Ultra Sevens Rugby has announced that the winner of the 'Battle of Alberta' on Thursday, July 4, 2013, featuring the Calgary Mavericks and the Edmonton Gold, will be the first recipients of the Julian Loveday Cup."This is a new competition in Alberta and we were looking for a person in the rugby community that we could recognize in a meaningful way," said Bruce Brunette, lead organizer of the Calgary Ultra Sevens Rugby event. "Julian Loveday has been a long time member of the  Calgary Canadian Irish Athletic Club, an important member of the club and a consistent contributor to rugby in Calgary and Alberta. Jules has experienced great success with the game, particularly in representing Rugby Canada in Sevens," added Brunette.

Loveday has been a long standing member of the Calgary Irish and previously played club rugby at  the London Irish RFC, Montreal Irish RFC as well as McGill University RFC. Julian's representative rugby accomplishments include:

Calgary Rep 1989 – 1999 (Mavericks 1998, 1999)

Alberta Rep 1988 – 1997

Canada 7s 1989 – 1999

Canada 15s 1989 – 1999 (10 caps), including selection to the Rugby Canada Rugby World Cup Squad in 1999

AfriCanada 7s - 1998

West Indies Rugby 7s – 2000

"It is a great honour and I am really very pleased that I would be recognized in this manner," shared Loveday. Though now living in Denver, Colorado, Loveday is hopeful that he will be in Calgary to present the cup on July 4, 2013.

The Saskatchewan Ultra 7's championship cup has been named in honor of a Saskatchewan rugby legend Julie Foster.

Julie started playing rugby with the Regina Breakers in 1991. In her first year of rugby she not only made the Saskatchewan Provincial team but was also long listed for Canada.

In her Canadian international playing career, which spanned from 1996 to 2006, she earned 47 fifteens caps (including 3 World Cups) and ten 7's caps.

Showing her true love and commitment to the game Julie has also coached women's rugby at various levels including high school, her club, the Rage, and various provincial level teams, as well as the University of Regina . She was recently also appointed as the coach of the Prairie Fire women's side in Ultra 7's game in Regina on June 15, 2013.

History will be made at the inaugural women's Ultra 7's game on June 15 at 4:30 pm at the Regina Rugby Union Grounds ( 25th Ave and Pasqua Street, Regina Saskatchewan) as the North Saskatchewan Wolverines play  the Regina based Prairie Fire. The Men's game will follow at 6:15 pm.

The Ultra Sevens rugby format was put to the test in Fiji on December 22, 2012. "We recognized that staging a game of Ultra Sevens in Fiji would be a critical test to the acceptance of this new format for sevens," stated Karl Fix, lead organizer for  Ultra Sevens rugby. "Fiji is steeped in traditional  sevens rugby and a great environment to assess acceptance of Ultra Sevens rugby," added Fix.

Despite Cyclone Evan hitting Fiji on Dec. 15, the village of TuaTua (Koro Island) were able to enusre that their rugby field was ready for a full day or rugby on the December 22, 2012.   A mini Ultra Sevens tournament was held prior to the featured  game and the chief from TuaTua was present to officially open the tournament. Six teams participated, all from surrounding villages of Buakala, Nakodu, Mudu, Nasau, Naqaidamu, and Nabuna. Mudu won the mini tournament with 59 points.

The  feature Ultra Sevens rugby match, pitting rivals TuaTua and Namacki, was watched by approximately 700 people with supporters from all 14 villages on the island. In the first quarter,  Nacamaki scored 22 points to TuaTau 14 points. The half time score was Nacamaki 41 and TuaTua 33.The third quarter eneded with Nacamaki extending their lead of 53 to 40 and going on to win by a score of 74 to 47.

Nacamaki was awarded the Peckham Cup by Waisiki Naqarase, who was representing the family of the late Tomas Peckham for whom the cup is named.  The chief of TuaTua closed the rugby ceremony and the teams all gathered at the TuaTua community village hall for drinks of Kava (grog).The Peckham Cup was later taken back to the village of Nacamaki and presented to the chief of Nacamaki, Elia Vuwai.

Prior to the Ultra 7's game, the Nacamaki team were presented their new rugby uniforms. It was a highly emotional moment as they were very appreciative of the uniforms. They liked the design and the logos, and the color.

Feedback from the tournament and the Ultra Sevens rugby match was very positive. Spectators and organizers alike enjoyed the Ultra Sevens format and felt the rolling substitutions contributed to the fast pace of the game.  The officials shared that having two on field referees meant less field for them to cover which allowed them to be on top of the play at all times.

"We received excellent feedback from spectators, organizers, players and officials that was very encouraging," shared Fix. "This positive feedback, recognizing that is coming from a bastion of traditional sevens rugby that is Fiji is a very encouraging  sign that Ultra Sevens rugby  will find it's place in the global rugby community," he added. "This historic event would not have been possible without the vision and hard work of Peni Lutu and his organizing committee," stated Fix.

REGINA, Saskatchewan (December 14, 2012) — The Nacamaki and Tuatua rugby clubs will be vying for the coveted Peckham Cup during the first Ultra Sevens Rugby match outside Canada. The two squads will square off on Fiji’s picturesque Koro Island on Saturday, December 22.

“The teams will be playing for the Peckham Cup — a trophy created in honour and memory of Tomasi Peckham, a dear friend and mentor who was an important contributor to rugby and youth sports on Koro Island,” says Peni Lutu, event organizer for the upcoming Ultra Sevens Rugby match in Fiji.

"The local community is really engaged in the planning and the delivery of the game," adds Lutu. "We have planned an eight-team sevens tournament prior to the Ultra Sevens game, involving teams from the local clubs.

“I am very pleased to see that Ultra Sevens is being embraced in Fiji. There is a lot of excitement and anticipation building up around the game.”

 REGINA, Saskatchewan (December 5, 2012) — The next Ultra Sevens Rugby match will be held in less than three weeks on a South Pacific stage. The highly anticipated match between the Nacamaki and Tuatua rugby clubs will be held on Dec. 22, 2012 in Fiji, before the beautiful backdrop of the world-renowned Koro Island.

“The game on Koro Island, Fiji, in December is really gaining momentum,” says Karl Fix, lead organizer of Ultra Sevens Rugby. “The local organizers have planned an eight-team sevens tournament prior to the Ultra Sevens game, featuring teams from the local clubs.

“There is a lot of energy around this opportunity and it will be great for rugby,” adds Fix.

The Dog River Howlers (www.dogriverhowlers.com) have stepped up to support the Nacamaki Rugby Club as well as the Ultra Sevens game and sevens tournament in Fiji. The Howlers recently contributed to a fundraiser to help provide the Nacamaki club with a complete set of jerseys, socks and shorts.

In addition, the Saskatchewan-based Howlers will be providing 70 T-shirts for the players and officials involved in the Ultra Sevens games. Howlers board member Tim Young has also generously provided support to purchase 50 Ultra Sevens game balls for the tournament and the Ultra Sevens game.

Kukri, official kit and ball sponsors to Ultra Sevens Rugby, will be providing the game officials with jerseys, socks, and shorts.

REGINA, Saskatchewan (October 2, 2012) — Ultra Sevens Rugby is pleased to announce that Fiji will play host to the next Ultra Sevens match. Fiji, a hotbed of the sevens genre, will play host to an Ultra Sevens game on December 22, 2012 on Koro Island, Fiji.

The match will feature the Nacamaki and Tuatua rugby clubs, playing before the beautiful backdrop of the world-renowned Koro Island in the South Pacific.

“We are very pleased that the next Ultra Sevens game will be played in Fiji, a recognized power in sevens rugby,” says Karl Fix, lead organizer of Ultra Sevens Rugby. “We are very fortunate to have Peni Lutu, a local Regina resident, and formerly of the Nacamaki rugby club, at the helm to head up the match on Koro Island. He is a longtime sevens enthusiast and, of course, Koro is home to him, so we are confident that the event will be very successful.”

For his part, Lutu is very excited about the opportunity to introduce Ultra Sevens Rugby to Fiji.

“I have really embraced this new style of sevens, and after having played in the first match this past May in Regina, I know my friends in Fiji will welcome the game,” says Lutu. “The teams will be playing for the Peckham Cup, which has been named in honour and memory of Tomasi Peckham, a dear friend and mentor that was an important contributor to rugby and youth sports on Koro Island.”

          

The original laws for Ultra Sevens Rugby allowed for each team to name seven starters and sixteen substitutes for a total squad size of twenty-three players.

Upon review of the inaugural Ultra Sevens Rugby game in May, and after considerable feedback from organizers, spectators, players  and officials, Ultra Sevens Rugby has made the decision to reduce the overall squad size from twenty-three to sixteen. Teams will now name seven starters and a maximum of nine replacements, down from the sixteen originally.

"We listened to all of our stakeholders and it became very clear that having the
bench at sixteen substitutes was simply too many players," stated lead organizer, Karl Fix. "A total of sixteen in the squad is the right number to ensure that the players all get lots of field time while ensuring we have sufficient reserves to avoid a player being put at risk," he added.

REGINA, Saskatchewan. (May 25, 2012). The inaugural Ultra Sevens Rugby match played in Regina on Saturday, May 12, 2012 is available via the internet. Ultra Sevens Rugby is partnering with SportsCanada.TV to provide viewers with the opportunity to experience this history making event online.

SportsCanada.TV recently worked with Rugby Canada in March of this year to broadcast the 2012 University Rugby 7s National Championships from BC. SportsCanada.TV has developed a platform that empowers teams and leagues with the opportunity to produce their own broadcasts and share them with their growing viewership. Their goal is to increase the coverage of Canadian amateur sports and provide Canadian athletes the much needed exposure they deserve.

The game will be available online at 8:00 pm (EST) on May 25, 2012. The game can be accessed through SportsCanada.TV website, www.sportscanada.tv.

"We are very pleased that SportsCanada.TV will be making the game accessible to fans that cannot make it to the game or are outside of the Access broadcast area," said Karl Fix, lead organizer of Ultra Sevens Rugby. "We have experienced considerable interest in the game, from all parts of the world, and having it available online will help us promote the experience of Ultra Sevens Rugby," he added.