Middlesex Sevens

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The Middlesex Sevens was a Rugby Sevens tournament held annually at Twickenham stadium in London, England until 2011. It was first held in 1926, and started by Dr J.A. Russell-Cargill, a London-based Scot. [1] The event was held at the end of the rugby union season in May every year for 75 years, but moved to August in 2001 due to lack of available stadium dates and players in May. The Middlesex Sevens tournament was last played in 2011, as the new Premiership Rugby 7s Series caused many of the top clubs that previously took part to pull out.

Contents

This tournament was a charitable event, officially called the Middlesex Charity Sevens, with the beneficiaries being Wooden Spoon and the RFU Injured Players Fund.[ citation needed ] Middlesex Charity Sevens raised over £10 million for charities.[ citation needed ]

History

Traditionally the Middlesex Sevens was an invitation tournament with entertainment derived from overseas and qualifying sides challenging rugby union's top teams.[ citation needed ] In 2005 the tournament became a twelve team competition with only Rugby Premiership teams participating.[ citation needed ] In 2008 the tournament reverted to sixteen teams. Brazil was amongst the teams invited to take part in the 2011 tournament.[ citation needed ] The final was played between Esher RFC and Samurai.[ citation needed ]

Two rugby league clubs have won the Middlesex Sevens. In 1996 Wigan brought a star-studded team including Martin Offiah, Shaun Edwards, Andy Farrell, Va'aiga Tuigamala and Jason Robinson to Twickenham in 1996. Bradford Bulls were champions in 2002. [2]

The Women's Middlesex 7s was introduced in 2011, the final year of the tournament, and was won by Wooden Spoon Women.[ citation needed ]

List of winners

By wins

TeamTitlesYears of Titles Won
Harlequins 141926, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1933, 1935, 1967, 1978, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 2008
Richmond 91951, 1953, 1955, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1983
London Welsh 81930, 1931, 1956, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1984
London Scottish 71937, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1965, 1991
London Wasps 51948, 1952, 1985, 1993, 2006
Loughborough Colleges 51959, 1964, 1966, 1970, 1976
St. Mary's Hospital51940, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1946
Rosslyn Park 41947, 1950, 1954, 1981
Barbarians 31934, 1997, 1998
Blackheath 21932, 1958
British Army 22001, 2004
Penguins21999, 2000
ULR Samurai22010, 2011
St Luke's College21957, 1969
Bath 11994
Bradford Bulls (RL)12002
Cambridge University 11941
Cardiff 11939
Gloucester 12005
Heriot's FP 11949
Leicester Tigers 11995
London Irish 12009
Metropolitan Police 11938
Newcastle Falcons 12007
Northampton Saints 12003
Nottingham 11945
Sale 11936
Stewart's Melville FP 11982
Western Samoa 11992
Wigan (RL)11996

See also

References

  1. Bath, Scotland Rugby Miscellany, p82
  2. "Bulls wins Sevens". BBC Sport. 17 August 2002. Retrieved 7 April 2020.

Bibliography