Students lead the way at Byron rugby sevens carnival

UNIVERSITY teams were among the top performers, as big crowds turned out for the Stone and Wood Byron Bay Rugby Sevens Festival this year.

The Gold Coast-based Bond Bull Sharks won the premier division final with Southern Cross University taking out the men’s social competition.

SCU has played in the tournament more times than any other club in the competition’s 34-year history.

The competition has evolved to include a junior competition with Byron Shire Rebels running the tournament for first time in three years.

Kellyville team the Renegades won three of the four junior divisions, with Coomera winning the under-14 girls.

“We really wanted to make it a success this year, and it was all hands on a deck from a club perspective,” Rebels club president James Boysons said.

“We didn’t even enter our own team, that’s how determined the players were to run the tournament.

“This year we had more access to the club, and we were really keen to push that junior competition along on the Sunday.”

The premier men’s division also featured teams from Souths Rugby, Sunnybank and the University of Queensland in Brisbane.

Far North Coast Dolphins entered a team in the women’s premier division, while there was also a team from the Hunter Wildfires in Newcastle.

The Dolphins used the tournament as a development pathway for its new women’s program.

The travelling Legacy 7’s women’s premier team went through the tournament undefeated after a 17-0 win over Bond in the final.

The carnival also had an open division with Coffs Snappers winning the women’s title.

Brisbane team Kings College won the open men’s final, while Ballina and Lennox Head made consolation finals in the division.