TEAMS from across the world will take to the pitch where rugby football was born two centuries ago for an international Rugby Sevens tournament this weekend (March 25-26).
Rugby School will host teams from schools in 11 countries – including New Zealand, Canada, Australia and Japan – to compete in the tournament on The Close, the playing field where William Webb Ellis first took the ball and ran with it 200 years ago.
The tournament, which will be live-streamed across the world via NextGenXV, is part of the School’s celebrations marking the bicentenary of the invention of the game.
England’s World Cup-winning captain Martin Johnson will be attending the tournament on Saturday (March 25).
Peter Green, Executive Head Master of Rugby School Group, said: “I’m delighted that so many teams from across the world can join us at Rugby School for this international Sevens tournament. From Japan to Canada, and closer to home from Scotland and Ireland, these teams are bringing their most talented players, and it promises to be a great few days of Rugby Sevens.
“In 2017 we held a similar tournament to celebrate 450 years of Rugby School, and it was quite a sporting spectacle with more than 500,000 people across the world watching our live stream.
“These tournaments are always a great place to spot young rugby talent and watch the future stars of the game play some fast and furious rugby.
“I’m really looking forward to it, and I hope lots of people from the local area and beyond will join us as spectators.”
Tickets for the event are free, and food and drink will be on sale around the pitch. Visit https://tinyurl.com/4vx7kzaw for tickets.
A number of events will take place at the school in April to celebrate the bicentenary of the game, including the U9s Rugby Festival on April 7, A Day of Rugby on April 16, and the world’s largest uncontested rugby scrum on April 23.
Visit https://tinyurl.com/3cbjb28a for more information.
