HSBC Wellington Rugby Sevens Tournament a Show Not to be Missed

The HSBC Wellington Rugby Sevens Tournament is, “A show not to be missed.”

Going to be in Wellington at the end of January? The HSBC Wellington Sevens Tournament will be held over the weekend of the 28th – 29th of January at the Westpac Stadium.

Wellington’s Iconic Event

Steve Dunbar, the event’s general manager says, “It’s unique in the colour of the weekend, there is action on and off the field, and with the spectators dressed-up there is always something to look at. Sevens rugby really just has the best bits of the game, it’s fast and exciting, with lots of running and big tackles. The games are short, so easy to follow.”

Top Musicians Providing Entertainment

A draw-card this year is the quality of off-the-field entertainment. There is a full programme of some of New Zealand’s top musicians, such as Nesian Mystik, and the Koi Boys, made famous from their appearance on ‘The Voice’. There’s also the innovation of ‘Food+Fizz Alley’, an area where some of Wellington’s top chefs will be preparing their signature dishes.

Sevens Results are tough to predict

The Wellington event is the third in a series of ten global events. The first two tournaments have already taken place, in Dubai and Cape Town. One of the appeals of Seven’s rugby is the unpredictability factor. While New Zealand has been a dominant force over the years, the sport is super-competitive and any team can literally beat any other on the day.

Seventeen countries, representing every continent, make up the field. There are distinct playing styles, from the flair of the Kenyans, to the passion of the Argentinians. Fiji, fresh from their gold medal performance at the Rio Olympics, is sitting third in the standings of the global tournament, and are always popular with the crowd.

Family friendly ticketing structure at HSBC Wellington Sevens

“We want our customers to shape their own Sevens experience,” Dunbar says. To do this, there is a range of ticketing options, starting with a full weekend pass, which allows for hard-core fans to enjoy two days and nights of action, with seats on the halfway line and access to an exclusive bar area. Other options are day passes for either Saturday or Sunday, and even half day passes available for Saturday.

Those with kids should try the Family Zone. For just $7 a day, kids get access to an on-field seating area where they can interact with the players, enjoy entertainment such as face-painting, and access dedicated family zone bathrooms.

“It’s a great event for kids,” says Steve Dunbar. “With the games being short, they don’t have to concentrate for too long, then they can go off and do something else. They are our customers of tomorrow, so we really wanted to do something for them, and hopefully they’ll drag Mum and Dad along as well.”

For our VroomVroomVroom customers exploring New Zealand in a rental car, attending the HSBC Sevens is an opportunity to take a break from driving. “This event is the jewel in the crown for Wellington,” says Steve Dunbar. “As Wellington is such a compact city with the stadium an easy walk away, you can leave the games and be sitting in a nice restaurant with a glass of wine within fifteen minutes.”

Let us know: are you heading to the HSBC Wellington Sevens this year? Which team are you cheering for? And most important of all, what are you going to wear? We’d love to hear about your plans!