04/12/2008
International Rugby Sevens Adelaide - The Carnival Just Got Bigger
The biggest carnival in Australian Rugby just got even bigger, with the ARU today announcing the expansion of the International Rugby Sevens Adelaide 2009 to three days, and a kick off under Adelaide Oval’s lights for the first time.
Creating the ideal party to end the working week, Adelaide Sevens 2009 will get underway at 5.30pm on Friday, April 3, giving Adelaide CBD workers and rugby fans from across the country the perfect start to a weekend festival of rugby.
Priced from $17, tickets will be on public sale from December 15 for the April 3-5 event which will see Australia take on arch rivals England, New Zealand and Adelaide Sevens 2008 winners South Africa.
Other competing nations include Fiji, United States and Argentina.
The event is expected to attract thousands of visitors from interstate and overseas. The 2007 and 2008 Adelaide Sevens events attracted more than 55,000 spectators to the world renowned Adelaide Oval.
The International Rugby Sevens Adelaide is part of the International Rugby Board’s Sevens World Series – and the only Australian stop on a circuit that also travels through Dubai, Edinburgh (Scotland), Hong Kong, London, Wellington (NZ), San Diego (USA) and George (South Africa).
Premier Mike Rann said this year’s International Rugby Sevens Adelaide provided a big boost to South Australia’s economy – generating $4.6 million from interstate and overseas visitors alone.
“The Friday start under lights is a fantastic innovation that will make next year’s event even better than previous years.”
“This is an internationally recognised event and Adelaide is one of only eight host cities around the world, and with an international television audience of over 200 million, this is a great coup for the State,” Mr Rann said.
“The direct visitor expenditure generated over one weekend in April was split between international ($2 million) and interstate visitors ($2.6 million) – a huge increase on the year before.
“The International Rugby Sevens Adelaide appeals to those audiences that we are targeting to visit South Australia - high-yielding visitors who contribute greatly to the economy and who are more likely to return to future events,” Mr Rann said.
Australian Rugby Union Managing Director and CEO John O’Neill said: “The decision to extend the Adelaide Sevens to a three-day event is a mark of confidence in a tournament which has grown during its first two years.
“Adelaide has embraced Rugby through the staging of World Cup matches in 2003 and a Test against the Pacific Islands the following year.
“That level of support is now evident through the Australian leg of the Sevens World Series.
“ARU is extremely grateful for the support of the South Australian Government, and Premier Mike Rann in particular.
“We trust the International Rugby Sevens Adelaide will continue to increase in popularity in 2009, with the colour, fun and embedded rivalries between the 16 competing countries ensuring three days of excitement and enjoyment for supporters.
“This is a significant domestic and international sporting event, with widespread interest interstate and around the globe, and it’s a tournament Australian Rugby is proud to showcase in South Australia.”
More details about ticketing and hospitality can be found on the event website www.adelaidesevens.com.au