When a young North Wales Exiles side announced their arrival on the UK sevens scene by winning the Manchester International Open in 2010, their iconic Akuma-designed pink Superman shirt was regarded by many observers as the stand-out kit of the season.Little were they to know that Manchester would also be the launchpad for the careers of several young players as among the squad of teenagers on show that day were future England 7s internationals Danny Bibby and Richard De Carpentier (Leicester Tigers).The Exiles flamboyant style both on and off the field that day won them many admirers, including ex-England Sevens manager and Samurai International boss Terry Sands, who not only enlisted the help of Exiles manager Marcus Copeland to assemble and run his Colin Hillman Memorial team at the 2010 Cwmtawe Sevens but also poached Exiles winger Ed Tellwright for his star-studded Samurai squad.Since winning the International Open event, pictures of the team have appeared in dozens of national publications, including the Rugby Paper and Cheshire Life, and in newspaper and internet adverts publicising some of the UK's major sevens tournaments. Their decision last summer to photograph a glamour model in their new kit also paid dividends with the pictures splashed across several tournament programmes, websites and lads mags! It's not only their flair and exciting brand of rugby that has caught the eye - their legendary post-tournament court sessions have also earned them a degree of notoriety.The celebrations following their Manchester Sevens victory in 2010 were monumental while their narrow sudden-death defeat in the final of the 2011 Heineken Kinsale Sevens saw the entire squad almost miss their flight home.Exiles manager Marcus Copeland recalls: "Not one member of the team made it back to the hotel - I remember Paul Jarvis and Tom Mitchell ringing me from a taxi at 5am trying to find the airport. I had to shove everyone's kit onto a minibus while the whole team went straight from nightclubs and bars in Kinsale to Cork Airport. "Kinsale was an incredible experience with some of the best players I have had the pleasure to work with. The atmosphere on the trip was something special with some great pranks and banter! I remember waking up on the morning of the final to find that Craig Everett had stuck Cardiff team mate Rhys James's wet shirt in the freezer of our B&B - not the ideal way to prepare for the biggest day in our history but bloody funny!"At the 2011 Newquay Surf Sevens, the whole Exiles team were told by new England 7s recruit Danny Bibby to provide a handwritten letter from their mother granting them permission to play and were also asked to bake a cake to be produced at the post-tournament court session! After winning the Plate Final in style - their first ever Super Sevens Series appearance - the court judges scrutinised fake letters and shop-bought cakes resulting in the entire team having to eat a selection of red hot chillies washed warm lager. Even Exiles team-mate Ed Tellwright was hunted down and forced to eat an eye-watering Scotch Bonnet as punishment for electing to play for Series Champions Samurai Barracudas.This year Paul Jarvis, one of the most recognisable faces on the UK sevens circuit, will captain the Akuma North Wales Exiles, with his brother Tom taking up the role of player-manager. Last season's Kinsale captain, Tim Stevenson, who has been out injured since damaging his shoulder playing for the Exiles at the 2011 Manchester Sevens, will be coaching the squad.Despite having one of the lowest budgets of all the core teams, they remain one of the best at unearthing raw talent having introduced several schoolboys and university students to the UK sevens circuit who have since gone on to represent their country on IRB circuit.Again the team will focus heavily on university and college players rather than established sevens stars - a strategy that has seen three players (Tom Mitchell, Danny Bibby and Richard De Carpentier) going on to represent the full England IRB side in the last 12 months having first pulled on a North Wales Exiles shirt.This season they also promise to have the best playing shirt on the circuit with their much anticipated retro-style home and away kits.

North Wales Exiles results to date (in all competitions):
2010
Caldy Sevens - Runners-up
Llangoed Sevens - Winners
Manchester Sevens - Winners

2011
Heineken Kinsale Sevens - Runners-up
Manchester Sevens (Open) - Semi-finalists
Manchester Sevens (Elite) - Quarter-finalists
Caldy Sevens - Winners
Newquay Surf Sevens - Plate Winners

Notable players to have represented North Wales Exiles in 2010/2011:

Tom Mitchell - England 7s and Oxford University.
Danny Bibby - England 7s, England Students, GB Students and Sale Sharks.
Richard De Carpentier - England 7s, England Students, GB Students and Leicester Tigers.
Ed Tellwright - England Students, GB Students, Sale Sharks 7s and Rotherham.
Paul Jarvis - England Students, GB Students, Barbarians and Gloucester 7s.
Chris Davies - Wales 7s (World Cup winner) and Aberavon.
Ricky Thomas - Wales 7s and Aberavon.
Jean Botha - Emerging Springboks, Barbarians and Gloucester 7s.
Graeme Lawler - Zimbabwe and England Students.
Elliot Frewen - Wales 7s and Newport.Tom Jarvis - England Students, GB Students and Gloucester 7s (captain).
Kieran Marmion - Ireland U20s and Connaught.
Tom Foden - Rotherham and Cheshire Counties.
Craig Everett - Cardiff, Worcester and Wales U20s.
Rhys James - Cardiff and Wales U19s & U20s.
James Farrell - Rhyl.

Sponsors:

Copeland Mortgage Services
Copeland Insurances Services
Spillane and Company Wealth Management
Akuma Rugby
Bsynergie Sports Management
Mackenzie Jones Solicitors
Alkemi Metal Finishing Technologies Ltd
Drooling Frog

Website: www.northwalesexiles.com

Contact: Marcus Copeland - 07770 264464

Email address: marcus.copeland@talk21.com

www.copelandmortgageservices.com

www.northwalesexiles.com

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