Villager Sevens turns 45
Villager Football Club, the second oldest rugby club in South Africa, is hosting its 45th Annual Sevens Tournament on Friday 30 August 2013. It remains a popular and prestigious event.
The Sevens is the brainchild of Dave Stewart, the idealistic Springbok back and the founder of the Sportsmans Warehouse which sponsors the tournament, played on a Friday, often on a wet Friday. For this Friday the forecast says that it will again be wet with a high of 16°C, dropping to 10°C. There is, apparently, a 40% chance of rain. The weather has not entirely dampened enthusiasm in the past but let's hope the rugby happens in the 60% of dry day.
Stewart spoke of his connection with the Sevens: "My love for rugby was engendered at Wynberg Boys High and developed when I joined the Villager Club in 1953. So I have been rewarded with a 60-year association with club rugby. This association has brought me fun, friendships and camaraderie, as well as fruitful business liaisons. These still exist and every few months we oldies meet for a luncheon at the Villager Club where we are joined by some of our old rivals from other clubs, who shared great times with us.
"There was no money involved and we all joined our clubs for the joy of belonging. Our club, Villager, through an initiative by some of our younger members has decided to restore the club to amateur status and sadly, but perhaps understandably, has lost many of our players and thus we have found our 1st Team floundering at the bottom of the 2nd League for the first time in 137 years. However, a determined spirit still exists and at a meeting held in July, was attended by some 200 people - many of them younger men who hopefully will continue their rugby careers at the Villager Club.
"Obviously this is all about Villager, but it also supports our original aim when we started the Schools Sevens to give our schoolboys, playing their last game in their school jerseys, a stimulating outing that would encourage those who were not going to university, to join rugby clubs and continue the true spirit of our wonderful game.
"We look forward to hosting you."
There are 32 teams, mostly from schools, taking part in the Sevens.
The first match kicks off at 14.00 when Bishops B play Bergvliet A on the A Field and SACS C play Parklands A on the B Field. The final match is scheduled to start at 20.15.
Participating teams
American International School of Cape Town
Bergvliet
Bishops A
Bishops B
Bishops C
Drakenstein Youth Club
Fish Hoek A
Fish Hoek B
JAG Malibu
JAG Sisizemele
Langa Youth Club
Milnerton
Parklands A
Parklands B
Plumstead
Rondebosch A
Rondebosch B
SACS A
SACS B
SACS) C
Table View A
Table View B
Tygerberg A
Tygerberg B
Tygerberg RFC A
Tygerberg RFC B
Westerford
Western Cape Sports School
Wynberg A
Wynberg B
Voortrekker
Zisukhanyo Secondary
Previous Winners
Villager Sevens Trophy
1971: Plumstead
1972: Rondebosch
1973: SACS
1974: Wynberg
1975: Rondebosch
1976: Bishops
1977: Rondebosch
1978: Bishops
1979: Bishops
1980: Plumstead
1981: Bishops
1982: Bishops B
1983: Bishops
1984: Rondebosch
1985: Bishops
1986: Bishops
1987: Bishops
1988: Bishops
1989: Bishops
1990: Wynberg
1991: Rondebosch
1992: Bishops
1993: Bishops
1994: Wynberg
1995: Kings College New Zealand
1996: Bishops
1997: Northerns
1998: SACS
1999: Bishops
2000: Rondebosch
2001: Rondebosch
2002: Bishops
2003: Bishops
2004: Tygerberg RFC
2005: Bishops
2006: Bishops
2007: SACS
2008: Wynberg
2009: Bishops A
2010: Tygerberg Hoërskool
2011: Wynberg
2012: Tygerberg Hoërskool
Plate Competition
1975: Westerford A
1976: Lansdowne
1977: Fish Hoek
1978: Pinelands
1979: Westerford A
1980: Bergvliet
1981: Rondebosch B
1982: Camps Bay
1983: Voortrekker
1984: Northerns B
1985: St George’s
1986: Voortrekker
1987: Rondebosch B
1988: Plumstead A
1989: St George’s
1990: SACS B
1991: Lagunya
1992: Windsor
1993: Fish Hoek A
1994: Primrose
1995: Primrose
1996: Lagunya
1997: Bishops B
1998: Voortrekker
1999: Fish Hoek A
2000: Groote Schuur
2001: Lagunya
2002: Jan van Riebeeck
2003: SACS B
2004: Fish Hoek
2005: Reddam
2006: Tygerberg B
2007: No Plate Competition
2008: Zwaanswyk
2009: Excelsior
2010: Temperance
2011: Bishops C
2012: Tygerberg Hoërskool B
Photograph: Tygerberg, the 2012 winners with Dave Stewart third from the right at the back.