Uruguay Sevens
# Uruguay Sevens

The Uruguay Sevens, branded as Seven Punta, is an annual international rugby sevens tournament. Currently held in the capital Montevideo, it was hosted as the Punta del Este Sevens in the resort city of the same name for three decades from 1989 onwards. The tournament retains that history in its branding.

The event was formerly part of the IRB Sevens World Series for the inaugural season in 2000. In recent years it has been part of the Sudamérica Sevens Series and the World Sevens Challenger Series.

The tournament is organised by the Old Boys Club, usually in January or February. It attracts the participation of clubs from Uruguay and neighboring countries such as Argentina, as well as selected provincial and national teams.

Internationally, it is the highest profile Uruguayan rugby event, and has attracted players of the calibre of Jonah Lomu in the past, as well as teams like Fiji, Argentina, New Zealand, Samoa and Belgium Barbarians

## International sevens

The tournament was first played in 1989 and featured mostly club teams from Uruguay and Argentina in the early years. Its history as an international event grew in the 1990s when many of the best players and teams in the world travelled to Uruguay for the Seven Punta.

### International 7s and World Series: 1993 to 2001

The inaugural Punta del Este International Sevens tournament in 1993 attracted teams from Australia, France, England and New Zealand, as well as neighbours Argentina and Paraguay, plus Uruguay itself as host. The final was won by New Zealand, defeating Australia in a closely fought match by 26–19. Other national teams including Fiji, Tonga and Samoa were added to the field in subsequent years as the tournament grew in status. Punta del Este was included as a stop on the 1999–2000 World Sevens Series but was dropped from the tour after the inaugural season. After one further event in 2001, won by Argentina who defeated New Zealand by 26–21 in the final, the international sevens at Punta del Este ceased.

| Season | Season | Venue | Cup final | Cup final | Cup final | Placings | Placings | Refs |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | | Punta del Este | Winner | Score | Runner-up | Plate | Bowl | |
| I – IV | For club & invitational 1989 to 1992 — See § Early years | For club & invitational 1989 to 1992 — See § Early years | For club & invitational 1989 to 1992 — See § Early years | For club & invitational 1989 to 1992 — See § Early years | For club & invitational 1989 to 1992 — See § Early years | For club & invitational 1989 to 1992 — See § Early years | For club & invitational 1989 to 1992 — See § Early years | For club & invitational 1989 to 1992 — See § Early years |
| V | 1993 | Estadio Domingo Burgueño | All Blacks​ VII | 26–19 | Australia | Buenos Aires | Cuyo | [7] [10] |
| VI | 1994 | Estadio Domingo Burgueño | Fiji Cavaliers | 35–12 | New Zealand | Rosario | Cote d'Aquitaine | [11] [12] |
| VII | 1995 | Estadio Ginés Cairo Medina | Argentina | 36–19 | Aus Barbarians | FIRA | Tonga | [13] [14] [15] |
| VIII | 1996 | Estadio Domingo Burgueño | New Zealand | 31–26 | France | Buenos Aires | Old Boys | |
| IX | 1997​ $^{RWCQual.}$ | Estadio Domingo Burgueño | France | 35–14 | Western Samoa | Argentina | Uruguay | |
| X | 1998 | Estadio Domingo Burgueño | New Zealand | 42–19 | Fiji | Western Samoa | ? | |
| XI | 1999 | Estadio Domingo Burgueño | New Zealand | 38–44 | Argentina | Western Samoa | n/a | |
| XII | 2000 | Estadio Domingo Burgueño | New Zealand | 42–19 | Fiji | Australia | France | |
| XIII | 2001 | Estadio Domingo Burgueño | Argentina VII | 26–21 | New Zealand VII | Uruguay | Paysandú | [8] [21] |

Key: Dark blue line indicates a tournament included in the World Rugby Sevens Series.

### Select teams events: 2005 and 2012

After the tournament was restarted in 2003 as an event for club teams, some national and invitational sides began to be attracted back to play against the clubs, and occasionally a parallel international tournament was included again at the Punta del Este Sevens. The first was an IRB satellite competition in 2005 which included several national teams. In 2012, an all-selection tournament for national and invitational teams was played, with Argentina defeating South Africa's academy to win the final.

| Season | Season | Venue | Cup final | Cup final | Cup final | Placings | Placings | Refs |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | | Punta del Este | Winner | Score | Runner-up | Third | Fourth | |
| XVI | 2005 $^{(IRB)}$ | Estadio Domingo Burgueño | Argentina | 38–14 | Moby Dick | Uruguay | BFL Mercosur | [24] [22] [25] |
| XXIII | 2012 | Estadio Domingo Burgueño | Argentina VII | 22–5 | SA 7s Academy | Uruguay | Chile | [23] [26] |

### International sevens: 2017 onward

From 2017 to 2019 the Seven Punta was included on the annual Sudamérica Rugby Sevens series, and contested by selected international teams. In 2020 the tournament was part of the World Sevens Challenger Series. It was relocated for the first time to Montevideo but kept the Seven Punta name. Japan won the cup final in 2020, defeating host nation Uruguay in extra time.

| Season | Season | Venue | Cup final | Cup final | Cup final | Placings | Placings | Refs |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | | Punta del Este | Winner | Score | Runner-up | Third | Fourth | |
| XXVIII | 2017 | Estadio Domingo Burgueño | Argentina | 22–21 | Fiji | Chile | USA Falcons | [28] [29] |
| XXIX | 2018 | Estadio Domingo Burgueño | SA 7s Academy | 21−5 | Chile | France | Uruguay | |
| XXX | 2019 | Estadio Domingo Burgueño | Chile | 7–5 | Argentina VII | Portugal | Germany | |
| | | Montevideo | Winner | Score | Runner-up | Third | Fourth | |
| XXXI | 2020 | Estadio Charrua | Japan | 5–0 | Uruguay | Hong Kong | Chile | |

Key:   Light blue line indicates a tournament included in the Sudamérica Rugby Sevens series.   Green line indicates a tournament included in the World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series.

## Club and invitational tournament

### Early years: 1989 to 1992

The first four tournaments featured mainly South American club teams although host club Old Boys organised an invitational team known as "Anzacs Old Boys" which won the Cup in 1991 and 1992. That team featured notable players from Australia and New Zealand, including John Eales, Jason Little, Eric Rush and Frank Bunce alongside players such as South American representative Gabriel Travaglini. In 1993 the tournament became the Punta del Este International Sevens and featured selected national teams from around the world.

| Season | Season | Venue | Cup final | Cup final |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| | | Club & Invitational | Winner | Runner-up |
| I | 1989 | Estadio Domingo Burgueño | Old Boys | Banco Nación |
| II | 1990 | Estadio Domingo Burgueño | Los Tilos | Pueyrredón |
| III | 1991 | Estadio Domingo Burgueño | Anzacs Old Boys | Los Tilos |
| IV | 1992 | Estadio Domingo Burgueño | Anzacs Old Boys | Pueyrredón |

### Gold Cup: 2003 onwards

Following a one year hiatus after the international sevens had ended in 2001, the event was restarted in 2003 as a tournament for club teams in a return to roots. For the fourteen seasons from 2003 to 2016, the tournament was contested mainly by club teams, but with the occasional national representative selections and sponsored invitational teams  entered in the same division. Since 2017, club teams have competed in a separate division to international selections.

A Gold Cup is awarded to the champion team. Silver and Bronze Cups were usually awarded to teams winning the lower bracket playoffs, although the minor placings in the top bracket were given recognition in 2017.

| Season | Season | Venue | Gold Cup | Gold Cup | Gold Cup | Placings | Placings | Refs |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Club | & invitational | Winner | Score | Runner-up | Silver Cup | Bronze Cup | |
| No tournament in 2002 |||||||||
| XIV | 2003 | Estadio Domingo Burgueño | Old Boys | 13–7 | Old Christians | La Tablada | Pucaru $_{[es]}$ | [34] [35] [36] |
| XV | 2004 | Estadio Domingo Burgueño | Hindú | 22–19 | La Ballena | Marista Mendoza | Uruguay | [37] [38] [39] |
| XVI | 2005 | Estadio Domingo Burgueño | Alumni | 27–14 | Hindú | Old Christians | n/a | [40] [41] |
| XVII | 2006 | Estadio Domingo Burgueño | Moby Dick | 24–5 | Jockey de Salta | Old Christians | Pucaru $_{[es]}$ | [42] [43] |
| XVIII | 2007 | Estadio Domingo Burgueño | San Isidro CASI | 26–17 | Moby Dick | Hindú | San Isidro SIC | |
| XIX | 2008 | Estadio Domingo Burgueño | Samoa | 25–0 | Buenos Aires | Tonga | Jockey de Salta | |
| XX | 2009 | Estadio Domingo Burgueño | Samoa | 34–14 | Argentina | Tonga | Los Tordos | [46] [47] |
| XXI | 2010 | Estadio Domingo Burgueño | Buenos Aires | 17–12 | Samoa | Tonga | Bridgestone VII | [48] [49] |
| XXII | 2011 | Estadio Domingo Burgueño | Buenos Aires | 19–10 | Salta $_{[es]}$ | Córdoba Athletic | Moby Dick | |
| XXIII | 2012 | Estadio Domingo Burgueño | Personal VII | 19–10 | Moby Dick | Buenos Aires | Paysandú Clubs | |
| XXIV | 2013 | Estadio Domingo Burgueño | Buenos Aires | 39–0 | Moby Dick | Uruguay | Jockey de Salta | |
| XXV | 2014 | Estadio Domingo Burgueño | SA 7s Academy | 19–14 | Moby Dick | Uruguay VII | Pucará | |
| XXVI | 2014–15 | Punta del Este Polo & Country Club | Moby Dick | 15–7 | Chile | Uruguay | Pucará | |
| XXVII | 2015–16 | Punta del Este Polo & Country Club | Córdoba Athletic | 21–5 | Moby Dick | Pucará | Liceo Naval | [54] [55] |
| | Club | & invitational | Winner | Score | Runner-up | Third | Fourth | |
| XXVIII | 2017 | Estadio Domingo Burgueño | Córdoba Athletic | 28–7 | La Tablada | Trébol | Carrasco Polo | [56] [57] |
| XXIX | No club competition in 2018 | No club competition in 2018 | No club competition in 2018 | No club competition in 2018 | No club competition in 2018 | No club competition in 2018 | No club competition in 2018 | No club competition in 2018 |
| XXX | 2019 | Estadio Domingo Burgueño | CURNE | 17–12 | Old Boys | La Tablada | Trébol | |
| | Club – | Seven de Old Boys | Winner | Score | Runner-up | Silver Cup | Bronze Cup | |
| XXXI | 2019–20 | Estadio Charrua, Montevideo | Old Boys | 15–10 | CURNE | Lobos | ? | [58] [59] |
