NORTH EASTHAM – In just six days, Nauset Regional High School will be invaded by hundreds of top-shelf rugby-playing women for the 30th Annual Cape Cod Sevens Women’s Rugby Tournament but for the first time in tournament history there will be a special twist: men.
The 30th annual tournament will be held July 18 to celebrate the tournament’s three-decade milestone and for the first time in tournament history co-ed teams will be allowed to participate.
A theme-oriented rugby extravaganza, this year’s tournament theme will be “Holidays” as players dress up in everything from Santa Claus outfits to celebrate Christmas to Abe Lincoln beards to celebrate President’s Day, or even lederhosen to celebrate Oktoberfest.
Every year Boston Women’s Rugby hosts the largest women’s rugby sevens tournament in the country.
In 2015, the tournament was opened to men’s teams for the first time in tournament history and though the gender of participants may change, the spirit of Cape Cod Sevens will remain the same. What distinguishes the Cape Cod Sevens from most of the other summer tournaments on the east coast is the mix of fierce competition (several of the country’s top-ranked women’s teams attend every year) and chaotic fun (teams are strongly encouraged to play in costume).
Each year we carefully select a theme to which participating teams are “required” to conform. We highly encourage theme inspired creative and interesting on-field attire. Past themes have included “Battle of the Ages,” “Superheroes and Villains,” “Rock Bands,” and “High School Cliques.” Tournament participants are as diverse as our themes. Represented in this fun and competitive event are college teams, women’s club teams, teams of “retired” players who have decided to dust off their boots, and a few teams united by some pretty odd commonalities: they all play the same position, all have the same name or even have the same color hair.
The tournament is a one-day event with competitive, social, college, and high school divisions. Teams of all levels are welcome to participate. Each team is guaranteed three (3) matches. However, for teams that qualify for the finals, the number of matches played can be far higher. Teams are encouraged to play in costume and at the end of play a post-tournament social features a skit competition nearly as fierce as the rugby games themselves.
Food and non-alcoholic beverages will be for sale throughout the day. All proceeds from the tournament go to Boston Women’s Rugby Football Club, a 501(3)(c) charitable organization.
Boston Women’s Rugby Football Club has been a premiere Women’s Rugby Club in Boston for 40 years. We currently roster 30 players, with a large, active alumni base. We are actively involved in the community, participation in charity events, and helping to foster youth rugby in the greater Boston area.
For more information, contact Carly Massey, Cape Cod Sevens Tournament Director via email at [email protected] or visit www.capecodsevens.com.
— Sean Walsh is the sports editor for www.capecod.com. His email is [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @coachwalshccbm