Future of Central Coast Sevens in doubt

Sun, Jan 7, 2018, 6:49 AM
Beth Newman
by Beth Newman

One of Australia’s biggest domestic Sevens tournaments may have been run for the last time.

The Central Coast Sevens, which has become a regular preseason fixture for Australia’s men’s and women’s sevens, has announced its 2017 tournament was its last under the current administration.

Aussie Sevens veteran and Central Coast local Jesse Parahi was one of the ambassadors for the tournament, which has attracted plenty of high-profile teams in recent years.

The national men's and women's development sides took out the most recent edition of the tournament.

Tournament director Craig Morgan posted a message on the tournament’s Facebook, lamenting the situation.

“It is with a tinge of sadness that we wish to advise that we have made the decision to no longer facilitate the Central Coast Sevens,” he wrote.


“We are extremely proud of the tournament and all it has achieved and what the CC7s has stood for, for close to a decade.

“We are truly humbled and grateful for the tremendous support shown by our official partners, the teams, players, officials, friends, ambassadors and everyone who has followed and enjoyed the tournament with a special mention to our families and our very small but loyal and dynamic tournament crew.”

Morgan said the time felt right to step away from the tournament, and has been looking for a number of organisations to take on the running of the event, in the hope it can continue.

“The decision to finalise the tournament has not been made lightly or easily, however it is felt that the time is right personally to move away from the tournament with other goals to achieve and greater focus on family after the many years of sacrifice,” he wrote.

“We have reached out to a number of “Rugby Organisations” exploring their interest in acquiring the event in the hope that the tournament can continue to provide opportunity and continue to be a benchmark for Australian Sevens, however should interest not be forthcoming the Central Coast Sevens will then be finalised in its entirety.”

Central Coast has become a much-hyped part of the domestic Sevens calendar since its inception, in a program that is constantly changing.

North of the border, a brand new women’s Sevens competition will be run in Brisbane for the first time next month, called the Super 7s.

Share
Force 'heart and soul' Pomare set to reach rare Super W milestone
Michael Hooper is excited about the challenge of playing Sevens in Hong Kong. Photo: Nick Holland/RA Media
'Rookie' ex-Wallabies skipper Hooper ready to step up Sevens unknown
'Brumbies DNA': Wallabies selections on the line for Reds clash - Larkham
'It's pretty hard to leave an environment like this': Jorgensen eager to commit future to Waratahs