7’s Coming To Town

The hugely popular Emirates Airline SA Sevens tournament celebrates its tenth anniversary this year and fittingly, it will again be George which will host the world’s elite Sevens players on 5 and 6 December.

Inset: Emirates Airline SA Sevens tournament

The 2008 event also marks the sixth consecutive year that our beautiful city will be home to the African leg of the IRB Sevens World Series tournament, traditionally the second event on the calendar of the international series.

Therefore, it comes as no surprise that the theme of the 2008 tournament is a celebration of ten years of International Se-vens Rugby in South Africa, thus ce-lebrating SA Rugby’s involvement with the exciting series since the concept started in 1998.

In addition, this year will also be the tenth year that Emirates Airline will be involved as the main event sponsor of the SA Sevens Tournament.

Emirates’ sponsorship has had a significant impact on the building of the global profile of Rugby Sevens. The airline’s involvement in the game continues with the sponsorship of tournaments in London as well as shirt sponsor of the England and Samoan Sevens teams.

Increased capacity
The Emirates Airline SA George tournament is the standout event on the Southern Cape rugby and social calendar. In order to ease the ever increasing demand for tickets on match days, SA Rugby and the host union, the SWD Eagles, agreed to increase the seating capacity.

Temporary seats were built on the south western side of the stadium behind the goalposts and these were sold as reserve seats only.

Tickets went on sale through the nationwide network of Computicket.
Allen Kruger, the Marketing Manager of SA Rugby, said the aim of SA Rugby was now to develop and position the Tournament as one of the best on the Series calendar.
"The Emirates Airline SA Tournament is a hugely popular local event and we know that rugby supporters travel from far to come and see the best Sevens rugby players in the world in action and to join in the awesome fun and festivities.

"George is really the best place to be in South Africa during the first weekend of December.
SA Rugby and its sponsors and partners are all determined to deliver an even better and more enjoyable tournament this year so we can celebrate a decade of international Sevens rugby in South Africa appropriately," said Kruger.
Rugby fans and the citizens of George will be treated to a dazzling and colourful fireworks display, courtesy of DHL, on the Friday evening after match day one.

Absa, the City of George and Vitathion have again contributed towards the on-field entertainment programme while the live Boots & All episode by official broadcaster Supersport, is a long established favourite on the Tournament events calendar in the week of the tournament.

Other fan-favourite activities included the popular signing session, in which all teams participate, the Sasol Springbok Sevens signing session and a coaching clinic for schoolboys in and around the George area.

Previous page