The nine Rugby clubs who form the Queensland Premier Rugby competition have collectively come together to introduce a new Sevens tournament to the Queensland Rugby landscape, providing an improved pathway for men’s Sevens in the state.
The Queensland Premier Rugby Sevens will see four events held from September to November, with all nine clubs competing.
The first event will coincide with the AON Uni 7s event at University of Queensland on September 22, followed by events at Brothers (6 October), Wests (3 November) and Easts (17 November).
Sunnybank Rugby Club general manager Gaven Head said: “The growing popularity of Sevens has all the Premier Rugby clubs engaged and interested in the game, so it made sense for us to have our own competition.
“Previously clubs have played in other competitions elsewhere, which can be expensive, and given the quality of our 15s competition, it seems fitting for us to come together and have a Premier Rugby Sevens competition.
“Queensland Premier Rugby as a competition and brand is well regarded and all nine clubs are on board.
“The competition secures the sevens pathway in Queensland. Players join Premier Rugby clubs to chase their aspirations in the 15s format, and now they can do the same in Sevens.”
As well as the nine Premier Rugby clubs, there will be three spots for invitational teams, which will see the Australian Defence Force, Northern Territory, established Sevens team Iconz and a Barbarians side from Sydney take part across the four events.
The tournaments will run over one day, with pool games taking place throughout the day before finals being held in a night session.
“The unique format will be special, one day and on one field,” said Head. “We will have a night session and people can enjoy it live or watch online.
All the teams will still be playing in the night session whether they’re at the top of the ladder or at the bottom. “This is the inaugural year and we have the support of Rugby Australia and QRU, in subsequent years we hope to continue to build the competition."
From each tournament, a seven-man dream team will also be selected, as well a dream team of the series.
The competition will be used as a selection process for the Queensland Men’s Sevens teams ahead of the National Sevens Championships in December, with spots in the Queensland Academy of Sport 2019 squad also up for grabs.
“This is a really exciting development for Men’s Sevens in Queensland,” said Queensland Rugby Union Sevens High Performance Manager Lachlan Parkinson.
“We’ve had an established pathway for Women’s Sevens in Queensland, with the help of the QAS, for a number of years and have had players such as Demi Hayes and Emma Sykes go on and star on the World Series and at the Commonwealth Games.
We hope we can create the same clear pathway for the Men.
“Queensland Premier Rugby is a proven breeding ground for talent, which has supported the St.George Queensland Reds and our National Rugby Championship program. The formation of a Premier Rugby Sevens program now ensures that players can test themselves against the best grassroots players in the state, and will have the opportunity to push for higher honours.”
With the support of Rugby Australia and Queensland Rugby Union, the events will all be streamed LIVE and free via www.Rugby.com.au and www.redsrugby.com.au.
Squads for each of the nine Queensland Premier Rugby clubs will be announced in advance of the first tournament at University of Queensland on September 22, with teams of 12 to be released ahead of each tournament.
