16 July 2024
The Clifton Sevens, to be played on Friday, 19 July, and Saturday, 20 July, mark the start of the sevens rugby season in KwaZulu-Natal. While a number of schools have not yet completed their 15-man rugby schedules, the event brings together some outstanding exponents of the seven-a-side game.
Friday’s action features u15 sides, while the u18 teams take to the field on Saturday.
St Charles College, fresh off of an impressive season for their 1st XV, will be out to defend the title they won last year, when a late try in the corner gave them a 17-14 victory over Westville Boys’ High.
The Griffin, who also played some outstanding rugby during the 15-man season and delighted with their running game, will seek to transfer those skills to sevens and continue on with their enterprising play.
Hilton College, who beat St Charles during the pool stage at last year’s Clifton Sevens, but were then ousted by Westville, will be in action, too, as will their great rivals, Michaelhouse.
‘House, in March 2023, achieved a very big Sevens result in the UK, where they won the Rugby School International Sevens, which featured teams from England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Canada, Wales, New Zealand, Ireland, Japan, Chile, and Australia. In a very tight final, they saw off Ireland’s Blackrock College 21-19.
One of the stars of that Michaelhouse side was Sharks’ Craven Week centre Campbell Ridl. Now in the UK, Ridl is on the books of the Exeter Chiefs and has featured for the England u19 team.
Clifton College will face a stiff challenge in their own tournament. Sevens, though, with fewer players required, tends to see teams close the gap on sides that might have their number in the 15-man game. The hosts will be keen to put on a good show on their home ground.
The last of the sides competing in the u18A division is Amanzimtoti. They’re a bit of an unknown and would do well to challenge the other A teams.
Pool B features St Charles B, Michaelhouse B and Michaelhouse C, Clifton B, Westville B and Hilton B.
The u15 age group features just five teams in Pool A – St Charles A, Clifton A, Hilton A, Michaelhouse A and Westville A – while Pool B includes those schools’ B sides and Toti.
The u15 format is that of a round robin, with no points’ allocations or playoffs.
A win in the u18 games is worth two points and a draw worth one. After the completion of the round robin matches, teams will be ranked from one to six.
If any sides have an equal number of log points, points’ difference will be used to separate them. If that doesn’t work, then the team that scored the greater number of tries will finish higher.
FIXTURES
u18, Saturday, 20 July
Field A, Pool A
08:00 – Westville A vs Michaelhouse A
08:15 – St Charles A vs Clifton A
08:30 – Hilton A vs Toti
08:45 – Michaelhouse A vs Clifton A
09:00 – St Charles A vs Hilton A
09:15 – Westville A vs Toti
09:30 – St Charles A vs Michaelhouse A
10:15 – Clifton A vs Toti
10:30 – Westville A vs Hilton A
10:45 – St Charles A vs Toti
11:00 – Westville A vs Clifton A
11:15 – Michaelhouse A vs Hilton A
11:30 – Westville A vs St Charles A
11:45 – Michaelhouse A vs Toti
12:00 – Clifton A vs Hilton A
12:45 – 3rd vs 4th (Plate)
13:10 – 1st vs 2nd (Cup)
u18, Field B, Pool B
08:00 – St Charles B vs Michaelhouse B
08:15 – Clifton B vs Westville B
08:30 – Hilton B vs Michaelhouse C
08:45 – Michaelhouse B vs Westville N
09:00 – Clifton B vs Hilton B
09:15 – St Charles V vs Michaelhouse C
09:30 – Clifton B vs Michaelhouse B
10:15 – Westville B vs Michaelhouse C
10:30 – St Charles B vs Hilton B
10:45 – Clifton B vs Michaelhouse C
11:00 – St Charles B vs Westville B
11:15 – Michaelhouse B vs Hilton B
11:30 – St Charles B vs Clifton B
11:45 – Michaelhouse B vs Michaelhouse C
12:00 – Westville B vs Hilton B
12:45 – 3rd vs 4th (Bowl)
13:10 – 1st vs 2nd (Shield)
u15, Friday, 19 July
Field A, Pool A
14:00 – St Charles A vs Clifton A
14:12 – Hilton A vs Michaelhouse A
14:24
14:46 – Clifton A vs Michaelhouse A
14:58 – Hilton A vs Westville A
15:10
15:22 – Hilton A vs Clifton A
15:34
15:46 – St Charles A vs Westville A
15:58
16:10 – St Charles A vs Michaelhouse A
16:22 – Clifton A vs Westville A
16:34 – St Charles vs Hilton A
16:46
16:58 – Michaelhouse A vs Westville A
Field B, Pool B
14:00 – Westville B vs St Charles B
14:12 – Clifton B vs Michaelhouse B
14:24 – Hilton B vs Toti
14:46 – St Charles B vs Michaelhouse B
14:58 – Clifton B vs Hilton B
15:10 – Westville B vs Toti
15:22 – Clifton B vs St Charles B
15:34 – Michaelhouse B vs Toti
15:46 – Westville B vs Hilton B
15:58 – Clifton B vs Toti
16:10 – Westville B vs Michaelhouse B
16:22 – St Charles B vs Hilton B
16:34 – Westville B vs Clifton B
16:46 – St Charles B vs Toti
16:58 – Michaelhouse B vs Hilton B
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