Photo: John Byers, DE Photos

Southwold Beach Sevens – 27-28th July 2012

The idea for the Southwold Beach Sevens was hatched one night in a pub by Dermot Chapman, Nick Brooker and Seb Anthony. Ten years on, the tournament is now the largest adult beach rugby event in the UK and attracts around 50 teams and over 500 participants every year.

Format: This year there were 30 men’s and 17 women’s teams, many of which were regulars including “The Frogs” from a club south of Paris. The French flag marked their pitch on the campsite and the Marseillaise was respectfully played on a Kazoo over the loud speaker by Sean Cashman before each match they played.

Contrary to the name, this is a tag tournament and there are only five players from each team on the pitch at any one time with two rolling subs. Though the duration of the matches have varied in the past, this year they were just seven minutes one way. Despite the relatively small pitches at 20m x 10m, seven minutes on sand is plenty long enough – especially after the night before. Each team plays at least three pool matches before the knockout stages.

Photo: John Byers, DE Photos

Itinerary: Most teams arrived at the temporary campsite in Reydon on Friday to prepare for the tournament. Preparation tended to include consuming large quantities of Adnams, Magners and Jager Bombs accompanied this year by fish’n’chips from ‘Angie the Fish Hut’ and the usual ‘warm-up’ disco party. Minibuses shuttled the teams to the beach from 9.30am for a 11am kick-off. Group and knock-out stages were then played for the next 5 hours with adhoc friendlies and the infamous “Dance-off” filling any gaps in the schedule along with a non-stop beach BBQ.

We were thoroughly entertained on the beach by “Cash and Currie” (aka Sean Cashman and Piers Currie) who acted as MCs and ran the tournament efficiently while newcomers, Dave and Amanda Austin, manned the BBQ. The finals were played at around 4pm after which everyone was shuttled back to the clubhouse for showers and reflective drinks and then shuttled on to the campsite.

This year, to accompany the olympian themed fancy dress, we held the “Alternative Olympics” featuring various rugby related games and tugs-of-war. A live band, disco and hog roast along with yet more Adnams, Magners and Jager Bomb kept the campsite fairly lively till the early hours.

Photo: John Byers, DE Photos

The winners and losers: This year’s winners of the men’s competition were Colts ’93, a team of forty-somethings ex-professionals from Leeds whose silky skills and impenetrable defence out-classed the 20 year old Old Leysians from Cambridge. The Frogs reached the final stages for the first time this year, but the excesses on Friday night took their toll. The Ladies’ competition was won by local team Woodbridge who beat Fakenham Foxes.

Photos: Kate Felton

Rugby romances: The first Beach Sevens’ wedding was celebrated this year. Old Elthamians’ Simon Rushworth and Katie Lunnon met at the Beach Sevens a few years ago, got engaged on the beach at last year’s tournament and were married in June. Whereas, last year, Amber Wadlow from the Fakenham Foxes met JB Brochado from The Frogs who promptly packed his bags and is now living with Amber in Fakenham. It’ll be a few more years before the tournament is able to welcome its first player who was conceived at a Southwold Beach Sevens weekend!

The Beach Sevens Team: Nina Roe chaired the Beach Sevens committee which included Rob and Michaela Scarle, our chairman David Fossett, Sarah Doddington, Piers Currie and Roger Felton. All of which gave up significant spare time to make this event another success. The club would also like to express its gratitude to Dermot Chapman, John and Lucy Winters, Seb Anthony, Des and Owen Camp, Nick Sigsworth, David Vaughan, Sam Webb and several 1st XVers, as well as next year’s U15s and U16s for their collective and significant voluntary contributions over the weekend along with any one else who leant a hand when it was needed.

More pictures (low res) can be viewed on the club website at

http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/southwoldrfc/photos/beach-sevens-2012–log-in-to-295002.html