World class players to front at NOBM Invitation Sevens
Predicting the top four finishers at the annual Napier Old Boys Marist Invitation Sevens tournament is always a tough task.
But i reckon I'll be pretty close with defending champions MAC, last year's runners-up Hawke's Bay Fijians, Havelock North and either hosts Napier Old Boys Marist or Napier Pirate Rugby and Sports. Both Pirates and Hawke's Bay Fijians are fielding two teams each in the 14-team men's division of Saturday's tournament at Park Island so that is an indication of how serious those organisations are about giving the title a crack.
Havelock North will boast the services of two-time World Condors Sevens champion with the New Zealand Schools team, Latrell Smiler-Ah King.
Tournament organiser and NOBM coach Ellery Wilson said his team is younger than previous season but will include some exciting prospects. Wilson singled out speedster Ryan Lindesque as one youngster expected to impress for the hosts.
Nine teams including defending champions Feilding High School will compete in the colts grade. Hastings Rugby and Sports, Tamatea and NOBM all have the potential to join the Feilding side in the colts semifinals.
The colts final is scheduled for 3.40pm and the men's final for 4.10pm on Saturday.
Magpies wider squad member Smiler-Ah Kiong is one of five Hawke's Bay sevens exponents selected to attend the Red Bull Ignite7 Sevens tournament in Tauranga on December 5 and 6. Magpies Mitre 10 Cup squad members Kurt Baker, Ollie Sapsford, Caleb Makene and Anzelo Tuitavuki are the others.
Baker and Sapsford are both contracted All Black Sevens squad members. Since the inaugural Ignite7 Sevens in 2018, the tournament has been used for the development of New Zealand Sevens talent, with leading players being selected for national training camps.
However this year, with the Covid-19 pandemic forcing the World Rugby Sevens Series to be scrapped and the contracted players in national teams short on Sevens action, the likes of Baker and Sapsford have been thrown into the mix as well.
"It will be a unique environment because those players coming in are going to be able to gauge themselves against some of the best players in the world and get a direct comparison which is something we haven't had before," All Black Sevens coach Clark Laidlaw said.
A live draft event on Monday, November 30 will see the captains of the four men's and four women's teams pick their playing squads. The three-round draft will be broadcast on on Sky.
Teams will then assemble for one week in Tauranga before the tournament.
