Aussies up first

Oceania Sevens Tournament fixtures released

DEFENDING Olympic Games gold medallist Fiji will kickoff its PacificAus Sports Oceania Sevens tournament campaign against Australia next Friday in Townsville. Oceania Rugby has released the fixtures for the tournament which will feature Australia, New Zealand and an Oceania Barbarians selection in both the men’s and women’s competitions.

The three-day tournament will be held in North Queensland, Australia from next Friday and will mirror the Olympic Games format. The teams will play two matches per day, one in each session.

Each team will play the other three teams twice, with the highest ranked team after six matches being declared champion.

Fiji coach Gareth Baber said our players had been looking forward to the start of the event.

“When we play Australia and New Zealand, what I will be looking at is the measure for us and not what Australia and New Zealand are doing,” Baber said.

All matches will be played at Townsville’s Queensland Country Bank Stadium with the afternoon session next Friday and Saturday starting at 4pm, followed by the evening session at 9.30pm.

The Sunday sessions will start earlier at 2.30pm and 7.45pm respectively.

The Townsville 7s Festival will be played in between each session, with teams from Townsville District Rugby Union playing in matches ranging from the under-8 age group level to senior men and women.

This will be the first time for the men’s teams from Australia, New Zealand and Fiji team to play in the same tournament since the Vancouver Sevens in March 2020, while the women last played together in Sydney, a month earlier.

Australia and NZ played a six-match series in Auckland in May, but Fiji has not played an international match since early 2020.

This will be the last official hit-out for the three national teams before the Tokyo Olympic Tournament, which begins July 26, and will ensure teams the best possible preparation for the Games. Fixtures: (Men) June 25: 4pm Fiji-Australia, 4.22pm New Zealand-Oceania Barbarians (OB), 9.30pm Fiji-OB, 9.52pm Aust-NZ; June 25: 4pm Aust-OB, 4.22pm Fiji-NZ, 9.30pm Fiji-Aust, 9.22pm Aust-OB; June 26: 2.30pm Fiji-OB, 2.52pm NZ-Aust, 7.45pm Aust-OB, 8.07pm NZ-Fiji.

(Women) June 25: 4.44pm NZ-OB, 5.06pm Fiji-Aust, 10.40pm Fiji-NZ, 10.36pm Aust-OB; June 25: 4.44pm Fiji-OB, 5.06pm NZ-Aust, 10.14pm NZ-Aust, 10.36pm Fiji-Aust; June 26: 3.14pm Fiji-NZ, 3.36pm Aust-OB, 8.33pm Fiji-OB, 8.55pm NZ-Aust.