October sees the return of the IRB Borneo Sevens Rugby Tournament to the shores of Sabah, much to the delight of rugby fans here in Kota Kinabalu.
Not for the unfit and slow, Rugby Sevens is a version of what the big boys in Rugby Union play.
Jointly organised by the International Rugby Board and the Asian Rugby Football Union, the IRB Borneo Sevens Rugby Tournament is the 4th leg of the Asian Rugby Series and comes to Kota Kinabalu after Shanghai, Subic in the Philippines and Brunei.
Rugby’s Quickest
With 7 aside as opposed to the 15 aside of Rugby Union, Rugby Sevens is a high speed affair with lots of running and, understandably, shorter games.
Played on a standard sized rugby field, Rugby Sevens feature 2x 7-minutes halves with a 1 minute break in between. In the final game of a competition, these times are bumped up to 10-minute halves with a 2 minute break.
Scoring is pretty much the same as Rugby Union, where 5 points are awarded for a try, 2 for a conversion following a try, and 3 for a field goal.
Illustrating the gain in popularity it has made in recent years, Rugby Sevens was declared an Olympic Sport in 2009 and will feature in the 2016 Olympic Games.
Rugby Fans Facilities
The IRB Borneo Sevens Rugby Tournament was well attended last year where it was hosted at the Likas Stadium not far from the city centre.
Once again the location for this years IRB Borneo 7s Rugby Tournament, the Likas Stadium is a suitable venue with ample parking and seating.
Although the main pavilion is shaded for most of the day, it does get a bit hot during the day and punters are advised to apply sunblock liberally, even while watching rugby in the shade.
Last year the turnout was perhaps a bit more than expected, especially in light of the relatively covert marketing efforts of the event. This year, hopefully, there will be more vendors with a wider variety of food and drinks on offer as compared to last year’s limited choices.
Come Watch the Rugby Sevens Action
So whether or not you’re a rugby fan, support your team, bring your friends and introduce them to the game, or come out for a great weekend of sporting spirit at the Likas Stadium and watch the IRB Borneo Sevens Rugby Tournament.