Tag Archives: sevens

Scotland to Argentina: the spread of Sevens

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By tournament:

1921 Buenos Aires [9 July 1921]

The list may be subject to change if more rugby union sevens tournaments are discovered.

Buenos Aires

Argentina has the honour of being the seventh country to host a Sevens tournament.

The Buenos Aires club – and many of the other Argentine rugby clubs of the time – were a favourite of expatriates from Scotland.

On 9 July 1921 the Buenos Aires Rugby & Cricket Club hosted their own Sevens tournament. The host club beat Belgrano Athletic in the final.

The Buenos Aires club host a Sevens tournament every year on the same date, 9 July. This is Argentina’s Independence Day.

A pitch invasion tradition during the final was started when the bell rang when food was ready. It wasn’t until 1937 that further winners were recorded.

Scotland to New Zealand: the spread of Sevens

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By tournament:

1889 Dunedin Charity Tournament [28 September] (New Zealand)
1893 Christchurch tournament [16 September] (New Zealand)
1894 Nelson Charity Tournament [23 May] (New Zealand)

The list may be subject to change if more rugby union sevens tournaments are discovered.

Dunedin

Its no coincidence that Scots spread the love of rugby sevens to Dunedin in New Zealand. Dunedin, the name is Scottish Gaelic for Edinburgh, was founded by Scots and was – and remains – a favoured destination for Scottish expatriates.

Dunedin [1889]: https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/OW18891003.2.72.2?query=Dunedin%20charity%20tournament&start_date=01-01-1889&end_date=31-12-1889&snippet=true

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ODT18890930.2.27?query=Dunedin%20charity%20tournament&start_date=01-01-1889&end_date=31-12-1889&snippet=true

Not continued from 1894:

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ODT18940925.2.39?query=Nelson%20charity&page=2&start_date=01-01-1894&end_date=31-12-1894&snippet=true

Christchurch

From Dunedin, the sevens game spread north.

Christchurch [1893]

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP18930915.2.10?query=Christchurch%20seven%20football&start_date=01-01-1893&end_date=31-12-1893&snippet=true

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP18930916.2.26?query=Christchurch%20rugby%20seven&sort_by=byDA&items_per_page=10&page=20&start_date=01-01-1893&end_date=31-12-1893&snippet=true

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/OAM18930923.2.27?query=Christchurch%20rugby%20seven&sort_by=byDA&items_per_page=10&page=21&start_date=01-01-1893&end_date=31-12-1893&snippet=true

Not continued from 1894:

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/LT18940815.2.53?query=Christchurch%20seven%20football&start_date=01-01-1894&end_date=31-12-1894&snippet=true

Nelson

Before the Nelson tournament:

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/TC18940613.2.7?query=Christchurch%20charity%20tournament&start_date=01-01-1894&end_date=31-12-1894&snippet=true

Nelson [1894]:

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/TC18940621.2.12.1?query=Nelson%20charity&start_date=01-01-1894&end_date=31-12-1894&snippet=true

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NEM18940430.2.10?query=Nelson%20charity&start_date=01-01-1894&end_date=31-12-1894&snippet=true

After Nelson

Around the turn of the century the game seemed to fall out of fashion but it became revitalised again in the 1920s.

Oldest Sevens tournaments in the world

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By Nation:

First: Scotland; Melrose [28 April 1883]

Second: England; St. Helens [29 May 1886]

Third: India; Khajjiar [29 June 1886]

Fourth: New Zealand; Dunedin [28 September 1889]

Fifth: Australia; Rockhampton [4 July 1891]

Sixth: Ireland; Belfast [30 April 1921]

Seventh: Argentina; Buenos Aires [9 July 1921]

By tournament:

1883 Melrose [28 April]
1884 Gala [12 April]
1884 Selkirk Cricket Club [17 May]
1885 Hawick and Wilton [25 April]
1886 Hawick [3 April]
1886 St. Helens Cricket Club [29 May – 5 June] (England)
1886 Khajjiar Gymkhana [29 June] (India)
1886 Warrington F.C. [14 August] (England)
1886 Langholm [16 October]
1888 Gala Thistle [2 January]
1888 Chorley [30 July] (England)
1888 Rainford Athletics Club [7 August] (England)
1889 Aberdeen F.C.* [15 June]
1889 Dunedin Charity Tournament [28 September] (New Zealand)
1890 Aberdeen University [23-24 May]
1891 Rockhampton (CQRU) [4 July] (Australia)
1891 Selkirk [9 October]
1892 Gala Star [17 September]
1893 Christchurch tournament [16 September] (New Zealand)
1894 Hexham Whitsuntide Sports [21 May] (England)
1894 Nelson Charity Tournament [23 May] (New Zealand)
1895 Jedburgh Boys Brigade [4 May]
1896 Edinburgh St. George [30 May]
1896 Border Athletics [19 September]
1897 Hawick Trinity Union [27 March]
1898 Glasgow University [2 April]
1901 Morningside [6 April]
1901 Dundee HSFP [11 May]
1901 St. Bernards F.C. [13 July]
1908 Glasgow Academicals [11 April]
1909 Edinburgh Institution F.P. [3 April]
1910 Newington [2 April]
1911 Walkerburn [6 May]
1914 Edinburgh Insurance [4 April]

* This early football club merged with Orion F.C. and Victoria Utd in 1903 to form today’s Aberdeen F.C.

All tournaments in Scotland unless noted.

2019-20 Season Sevens Calendar

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Please note: the 2020 fixtures will be postponed or cancelled due to coronavirus pandemic.

3 August 2019 – Peebles Sevens
10 August 2019 – Hawick Sevens
11 April 2020 – Melrose Sevens
18 April 2020 – Gala Sevens
19 April 2020 – Berwick Sevens
25 April 2020 – Langholm Sevens
2 May 2020 – Kelso Sevens
3 May 2020 – Earlston Sevens
9 May 2020 – Selkirk Sevens
16 May 2020 – Jed-Forest Sevens
20 June 2020 – North of Scotland Sevens

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