Template:Short description The Middlesex Sevens was a Rugby Sevens tournament held annually at Twickenham stadium in London, England until 2011. It was first held in 1926, and started by Dr J.A. Russell-Cargill, a London-based Scot.<ref name=BathMisc>Bath, Scotland Rugby Miscellany, p82</ref> The event was held at the end of the rugby union season in May every year for 75 years, but moved to August in 2001 due to lack of available stadium dates and players in May. The Middlesex Sevens tournament was last played in 2011, as the new Premiership Rugby 7s Series caused many of the top clubs that previously took part to pull out.
This tournament was a charitable event, officially called the Middlesex Charity Sevens, with the beneficiaries being Wooden Spoon and the RFU Injured Players Fund.Template:Cn Middlesex Charity Sevens raised over £10 million for charities.Template:Cn
HistoryEdit
Traditionally the Middlesex Sevens was an invitation tournament with entertainment derived from overseas and qualifying sides challenging rugby union's top teams.Template:Cn In 2005 the tournament became a twelve team competition with only Rugby Premiership teams participating.Template:Cn In 2008 the tournament reverted to sixteen teams. Brazil was amongst the teams invited to take part in the 2011 tournament.Template:Cn The final was played between Esher RFC and Samurai.Template:Cn
Two rugby league clubs have won the Middlesex Sevens. In 1996 Wigan brought a star-studded team including Martin Offiah, Shaun Edwards, Andy Farrell, Va'aiga Tuigamala and Jason Robinson to Twickenham in 1996. Bradford Bulls were champions in 2002.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
The Women's Middlesex 7s was introduced in 2011, the final year of the tournament, and was won by Wooden Spoon Women.Template:Cn
List of winnersEdit
By winsEdit
| Team | Titles | Years of Titles Won |
|---|---|---|
| Harlequins | 14 | 1926, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1933, 1935, 1967, 1978, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 2008 |
| Richmond | 9 | 1951, 1953, 1955, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1983 |
| London Welsh | 8 | 1930, 1931, 1956, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1984 |
| London Scottish | 7 | 1937, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1965, 1991 |
| London Wasps | 5 | 1948, 1952, 1985, 1993, 2006 |
| Loughborough Colleges | 5 | 1959, 1964, 1966, 1970, 1976 |
| St. Mary's Hospital | 5 | 1940, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1946 |
| Rosslyn Park | 4 | 1947, 1950, 1954, 1981 |
| Barbarians | 3 | 1934, 1997, 1998 |
| Blackheath | 2 | 1932, 1958 |
| British Army | 2 | 2001, 2004 |
| Penguins | 2 | 1999, 2000 |
| ULR Samurai | 2 | 2010, 2011 |
| St Luke's College | 2 | 1957, 1969 |
| Bath | 1 | 1994 |
| Bradford Bulls (RL) | 1 | 2002 |
| Cambridge University | 1 | 1941 |
| Cardiff | 1 | 1939 |
| Gloucester | 1 | 2005 |
| Heriot's FP | 1 | 1949 |
| Leicester Tigers | 1 | 1995 |
| London Irish | 1 | 2009 |
| Metropolitan Police | 1 | 1938 |
| Newcastle Falcons | 1 | 2007 |
| Northampton Saints | 1 | 2003 |
| Nottingham | 1 | 1945 |
| Sale | 1 | 1936 |
| Stewart's Melville FP | 1 | 1982 |
| Western Samoa | 1 | 1992 |
| Wigan (RL) | 1 | 1996 |
See alsoEdit
ReferencesEdit
BibliographyEdit
- Bath, Richard (editor) The Scotland Rugby Miscellany (Vision Sports Publishing, 2007 Template:ISBN)
External linksEdit
- {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}