Ross Kendall
A thousand plus players descended on the Byron Bay Recreation Grounds for the 34th running of the Byron Bay rugby 7s over three days last weekend.
On Friday and Saturday 48 senior teams across different grades competed, while on Sunday, 26 junior boys and girls teams took to the paddock.
The event is hosted by the Byron Shire Rebels Rugby Union Club.
‘It was a fantastic weekend,’ according to the club’s James Boysons. ‘Rugby NSW ran the event the last two years but we took control again this year, with great support right across the rugby community to get the people we needed on the ground.’
‘Despite being highly competitive the event was played in the great spirit of rugby 7s, to have fun,’ he said.
The three-day event is one of the biggest sporting festivals in the Byron Shire.
There was plenty of side activities that accompanied the rugby and Byron Bay Football Club’s new clubhouse was also in use across the weekend.
All funds will be channelled back into a new initiative of the club which is to introduce a youth rugby development academy in the area, to foster recognition and participation in the game.
This initiative is also being supported by new sponsor Glenn Rohrig.
The event’s major sponsor continued to be Stone & Wood.
‘The club would like to say a big thank you to everybody who got involved,’ James said.
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