The Rugby World Cup tie against South Africa does not kick off until 8 PM but rugby fans in Dublin will be able to get in the mood via the Red Bull Sprint 7s taking place in the City Centre this Saturday September 23rd.
It is billed as “A rugby tournament like no other” and will see Smithfield Square transformed with a grass surface to be laid down surrounded by a fan zone.
There will be food, music and cans of Red Bull for players and spectators with eight of Ireland’s best tag-rugby teams taking to the field.
The Red Bull Sprint 7s format is a mashup of Rugby Sevens and Tag with squad sizes capped at seven players and with four players (two men and two women) on the field at all times.
Each game lasts seven minutes, and there are no conversions following a try. Tries scored by a male player count for one point, and those scored by a female count for three.
During the seventh and final minute of the match the Power Play comes into effect. Each try scored during this period counts for double.
The tournament is broken down into two pools of four teams, with the top two in each pool progressing to the semi-final stage. An epic finish to the day will see the top two sides battle it out to claim the Red Bull Sprint 7s National Title.
The sporting action gets underway from 1 PM and will run through to 5 PM giving plenty of time to get settled for the other event of the day.
Red Bull have partnered with both Dublin City Council and the Irish Tag Rugby Association for the event for which admission is free.
