Rugby: Leslie's team looks good bet for seventh cup title

The strong Otago University sevens team is expected to win the club's seventh title when the Middlesex Cup is held at the North Ground in Dunedin today.

The University team is captained by New Zealand representative Paul Grant and includes Otago players Hoani Matenga and Andrew Parata and talented back Ryan Grant.

Two promising youngsters, Matt Faddes and Robbie Smith, who starred in last year's Highlanders First XV competition, are also on board.

Faddes was the wing-fullback in the South Otago High School team that caused a few upsets during the competition. Smith, a halfback, played for St Kevins College.

University coach John Leslie was a member of the team that won the Middlesex Cup in 1990.

"The event is important in its own right," Leslie told the Otago Daily Times yesterday.

"The Middlesex Cup has a lot of history attached to it and is the most prestigious club sevens tournament held in New Zealand."

Former Otago Rugby Football Union operations manager Des Smith revived the event in 2006, at Carisbrook. It had last been held in 1992, when it was won by Otago University.

The event has attracted entries from 12 teams, including 2006 and 2007 champion Green Island. All the other city clubs are represented and defending champion Alhambra-Union has two teams. Clutha Valley is the only team from outside Dunedin.

Luke Reihana will captain an Alhambra-Union team that includes Otago sevens representative Peter Breen, hooker Ben Pereira and five-eighth Jone Paumau.

The final will be played at 5.30pm today and will be preceded by the final of the plate and the bowl.

The Middlesex Cup was presented to the New Zealand Rugby Union by the Middlesex County Rugby Football Union in 1950.

The inaugural winner, in 1951, was Zingari-Richmond. In all, 41 tournaments have been held. Otago University has won the tournament six times.