Polo Club, Old Christians and Trébol; from Argentina Buenos Aires, Salta, Nordeste and Tucumán (provincial teams) and clubs San Isidro Club, La Plata and Jockey Club de Salta; and invitation teams under the banners of Toyota, Bridgestone, Citi 7 and local bar Moby Dick in conjunction with Punta del Este club Lobos. Top Argentine and Uruguayan VIIs will be competing at the CONSUR tournament, using development sides for Punta.

Punta del Este 2009 Pools:
A – Tonga, Nordeste and Jockey Club de Salta
B – Uruguay, Bridgestone 7 and La Plata
C – Buenos Aires, Salta and Old Christians
D – Samoa, Tucumán and San Isidro Club
E – Canada, Toyota 7 and Carrasco Polo Club
F – Argentina 7, Lobos Moby Dick and Trébol
G – Italy, Citi 7 and Old Boys