Fantastic party atmosphere at the Wellington Sevens

Hippies, Romans, porn stars, frogs, cowboys, pirates and naughty nurses are among the crazy characters that flooded the Westpac Stadium in Wellington for the New Zealand leg of the IRB Sevens series last weekend.

The sold out event attracts thousands each year and has become renowned for it's party atmosphere which sees most of the people who attend going there not necessarily to watch the rugby, but to have a good time.

Tickets are sold out within minutes of going on sale, and come matchday, creativity is key as supporters adorn themselves in well planned themed costumes to transform the stadium into a sea of colour and imagination.

Commentator Keith Quinn says the combination of 'Mardi Gras' atmosphere and high standard of play make the Sevens one of the year's most exciting tournaments:
"As someone who's been lucky to go to all the major sevens locations in the world, I would say that Wellington is the noisiest and the brightest."

"When we first started, each match was covered like a rugby match," says Quinn. "Now we also cover the crowd, the colour, the singing, the dancing, the costumes, and the atmosphere in the stadium. It's a lot of fun!"

The USA leg kicks off this weekend in San Diego, so if you're in the area be sure to get down to PETCO Park and join in the festivities of one of the most entertaining forms of the game.

NOTE: Thanks Sam - the song is 'Eagle Rock' by Daddy Cool, an Aussie band. I've had it in my head the whole day and I'm pretty sure you're going to be humming along to it soon too.

Posted at 10:55 am | 17 comments

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