2014 Premiership Rugby 7s Series
Countries England
 Wales
ChampionsGloucester 7s
Runners-upNewport Gwent Dragons 7s
Matches played34
Tries scored202
(average 5.9 per match)

The 2014 Premiership Rugby Sevens Series was the fifth Rugby Union 7-a-side competition for the twelve 2014–15 Aviva Premiership Clubs, and the first to include the four Welsh Regions that compete in the Pro12.

The pool stage of the tournament will start on 26 July 2014, before continuing on 31 July - 2 August 2014. The final took place on 8 August 2014.

Inclusion of Wales

On 20 May 2014, it was announced that this season, the 4 Welsh regions - Cardiff Blues, Newport Gwent Dragons, Ospreys and Scarlets - would join the series. They would play in their own pool, hosted at the BT Sport Cardiff Arms Park, and the top two regions would progress to contest the Series Final.[1]

Format

The sixteen teams were split into four groups - A, B, C & D, based on geographical location. Each team in the group played each other once, to the International Rugby Board Laws of the Game - 7s Variations. Based on the result, teams received:

  • 4 points for a win
  • 2 points for a draw
  • 1 bonus point for a loss by seven points or less
  • 1 bonus point for scoring four or more tries in a match

Following all each group, the winner and runner up in each group progressed to the Final Stage. In the final, the 8 teams (4 Winners and 4 Runners up) were arranged into 4 quarter-final pairings. The winners of each match qualified for the Cup semi-finals, with the losers moving into a new Plate competition. Thereafter, competition was a simple knockout bracket, with the winner of the Cup final being declared the series winner.

Group stage

Group A Group B Group C Group D
Cardiff Blues 7s Bath 7s Harlequins 7s Leicester Tigers 7s
Newport Gwent Dragons 7s Exeter Chiefs 7s Northampton Saints 7s London Welsh 7s
Ospreys 7s Gloucester 7s Saracens 7s Newcastle Falcons 7s
Scarlets 7s London Irish 7s Wasps 7s Sale Sharks 7s

Group A

Played at BT Sport Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff on Saturday 26 July 2014. The pool will feature the Welsh Regions.

Pos Team Pld W D L F A TF TA TB LB Pts
1Cardiff Blues 7s 321074471272012
2Newport Gwent Dragons 7s 321073381161011
3Scarlets 7s 310282711211116
4Ospreys 7s 300354127819101
Green background is the pool winner and qualifies for the Final Stage.
Blue background is the runner-up and also qualifies for the Final Stage.
Updated 27 July 2014 — source: Premiership Rugby
26 July 2014
19:15
Cardiff Blues 7s33-21Ospreys 7s
Report
Cardiff Arms Park
26 July 2014
19:40
Newport Gwent Dragons 7s21-14Scarlets 7s
Report
Cardiff Arms Park

26 July 2014
20:10
Newport Gwent Dragons 7s33-5Ospreys 7s
Report
Cardiff Arms Park
26 July 2014
20:35
Cardiff Blues 7s22-7Scarlets 7s
Report
Cardiff Arms Park

26 July 2014
21:05
Ospreys 7s28-61Scarlets 7s
Report
Cardiff Arms Park
26 July 2014
21:30
Cardiff Blues 7s19-19Newport Gwent Dragons 7s
Report
Cardiff Arms Park

Group B

Played at Kingsholm, Gloucester on Thursday 31 July 2014.

Pos Team Pld W D L F A TF TA TB LB Pts
1Gloucester 7s 330070241242014
2London Irish 7s 320158411072111
3Exeter Chiefs 7s 31025265811105
4Bath Rugby 7s 30033181513011
Green background is the pool winner and qualifies for the Final Stage.
Blue background is the runner-up and also qualifies for the Final Stage.
Updated 3 June 2014 — source: Premiership Rugby
31 July 2014
19:15
Gloucester 7s29 - 14Exeter Chiefs 7s
Kingsholm
31 July 2014
19:40
Bath 7s19 - 24London Irish 7s
Kingsholm

31 July 2014
20:10
Exeter Chiefs 7s33 - 12Bath 7s
Kingsholm
31 July 2014
20:35
Gloucester 7s17 - 10London Irish 7s
Kingsholm

31 July 2014
21:05
Exeter Chiefs 7s5 - 24London Irish 7s
Kingsholm
31 July 2014
21:30
Gloucester 7s24 - 0Bath 7s
Kingsholm

Group C

Played at Franklin's Gardens, Northampton on Friday 1 August 2014.

Pos Team Pld W D L F A TF TA TB LB Pts
1Harlequins 7s 3300102261643015
2Northampton Saints 7s 3201627510112010
3Saracens 7s 31024781713105
4Wasps 7s 30035483813022
Green background is the pool winner and qualifies for the Final Stage.
Blue background is the runner-up and also qualifies for the Final Stage.
Updated 3 June 2014 — source: Premiership Rugby
1 August 2014
19:15
Northampton Saints 7s7 - 40Harlequins 7s
Franklin's Gardens
1 August 2014
19:40
Saracens 7s33 - 14Wasps 7s
Franklin's Gardens

1 August 2014
20:10
Saracens 7s0 - 36Harlequins 7s
Franklin's Gardens
1 August 2014
20:35
Northampton Saints 7s24 - 21Wasps 7s
Franklin's Gardens

1 August 2014
21:05
Harlequins 7s26 - 19Wasps 7s
Franklin's Gardens
1 August 2014
21:30
Northampton Saints 7s31 - 14Saracens 7s
Franklin's Gardens

Group D

Group D was scheduled to be played at Kingston Park, Newcastle on Saturday 2 August 2014. However, following the decision by Newcastle Falcons to install a 3G pitch in preparation for the new season,[2] it was announced that the round would be moved to The Darlington Arena[3]

Pos Team Pld W D L F A TF TA TB LB Pts
1Newcastle Falcons 7s 330067331152014
2Leicester Tigers 7s 320169521181110
3London Welsh 7s 3102344567015
4Sale Sharks 7s 30033373513011
Green background is the pool winner and qualifies for the Final Stage.
Blue background is the runner-up and also qualifies for the Final Stage.
Updated 3 June 2014 — source: Premiership Rugby
2 August 2014
19:15
Newcastle Falcons 7s26 - 21Leicester Tigers 7s
Darlington Arena
2 August 2014
19:40
London Welsh 7s15 - 14Sale Sharks 7s
Darlington Arena

2 August 2014
20:10
London Welsh 7s14 - 17Leicester Tigers 7s
Darlington Arena
2 August 2014
20:35
Newcastle Falcons 7s27 - 7Sale Sharks 7s
Darlington Arena

2 August 2014
21:05
Leicester Tigers 7s31 - 12Sale Sharks 7s
Darlington Arena
2 August 2014
21:30
Newcastle Falcons 7s14 - 5London Welsh 7s
Darlington Arena

Final stage

The final stage will be played at the Twickenham Stoop on Friday 8 August 2014. In a change to the previous competitions, in which teams competed in two pools and the best team in each pool and contested the final, the finals more closely resembled a sevens series finals day.[4]

The four pool winners contested a quarter-final against a runner up from another pool. The winner of these quarter finals would compete in the cup competition, while the losers would compete in the plate competition.

Quarter-finals

8 August 2014
18:00
Cardiff Blues 7s19 - 14Leicester Tigers 7s
Twickenham Stoop
8 August 2014
18:25
Gloucester 7s50 - 5Northampton Saints 7s
Twickenham Stoop
8 August 2014
18:50
Harlequins 7s26 - 10London Irish 7s
Twickenham Stoop
8 August 2014
19:15
Newcastle Falcons 7s10 - 12Newport Gwent Dragons 7s
Twickenham Stoop

Plate Competition

Plate Semi-finals

8 August 2014
19:40
Leicester Tigers 7s21 - 12Northampton Saints 7s
Twickenham Stoop
8 August 2014
20:30
London Irish 7s12 - 5Newcastle Falcons 7s
Twickenham Stoop

Plate Final

8 August 2014
21:20
Leicester Tigers 7s17 - 0London Irish 7s
Twickenham Stoop

Cup Competition

Cup Semi-finals

8 August 2014
20:05
Cardiff Blues 7s14 - 24Gloucester 7s
Twickenham Stoop
8 August 2014
20:55
Harlequins 7s15 - 19Newport Gwent Dragons 7s
Twickenham Stoop

Cup Final

8 August 2014
21:45
Gloucester 7s12 - 5Newport Gwent Dragons 7s
Twickenham Stoop
Referee: Ian Tempest

Gloucester 7s win the 2014 Premiership Rugby Sevens Series

As with last year, the winner of the final qualifies for the World Club 7s. However, Gloucester have already qualified for the 2014 World Club 7s. As there can only one Welsh side in the tournament (the invited Cardiff Blues), Harlequins took the final place at the World Club 7s.[5]

References

  1. premiershiprugby.com - Wales will kick off Premiership Rugby 7s
  2. Telegraph - Newcastle to install 3G pitch for new Aviva Premiership season
  3. Premiershiprugby.com - Darlington to host the Falcons 7s event
  4. Premiership Rugby 7s Series Final fixtures announced
  5. "Premiership Rugby |".
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