The rugby field on the Queenstown Recreation Ground near the Memorial Hall is being prepared for the Pub Charity Rugby Sevens 2010 which will be held tomorrow and Sunday.
The tournament has been held in Queenstown for the past six years, and is one of the town's main sporting events.
Clark Frew, chairman of the hosting organisation, Sevens with Altitude, promises an entertaining couple of days with a unique Queenstown flavour.
"Rugby sevens is a game of pace, character and taking an opportunity, which I believe reflects the region," he said.
Sixteen teams have qualified to play in the tournament out of a field of 26 provincial rugby unions.
Canterbury withdrew from the field, and had been replaced by South Canterbury.
As host of the event, the Otago team was guaranteed a place in the line-up, as was last year's winning team, North Harbour.
As a special treat for the players, a new trophy has been created for the tournament.
"We wanted the prize to relate to this region, so we had a special trophy commissioned. It has been kept under wraps, but we are excited to present it at the opening ceremony [on] Saturday morning."
Craig "Ferg" Ferguson, of Southern Lakes Classic Hits, will be in charge of the entertainment between the games.
"We will be building up to some good fun with involvement from the crowd and some special surprise guests on Sunday," Mr Ferguson said.
Mr Frew said several present and past All Black players would be at the event to watch the games, and a couple of them had offered to be available for an autograph session during one of the breaks between games.
The opening event starts 10.30am tomorrow, followed by the first kick-off at 11.10am.
The first game on Sunday will start at 10am, and the trophy winner will be announced after the last game, about 6pm.
• Pub Charity Rugby Sevens 2010. Queenstown Recreation Ground, Saturday, January 9 and Sunday, January 10. Entry $5 for adults, children under 15 free.
