Uruguay Sevens

(Redirected from Punta Del Este Sevens)

The Uruguay Sevens, branded as Seven Punta, is an annual international rugby sevens tournament. Currently held in the capital Montevideo,[1] it was hosted as the Punta del Este Sevens in the resort city of the same name for three decades from 1989 onwards.[2] The tournament retains that history in its branding.[1]

Uruguay Sevens
Seven Punta logo
SportRugby sevens
Founded1989
No. of teams16 (2020)
Most recent
champion(s)
Japan
(2020)
Brazil and Fiji at Punta del Este in 2017.

The event was formerly part of the IRB Sevens World Series for the inaugural season in 2000. In recent years it has been part of the Sudamérica Sevens Series and the World Sevens Challenger Series.

The tournament is organised by the Old Boys Club, usually in January or February. It attracts the participation of clubs from Uruguay and neighboring countries such as Argentina, as well as selected provincial and national teams.

Internationally, it is the highest profile Uruguayan rugby event,[3] and has attracted players of the calibre of Jonah Lomu in the past,[4][5] as well as teams like Fiji, Argentina, New Zealand, Samoa and Belgium Barbarians

International sevens

The tournament was first played in 1989 and featured mostly club teams from Uruguay and Argentina in the early years. Its history as an international event grew in the 1990s when many of the best players and teams in the world travelled to Uruguay for the Seven Punta.[6]

International 7s and World Series: 1993 to 2001

The inaugural Punta del Este International Sevens tournament in 1993 attracted teams from Australia, France, England and New Zealand, as well as neighbours Argentina and Paraguay, plus Uruguay itself as host. The final was won by New Zealand, defeating Australia in a closely fought match by 26–19.[7] Other national teams including Fiji, Tonga and Samoa were added to the field in subsequent years as the tournament grew in status. Punta del Este was included as a stop on the 1999–2000 World Sevens Series but was dropped from the tour after the inaugural season. After one further event in 2001, won by Argentina who defeated New Zealand by 26–21 in the final,[8] the international sevens at Punta del Este ceased.[9]

SeasonVenueCup finalPlacingsRefs
Punta del EsteWinnerScoreRunner-upPlateBowl
I – IVFor club & invitational 1989 to 1992 — See § Early years
V1993Estadio Domingo Burgueño
All Blacks​ VII
26–19
Australia

Buenos Aires

Cuyo
[7]
[10]
VI1994Estadio Domingo Burgueño
Fiji Cavaliers
35–12
New Zealand

Rosario

Cote d'Aquitaine
[11]
[12]
VII1995Estadio Ginés Cairo Medina [13]
Argentina
36–19
Aus Barbarians
 FIRA [a]
Tonga
[13]
[14]
[15]
VIII1996Estadio Domingo Burgueño
New Zealand
31–26
France

Buenos Aires

Old Boys
[16]
IX1997RWC Qual.Estadio Domingo Burgueño
France
35–14
Western Samoa

Argentina

Uruguay
[17]
X1998Estadio Domingo Burgueño
New Zealand
42–19
Fiji

Western Samoa
?[18]
XI1999Estadio Domingo Burgueño
New Zealand
38–44
Argentina

Western Samoa
n/a[19]
XII2000Estadio Domingo Burgueño
New Zealand
42–19
Fiji

Australia

France
[20]
XIII2001Estadio Domingo Burgueño
Argentina VII
26–21
New Zealand VII

Uruguay
  [b]
Paysandú
[8]
[21]

Key:
 Dark blue line indicates a tournament included in the World Rugby Sevens Series.

Select teams events: 2005 and 2012

After the tournament was restarted in 2003 as an event for club teams, some national and invitational sides began to be attracted back to play against the clubs, and occasionally a parallel international tournament was included again at the Punta del Este Sevens. The first was an IRB satellite competition in 2005 which included several national teams.[22] In 2012, an all-selection tournament for national and invitational teams was played, with Argentina defeating South Africa's academy to win the final.[23]

SeasonVenueCup finalPlacingsRefs
Punta del EsteWinnerScoreRunner-upThirdFourth
XVI2005
(IRB)
Estadio Domingo Burgueño
Argentina
38–14  [c]
Moby Dick

Uruguay
  [d]
BFL Mercosur
[24]
[22]
[25]
XXIII2012Estadio Domingo Burgueño  [e]
Argentina VII
22–5
SA 7s Academy

Uruguay

Chile
[23]
[26]

International sevens: 2017 onward

From 2017 to 2019 the Seven Punta was included on the annual Sudamérica Rugby Sevens series, and contested by selected international teams. In 2020 the tournament was part of the World Sevens Challenger Series. It was relocated for the first time to Montevideo but kept the Seven Punta name.[1] Japan won the cup final in 2020, defeating host nation Uruguay in extra time.[27]

SeasonVenueCup finalPlacingsRefs
Punta del EsteWinnerScoreRunner-upThirdFourth
XXVIII2017Estadio Domingo Burgueño
Argentina
22–21
Fiji

Chile

USA Falcons
[28]
[29]
XXIX2018Estadio Domingo Burgueño
SA 7s Academy
21−5
Chile

France

Uruguay
[30]
XXX2019Estadio Domingo Burgueño
Chile
7–5
Argentina VII

Portugal

Germany
[31]
MontevideoWinnerScoreRunner-upThirdFourth
XXXI2020Estadio Charrua[1]
Japan
5–0
(a.e.t.)

Uruguay

Hong Kong

Chile
[27]

Key:
 Light blue line indicates a tournament included in the Sudamérica Rugby Sevens series.
 Green line indicates a tournament included in the World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series.

Club and invitational tournament

Early years: 1989 to 1992

The first four tournaments featured mainly South American club teams although host club Old Boys organised an invitational team known as "Anzacs Old Boys" which won the Cup in 1991 and 1992.[6] That team featured notable players from Australia and New Zealand, including John Eales, Jason Little, Eric Rush and Frank Bunce alongside players such as South American representative Gabriel Travaglini.[32][33] In 1993 the tournament became the Punta del Este International Sevens and featured selected national teams from around the world.

SeasonVenueCup finalRefs
Club & InvitationalWinnerRunner-up
I1989Estadio Domingo Burgueño
Old Boys

Banco Nación
[6]
II1990Estadio Domingo Burgueño
Los Tilos

Pueyrredón
[6]
III1991Estadio Domingo BurgueñoAnzacs Old Boys
Los Tilos
[6]
IV1992Estadio Domingo BurgueñoAnzacs Old Boys
Pueyrredón
[6]

Gold Cup: 2003 onwards

PSG (Pucaru) player chases the ball, 7 Punta 2010.

Following a one year hiatus after the international sevens had ended in 2001, the event was restarted in 2003 as a tournament for club teams in a return to roots.[6] For the fourteen seasons from 2003 to 2016, the tournament was contested mainly by club teams, but with the occasional national representative selections and sponsored invitational teams [9] entered in the same division.[6] Since 2017, club teams have competed in a separate division to international selections.

A Gold Cup is awarded to the champion team. Silver and Bronze Cups were usually awarded to teams winning the lower bracket playoffs,[f] although the minor placings in the top bracket were given recognition in 2017.

SeasonVenueGold CupPlacingsRefs
Club & invitationalWinnerScoreRunner-upSilver CupBronze Cup
No tournament in 2002
XIV2003Estadio Domingo Burgueño
Old Boys
13–7
Old Christians

La Tablada

 Pucaru [es]
[34]
[35]
[36]
XV2004Estadio Domingo Burgueño
Hindú
22–19
La Ballena [c]

Marista Mendoza

Uruguay
[37]
[38]
[39]
XVI2005Estadio Domingo Burgueño
Alumni
27–14
Hindú

Old Christians
n/a[40]
[41]
XVII2006Estadio Domingo Burgueño
Moby Dick
24–5
Jockey de Salta

Old Christians

 Pucaru [es]
[42]
[43]
XVIII2007Estadio Domingo Burgueño
San Isidro CASI
26–17
Moby Dick

Hindú

San Isidro SIC
[44]
XIX2008Estadio Domingo Burgueño
Samoa
25–0
Buenos Aires

Tonga

Jockey de Salta
[45]
XX2009Estadio Domingo Burgueño
Samoa
34–14
Argentina

Tonga

Los Tordos
[46]
[47]
XXI2010Estadio Domingo Burgueño
Buenos Aires
17–12
Samoa

Tonga
Bridgestone VII[48]
[49]
XXII2011Estadio Domingo Burgueño
Buenos Aires
19–10
Salta [es]

Córdoba Athletic

Moby Dick
[50]
XXIII2012Estadio Domingo Burgueño  [g]
Personal VII
19–10
Moby Dick

Buenos Aires

Paysandú Clubs
[23]
XXIV2013Estadio Domingo Burgueño
Buenos Aires
39–0
Moby Dick

Uruguay

Jockey de Salta
[51]
XXV2014Estadio Domingo Burgueño
SA 7s Academy
19–14
Moby Dick

Uruguay VII

Pucará
[52]
XXVI2014–15Punta del Este Polo & Country Club
Moby Dick
15–7
Chile

Uruguay

Pucará
[53]
XXVII2015–16Punta del Este Polo & Country Club
Córdoba Athletic
21–5
Moby Dick

Pucará

Liceo Naval
[54]
[55]
Club & invitationalWinnerScoreRunner-upThirdFourth
XXVIII2017Estadio Domingo Burgueño
Córdoba Athletic
28–7
La Tablada

Trébol

Carrasco Polo
[56]
[57]
XXIXNo club competition in 2018
XXX2019Estadio Domingo Burgueño
 CURNE[h]
17–12
Old Boys

La Tablada

Trébol
[31]
Club – Seven de Old BoysWinnerScoreRunner-upSilver CupBronze Cup
XXXI2019–20Estadio Charrua, Montevideo [1]
Old Boys
15–10
 CURNE[h]

Lobos
?[58]
[59]

Notes

References

Bibliography

  • Bath, Richard (ed.) The Complete Book of Rugby (Seven Oaks Ltd, 1997 ISBN 1-86200-013-1)

External links