Wellington 7s

Two legends of Wellington
Sevens remembered
Wellington sevens will
forever hold a special
place for All Blacks and
Sevens legend, the late
Jonah Lomu. At this
year’s tournament, we
will remember him with
a special video tribute on
Day Two.
Lomu, who passed away in November 2015, was a
Sevens trailblazer. It was where he made the impact
that thrust him in front of All Blacks selectors, and
they named him in their 1995 Rugby World Cup team.
Before the HSBC World Series was introduced, the
Hong Kong Sevens were the focal point of the
game and in 1994, as an 18-year-old, Lomu first
demonstrated his signature class, power and
destruction on the field.
His impact was immediate, helping New Zealand to
break Fiji’s hold on the Hong Kong tournament, and
complete a hat-trick of wins from 1994-96.
A Commonwealth Games gold medal followed at
Kuala Lumpur in 1998 and in 2000 Lomu and the
New Zealand team played in the first Wellington
tournament, finishing second to Fiji.
He capped his Sevens career with the World Cup title
in Mar del Plata in 2001. However, it was followed
by the disappointment of New Zealand being tipped
out in the quarter-finals of the second Wellington
tournament.
Sevens coaching supremo Sir Gordon Tietjens said of
Lomu that despite his size he was one of the quickest
players off the mark in the era in which he played.
Another significant
figure who contributed
enormously to Sevens and
the bid for Olympic Games
inclusion was World Rugby
Sevens operations manager
Beth Coalter. She passed
away in October last year
after a short illness. Involved
in the Hong Kong Sevens for
10 years, she was also a member of the international
federation and contributed to the success of the
HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series.
Blue Bubble Taxis are delighted and privileged to be Tournament Sponsors for
2016 HSBC Wellington Seven Series.
This is the 17th time that the Sevens Tournament
has been hosted in Wellington with New Zealand
winning 8 times. A win this time will mean
that New Zealand will have won over half of
Tournaments held in Wellington, a record many
sides would aspire to.
We are thrilled to be here with you to enjoy the
skills and the spectacle of seeing the best Sevens
Rugby players in the world.
We wish all the best to the other 15 teams
competing at this year’s tournament and we look
forward to meeting one of you in the final.
Blue Bubble Taxis is a Nationwide Alliance of Taxi
Companies with drivers who share the passion of
Rugby. If you want to know the latest inside gossip
about rugby, just ask your Blue Bubble Taxi Driver.
We hope that you enjoy the Tournament and if at
the end of the day you feel a bit too jaded to walk,
Blue Bubble Taxis will be available to take you to
your destination.
Bob Wilkinson
CEO – Blue Bubble Alliance Ltd.
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