• • Facebook
  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • Technorati
  • Reddit
  • Stumble Upon
  • Furl

Twelve of New Zealand’s top Sevens provinces have warmed up for next weekend’s National Sevens in Queenstown (9-10 Jan) by participating at the Mt Maunganui Sevens Tournament.

Hosts Bay of Plenty took their first home title in an exhilarating final beating Counties Manukau 35-23 with the lead changing four times.

The tournament featured all the top Unions represented except defending national champions North Harbour. Counties Manukau were heavily fancied for the tournament and impressed throughout the day.

On their journey to the final Counties Manukau, 2009 National runners-up, beat Niue and Hawkes Bay in their pool play. In the quarter-finals, the young side beat Auckland 35-12. Hawkes Bay beat Waikato which meant that Counties Manukau played them again but this time in the semi-finals.

The South Auckland side repeated their win against the East Coast team 40-12 and then they stumbled at the last hurdle in their finale against the talented Steamers.

Interestingly the finalists will meet each other again next weekend at the pool stages in Queenstown in Pool B joined by Horowhenua/Kapiti and South Canterbury.

Top seeds North Harbour defend their title against Auckland, Otago, and Buller. Another highly fancied side, Waikato, tackle Taranaki, Southland and Tasman in Pool C.

Last season’s Nationals saw North Harbour avenged a loss in pool play against Counties-Manukau to win the title.

North Harbour bounced back from a 17-22 defeat on the first day to win an entertaining final 29-26.

National Sevens, Queeenstown Pools:
Pool A: Auckland, Otago, North Harbour, Buller

Pool B: Bay of Plenty, Horowhenua Kapiti, Counties Manukau, South Canterbury

Pool C: Waikato, Taranaki, Southland, Tasman

Pool D: Northland, Manawatu, Hawke's Bay, Wellington,