Scouting for rugby talent at festival

See great rugby action at the 2017 IGA Market Place Noosa 7s Festival with more than 90 men’s, women’s and junior teams playing in more than 190 matches competing for a prize pool of $25,000. Teams from Australia and Fiji will compete in elite and social boys and girls competitions.
New to the competition in 2017 are the under-14s and under-16s boys and girls tournament on Friday 13 October along with social men’s and women’s tournament on Saturday 14 October.
With IGA Market Place becoming the major sponsor, it will make this year’s tournament a true community event with free entry to the tournament over the three days of competition.
In the Men’s Elite Tournament Stan Bissett Cup, the top Australia teams will be 7s power houses Tribe, Iconz and Brisbane Fiji along with Brisbane Premier Grade teams University of Queensland, GPS, Easts Tigers, West Bulldogs and Norths Eagles.
The International teams competing for the Stan Bissett Cup include Highway Hunters, McDonalds Saunaka featuring Olympic Gold Medallist and 7s superstar Samisoni Viriviri and Fijian rugby nursery province Nadroga Stallions. Local team Noosa Dolphins will be bolstered by the inclusion of Australia 7s stars Sam Meyers and Charlie Taylor.
In Women’s Elite Division, after their success in the Aon University 7s University of Queensland will be the team to beat, closely followed by last year’s finalist Nations 7s, Tribe.
The under-18s Boys and Girls tournament will be hotly competed by local teams and teams from across the country. Last year’s under-18s Boys competition unearthed local talent Tate Mc Dermott who went on to represent the Aussie Men’s 7s team in the World Series.
Australian Men’s 7s coach Andy Friend along with local icon Michael O’Connor will be attending the tournament scouting for talent.