The Withem's Elves Rugby Sevens Team

The Future of the Withem's Elves

The Withem's Elves Commitee have set themselves a hard 2001/2001 Sevens Season Calender, with the likes of the internationally renowned Trinidad 7's and Lisbon 7's. With this being the first year of proper competition for the Elves, our main aim is to earn respect in the tournaments that we enter by putting in good performances on the pitch (and off it).

We hope to be able to leave the tournaments we play in with Silverware, and many memories of a fair team, that was hard to beat. If we can achieve these aims then the Withem's Elves can only get bigger and our reputation spread wider and wider.

The first ever Miami International Rugby Sevens Tournament proved, on Nov 18-19 2000, that Miami was capable of offering to the worlds rugby community an exceptional Rugby Tournament. This was made possible because of the support and generosity of the City of Miami authorities and especially from the personal support of Commissioner Willy Gort, who having never ever seen a rugby game before, saw a potential future for the tournament. As it turned out, the sevens were a great success. The national team from Chile (a 2001 Rugby 7s World Cup team) won the event, beating the USA 2nd string in the Cup final, and followed their success by winning the New York 7s the next weekend.

The Miami International Sevens Tournament boasts beautiful tropical weather, an up class NFL stadium, high standard rugby competition and warm, friendly hospitality. Last years tournament was an occasion not to be missed and preparation is being made to make this years event the biggest and best 7s tournament in the USA.

Carib Beer Trinidad International Sevens is the brainchild of a few rugby enthusiasts who in late 1987 perceived the need to boost local rugby in Trinidad & Tobago. It was felt that there was no better way of doing this than by staging a seven's tournament involving the widest participation from both local and foreign clubs. The concept was a resounding success and, with foreign participation growing each year, the event has become established as the Caribbean's premier rugby attraction.

The General Manager of LIAT in 1986 (the regional domestic airline) Melvin Black, offered to sponsor a Caribbean Tournament by way of subsidized fares. So in 1987 the first LIAT Sevens was contested by local Trinidad Clubs and teams from four other Caribbean islands. Since then t he tournament has been played annually over the first weekend in December with teams coming from progressively further afield. The Border Reivers, a representative team from the Borders of Scotland, started the influx of "foreign" teams in 1989 and have been coming ever since, even in recent years when the demands of the new "professional" game have made team selection anything but an easy task. The Scots were followed by teams from Venezuela, Canada, USA, Ireland & Japan as well as from BVI, Bermuda, Bah amas, St. Lucia, Barbados, Guyana, Martinique, Guadeloupe and the Dominican Republic.

Arguably the strongest team to compete in the tournament so far, has been the Africanadians (a combination of Canadian Internationals and South African Provincial players ) who won in 1996. They'll be back again this year and will no doubt provide stern opposition for our regular visitors as well as anticipated teams from England and Australia. The Tournament name has changed several times over the years as sponsors such as BWIA (the airline of the Caribbean) and CARIB (the beer of the Caribbean) have willingly become associated with an increasingly successful tournament. The current name reflects the fact that the Tournament is now a truly International Sporting Event.

Much of this year's added interest is due in no small part to the considerable promotional assistance being given by TIDCO (the Tourism Industrial Development Company). The original aims of the tournament, even in the recent years of "professionalism", have not and will not change. They are to encourage as high a standard of rugby as possible, with participation from as far afield as possible without ever forgetting that the game should be played for fun and enjoyment. The climate, culture and the very nat ure of the people of Trinidad & Tobago lend themselves perfectly to the achievement of these objectives. The annual race between Terrence "the whale" Froud of the Border Reivers and Don "the pig" Rojas of Trinidad Enthusiasts, which immediately precedes the final, perfectly reflects the spirit of the Tournament.

The Scottish Rugby Ecosse team came to Trinidad and Tobago last year - and went home as cup winners. Rugby Ecosse beat the Anti Assassins of England 40-36 in the final, having been 33-7 down at t he interval. The team included several internationals including Stu Forster, Gareth Flockhart, Ross Lothian, Regan Berriman, and Conan Sharman. This years tournament promises to be the best ever involving teams from Australia, New Zealand, England, Ireland, Wales, Japan, Venezuela, Canada and other local islands. And the Elves will be there!!

Historys taken from respective Websites of the 2 Tournaments.

The Game of Rugby Sevens / History of the Elves / Future of the Elves

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Serious Rugby, Played for Fun.