General FAQ, the most common questions
Can my team play at the Amsterdam Sevens Tournament?Any team from outside the Netherlands can apply to play in the Amsterdam Sevens. Applications can be made at any time during the year. We do not send out invites, you have to apply using the on-line application process on this web site. Any team at any level can apply. We welcome club sides, social sides, invitation sides and even full international sides. We try to fit in as many teams as possible and only very rarely have to disappoint teams so it is always worth applying. We invite Dutch Men's Sevens sides in the weeks leading up to the tournament and they then follow the same application process. Dutch Ladies Sevens and Veterans 10s Teams can apply at any time. When we do have too many teams there is a selection process. The selection criteria include the (promised) quality of the team (the better the team, the better the chance of getting in), where you are coming from (teams from countries or parts of countries that are under-represented get preference) and regulars also get preference. Also, the earlier you apply, the better the chance of getting in. There is no closing date for applications as we sometimes get late call-offs and can fit in teams at the last minute. Back to top How do I enter a team into the Amsterdam Sevens?The process for applying to take part in the Amsterdam Sevens is the same for the Men's Sevens, Ladies Sevens and Veterans 10s. The only way to apply is the system on this web site. The application process is described in detail under "Playing in the Amsterdam Sevens" on this web site. To start the application process you need to register yourself as a contact person and register your club. You only need to do this once and can change or remove your contact details and change your club details at any time. When your club details are in the system you can enter a team into a tournament. The contact and club details only need to be filled in once and can then be used for applications each year. It is also possible for one club to enter teams into more than one tournament (Men's tournament, Ladies tournament, Veterans Tournament) and more than one team into one tournament although it is unlikely both teams would be accepted. You can also see details of all of your previous applications from 2008. All of your data is protected by the Login and Password so that only authorized people can access it. You can change or delete your contact details at any time. Club and team details can be changed at any time. It is possible to have more than one contact for a Club. We like to have more than one contact person as this reduces the chance of losing contact with a club (computer viruses, changed e-mail address, people leaving the club etc.). We will only use your data for the purpose of running the Amsterdam Sevens tournament. Back to top How do you select which International teams get a place?The two main selection criteria are the quality of the team and the geography. If you can bring a top quality team we will confirm a place straight away. We do try to check out teams that claim to be top class. Teams that have played in the tournament before and have performed well also get preferential treatment. If you come from a country or area that is not well represented you will stand a much higher chance of being selected. Because it is easy to get to Amsterdam from the London area the number of applications from that area is very high. Applying and paying the entry fee early also gets your team preferential treatment. Because of the pressure on places we normally do not allow "second teams" to enter. The selection is a continuous process and, especially for top teams, the process can carry on until the last minute with teams dropping out at the last minute and teams applying. It is never too early or too late to apply. Back to top How do you select which Dutch Teams are invited?Some teams receive an invitation every year to the Men's Sevens Tournament..
The chairman of the Sevens Committee can invite one Dutch team who would not normally get into the 's Sevens tournament any other way. Usually it is from a club celebrating an anniversary. Teams such as Den Helder and Alkmaar have benefited from the generosity of the Chairman in previous years. If a Dutch Representative team is available they will be invited. The Dutch National Team plays under assumed names such as Dutch Impalas or Witte Raven. The Dutch Students and Dutch Under 21s have also been invited in the past. There is then the very grey area of Dutch Teams bringing in quality players from abroad to boost the team. We try to encourage such combinations if the quality of the team is high. They normally apply like any other international team. But are they counted as Dutch Teams or International? It depends. But it is unfair on teams who do not get to play if one club has two teams in the tournament, one "international" team and one Dutch Team. Therefore, if a Dutch club enters an international team, we do not invite a second team from that club. Whether the "Dutch International" team is classed as Dutch or International depends on the situation in the run up to the tournament. The Dutch National Sevens Championships are held shortly before the Amsterdam Sevens; usually the weekend before and teams performing well who have not already been invited will get an invite. We guarantee that the top 4 in the 's National Sevens will be invited to play in the Amsterdam Sevens. Back to top Can my team combine the Amsterdam Sevens with other tournaments?For teams who want to take in two tournaments to make their trip worthwhile these are the other tournaments taking place either the weekend before the Amsterdam Sevens or the weekend after the Amsterdam Sevens. A quick scan revealed the following opportunities for 2011. A reminder for teams and players needing visas. The Shengen agreement means that, if you are visiting two (or more) countries in the Shengen area then a visa for the first country you visit will also be valid for the second country you visit (the dates must include the whole trip). If you go to a country outside the Shengen area you will need a separate visa. The Shengen area includes all members of the EU (plus Norway, Iceland and Switzerland) except the UK and Ireland. For the UK you therefore need to get a separate visa. The weekend before Amsterdam Sevens. Manchester Sevens (http://www.manchesterrugby7s.com/). The Manchester Sevens run a number of tournaments at different levels. Each tournament is completed in one day. There is a Men’s International Invitation Cup for elite teams with a very limited entry and is run on Sunday. There are a number of other tournaments with mixed abilities for Men and Ladies and Vet’s 10s and a couple of social tournaments to work up a thirst. They have moved to a new location from 2011. The total number of teams including under 14s, touch rugby teams and various Men’s, Ladies and Vets tournaments is approaching 100, almost all British. Kent Spitfire Sevens (http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=124839810922264). Not much information except that it will be on Sunday 15th May. The weekend after the Amsterdam Sevens. Bournemouth Sevens (http://www.bournemouthsevens.com/). While Amsterdam Sevens is rugby with a bit of a party, Bournemouth Sevens is a party with a bit of rugby. The party atmosphere is helped by discos, 10 live bands, Karaoke, pitchside Jacuzzis etc. In addition to the rugby there is also a netball tournament to balance up the sexes. Most of the participants camp at the tournament site (Bournemouth is not Amsterdam). For serious rugby there is a 12 team elite tournament (the National Cup) which will take place on one day. There are many more social events, 13 tournaments in total, and the number of rugby teams is over 100. Almost all of the teams are British Barcelona (http://www.barcelonasevens.com/). Barcelona has a single tournament and we think they may go up to 16 teams. There is a wide range of teams from many countries, usually including many French. The tournament is played on Saturday with a “welcoming fiesta” on Friday evening. Professional players are specifically not allowed. The level is mixed. Benidorm Ladies Sevens (http://www.benidormrugbysevens.com/index.php/en/womenas-sevens.html). Benidorm have moved their Men’s Sevens from the weekend after the Amsterdam Sevens to two weeks after the Amsterdam Sevens. They have decided to play their new Ladies Sevens tournament on the weekend after the Amsterdam Sevens. 2011 will be their first tournament so we have no idea what the level will be. Brussels Tigers 7s. (http://ur7s.com/teams/brusselstigers7s). According to the UR7s web site there is a Sevens Tournament in Brussels but we have our doubts. Back to topHow much is the entry fee and how do we pay it?The entry fee for 2011 is €420 for a team. This includes entry to the tournament for 15 people for the Men's 7s and Ladies 7s (18 for the Veterans 10s), a match ball, packed lunches for Saturday and Sunday, a hot dinner on Saturday evening, a team photograph, a souvenier and much more. Note, if you are bringing more than 15 people on the touring party (18 for the Vets) you will need to purchase extra Passe Partouts for these people. Teams can order extra passpartouts for €10 each (a discount on the normal price) by entering the number of tickets they want onto the application on the web site (there is a field there) and paying the extra money in the same way as the entry fee or with the entry fee. The only method of paying the entry fee is by international bank transfer to: Stichting Rugby Promotie Amsterdam ABN/AMRO account number 42.88.58.945. The bank address is: Houtplein, Haarlem, Nederland. The Swiftcode (a.k.a. BIC) for ABN-AMRO is: ABNANL2A IBAN = NL46ABNA0428858945 Please make sure you include the name of the team with the payment. Please make sure you pay all bank charges. Back to top How many players can I bring and are there any age restrictions?For the Men's Sevens and the Ladies Sevens you can register 12 players at any one time (15 players for Veterans). We will also allow one additional replacement player to be registered to replace one of the 12 registered players in case of injury. Details of the rules for player registration are on the Regulations for the tournament elsewhere of the web site. If you get through to the later stages of the tournament you will certainly need 12 players to cover the inevitable injuries and general wear and tear. Our experience is that all teams need a minimum of 10 players. We often get players trying to find a team to play for and can help to supplement teams who are short of players. For health and safety reasons there is a restriction that all players need to be at least 18 years old unless explicitly allowed by the Organising Committee. For the Veterans 10s the minimum age is 35. Back to top When should I travel?Arriving in Amsterdam Certainly be there for the Friday Evening Reception. The reception is normally held from around 6 o'clock until around 9 o'clock on Friday in Amsterdam City Centre. The reception is certainly one of the highlights of the weekend with rugby players from all over the world singing their traditional rugby songs and drinking large volumes of free beer before heading off for more last minute training in the Red Light District. It is also the opportunity to get some of the administration done, handing out information to the teams. If you do not make the reception then you need to be at the Tournament before 09:30 on Saturday to sort out the administration. If you have not turned up at the reception and have not turned up by 09:30 on Saturday morning your place will be given to one of the reserve teams we always have available "just in case". Leaving Amsterdam The final game finishes around 5 o'clock on Sunday. This is followed by the prize giving followed by a few hours of very sociable winding down. If you are booking a flight, try to get one as late as possible on Sunday or, even better, wait until Monday. Leaving early and missing the final is bad. Missing the plane is also not good. Late planes avoid having to make the choice. Warning: booking a taxi to the airport is no guarantee it will arrive or that someone else will not steal it. The party moves to the Corso and Susies Saloon in the Red Light District until late on Sunday. Well worth staying on for. Back to top When are the games?The first games are at 10:00 sharp on Saturday. On Saturday the last games usually finish at 17:00. The draw for Sunday is made when all games are finished on Saturday so most teams wait around to find out who they are playing and how late their first game is. The draw is usually available about one hour after the last game finishes. Sunday also starts at 10:00 sharp. From lunch onwards the business end of the competition (Quarter-Finals, Semi-Finals and Finals) begin, culminating in the Final starting around 16:30. Back to top Where is the tournament held and how do I get there?The Amsterdam Sevens is held at National Rugby Centre Amsterdam Sportpark de Eendracht Bok de Korverweg 1067 HR Amsterdam If you have access to Google Earth or Google Maps you can enter "Amsterdam Sevens" and this will show exactly where the tournament is held. You can also plan your route using these tools. Getting there By Public Transport Bus 21 from Amsterdam Central Station takes you directly to the NRCA. The buses leave approximately every 15 minutes. It takes almost exactly half an hour to get to NRCA. Bus 192 goes from Sloterdijk Station to Schiphol P40 and gets you to the ground (Freule Wttewaalpad) in approximately 10 minutes, twice an hour. IMPORTANT MONEY SAVING TIP. You can buy a 3 day or 72 hour ticket at the GVB office in Amsterdam Centraal Station for €15.50 per person. This covers all trams and busses in Amsterdam so, in addition to getting to and from the tournament you can also see a little of Amsterdam in the evenings. By Road Don't get lost. The route description below is now the way you get to the National Rugby Centre Amsterdam if you come via Haarlemmerweg (N200), the easiest way for most people coming by road. Coming from Amsterdam, head towards Halfweg and Haarlem on the N200 until you hit traffic lights with a signpost for Geuzenveld to the left. Turn left if you are coming from Amsterdam and then turn right at the T Junction about 200 meters further. Immediately after the enforced left turn, turn right onto Cornelis Outshoornstraat which becomes JM den Uylstraat. A little more than a kilometer further there is a bend to the left into the car park. Allow at least half an hour from Central Amsterdam. By Taxi or Minibus There are Taxi ranks on the Leidseplein and at the Central Station. You can also book a taxi or minibus to pick you up. The number of the biggest taxi company is +31 20 7777777. A number of teams have asked about booking a taxi/minibus to travel to and from the tournament. I think this is an excellent idea removing the rush to get to the bus and also avoids the need to travel with the poor people. To book in advance try TCA on +31 20 7777777. Ask for “special vervoer†which is the section dealing with mini-buses. Back to top How do the tournaments work?The tournament structure can be checked when the regulations for each year's tournament are put onto this web site. The structure can change depending upon the number of teams who have places and the number of pitches. The usual structure is as follows. Each of the Tournaments is split into two parts: The Saturday Pool Games and the Sunday Competitions. Saturday Pools. The purpose of the Saturday Pools is to make sure the teams are playing in the right competition on Sunday and to give the seeding for the draw for each of the Sunday tournaments. Based upon the information we receive about the strength of the teams we allocate teams to pools to ensure each pool has a mix of strong teams and social teams. This is why we need information on the team's strength. In allocating teams to the pools we also try to mix up the nationalities, for example spreading the Dutch clubs over the pools. The Saturday Pools also give the chance for the more limited players and teams to play against top players and teams and to play against teams from other countries, an important part of the Amsterdam Sevens Experience and a valuable source of stories to be told in bar for years to come. The exact numbers in the pools may vary from year to year depending upon the number of teams and the number of pitches. Men's 7s. We normally start with 60 teams in 12 pools of 5. Ladies 7s. We normally start with 4 pools of 4 or 5. Veterans 10s. We start with 2 pools of 5 or 6. Sunday Tournaments. Based upon the position teams finish in on Saturday, teams are entered into the Sunday Competitions. Men's 7s. Silver Pier. This is the top tournament of the weekend. The top two teams in each of the Saturday pools go into the top men's competition, the Silver Pier. The 24 teams play in 8 pools of 3 teams on Sunday morning. The winner of each of the Sunday pools goes into the quarter-finals of the Silver Pier and it is then knock-out until the final. Men's 7s. Heineken Boot. The teams finishing third in each of the Saturday pools go into the second men's competition, the Heineken Boot. The 12 teams play in 4 pools of 3 teams on Sunday morning. The winner of each of the Sunday pools goes into the semi-finals of the Heineken Boot and it is then knock-out until the final. Men's 7s. Integer Plate. The teams finishing fourth in each of the Saturday pools go into the third men's competition, the Heineken Boot. The 12 teams play in 4 pools of 3 teams on Sunday morning. The winner of each of the Sunday pools goes into the semi-finals of the Heineken Boot and it is then knock-out until the final. Men's 7s. Watching on Sunday. The teams finishing last in each of the Saturday pools get to have a good night out and can watch the top class rugby on Sunday Ladies 7s. Ladies Silver Pier. This is the top tournament of the weekend for the Ladies. The top two teams in each of the Saturday pools go into the top Ladies competition, the Ladies Silver Pier. The 8 teams play in 2 pools of 4 teams on Sunday morning. The winner of each of the Sunday pools plays the second placed team in the other Sunday Morning pool in the semi-finals. The winners of the semi-finals contest the final. Ladies 7s. Ladies Plate. The teams finishing third and fourth in the Saturday pools play in the Ladies Plate. The 8 teams go straight into the quarter finals. Ladies 7s. Watching on Sunday. As with the Men's 7s, the teams finishing last in each of the Saturday pools get to have a good night out and can watch the top class rugby on Sunday. Veterans 10s. Veterans Silver Pier. The teams finishing first in each of the Saturday pools play against the teams finishing second in the other Saturday Pool in the semi-finals. There is a final and a third/fourth place playoff. Veterans 10s. The rest. The teams finishing third in each of the Saturday pools play against the teams finishing fourth in the other Saturday Pool in the semi-finals. The winners of the semi-finals play off for the 5th/6th place, the losers play for the 7th/8th place. The teams finishing last in the Saturday pools play off for the Wooden Spoon. Back to top Where should I stay?The Amsterdam Sevens takes place on the outskirts of Amsterdam at the National Rugby Stadium in Geuzenveld. All sensible people stay in the centre of Amsterdam. The best places to stay are:
Among the many web sites are :
Can I camp at the tournament site?No. The local council gets very upset about this and there are also security staff who patrol overnight who will ask you to move on if you try to camp there. There are many camping sites around Amsterdam. Possibly the closest to central Amsterdam and the Central Station is Camping Vliegenbos. This is in Amsterdam North, just over the water from the back of Amsterdam Central Station. They claim it is 15 minutes walk from Central Station but I do not intend to test this claim. Address Details are Camping Vliegenbos, Meeuwenlaan 138, Amsterdam-Noord. Tel. 020 - 6368855, fax 020 - 6322723. www.vliegenbos.com Back to top Do we need Visas to come to the tournament?Visas are needed for nationals from the Pacific Islands including Fiji and Tonga, Africa, including South Africa, most of Eastern Europe, and Asia. Airlines will only let you onto the plane if you have a valid visa and we have had players left behind at the Airport. More commonly, teams apply too late (we recommend you contact the consulate or embassy 8 weeks before the tournament) and can only get appointments after the tournament and so cannot come. If you want to avoid problems, read this section carefully and apply as early as you can. The reference site for this is the official web site of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken). The site is www.minbuza.nl. Once on the home page you can switch the language to English (or French, German or Spanish) in the top left. Enter "Visa" (or "Visum" for other languages) in the Search box to get to the relevant information. Under "When you require a Visa" is much of the information required, including, under "Who requires a visa?" the nationalities that need a visa and those who do not need a visa. The web address for this list is http://www.minbuza.nl/en/welcome/comingtoNL,visas_x_consular_services/when_you_require_a_visa.html The countries where you do not need a visa are basically:
The countries where you do need a visa are:
Applying for a Visa. The process for getting a visa is explained under "Applying for a Visa", the web address for the English version is: http://www.minbuza.nl/en/welcome/comingtoNL,visas_x_consular_services/applying_for_a_visa.html. To find your nearest Embassy or Consulate click on "Missions" in the heading (or go directly to the following web address) and fill in your country and city. http://www.minbuza.nl/en/welcome/comingtoNL,visas_x_consular_services/when_you_require_a_visa.html If you, or one of your players, needs a visa you will need to contact me as the Embassy or Consulate will need proof of your invitation to the tournament and insist on a formal letter with headed paper etc. Some embassies and consulates will allow a scanned copy by e-mail, but not all. You will need to check beforehand with the embassy/consulate exactly what you need to bring as it can be a real bummer as well as a waste of everyone's time if you are missing one item. If you need a visa it can take up to two months to get an appointment and get your visa. Back to top Am I insured at the Tournament?If you are coming to the Amsterdam Sevens you need to arrange your own travel and health insurance cover. The Amsterdam Sevens have strong medical support at the tournament with Doctors, medical assistants and a medical room where minor repairs (stitches, bandages etc.) can be carried out. However, if you need to go to hospital you will need medical insurance. If you are an EU Citizen you are covered if you have an EU EHIC (European Health Insurance Card, replaces E111). Some non-EU nationals resident in EU countries can also get an EU EHIC. Check your local EHIC web site. In the UK these are available from the NHS at no cost and are valid for 3 to 5 years. If you have private health insurance, check you are covered. The EU EHIC does not cover repatriation. You will need travel insurance for this. We encourage everyone coming to the Amsterdam Sevens from abroad to take out comprehensive travel insurance. Back to top How Can I follow the Fixtures and Scores?The fixtures and scores will be available on line during the tournament. From midweek before the tournament the fixtures for the Saturday Pools will be available on-line. During the day on Saturday the scores and tables will be updated and available on-line. On Saturday evening, hopefully by around 18:00, the fixtures for Sunday Morning will be available on-line. During Sunday the results will be updated on-line during the day and, as teams progress, the teams in each fixture in the knock-out phases will be filled in as the teams qualify. To access the fixtures and scores click on "Fixtures & Results". In the Fixtures and Results screen select the results you want to see. Select Year The current year's Saturday fixtures will be available from midweek before the tournament, Sunday Morning fixtures from about 18:00 on Saturday and the knock-out games on Sunday as teams qualify. You can also select any year to see the completed results of previous tournaments. Day/date Choose either Saturday or Sunday. This can be done by selecting either the date or choosing the Saturday or Sunday radio buttons. Tournament Choose Ladies 7s, Men's 7s or Veterans 10s. Sub-Tournament If you leave this blank it will create all fixtures/scores for that tournament on that day. You can select , for example, Silver Pier Sunday Pool matches or Heineken Boot Semi-finals. This will show all Silver Pier Sunday matches or all Heineken Boot semi-finals. Pool To select just one pool or match you can select it here. For example there are normally 12 pools in the men's Saturday Pools. You can select one of the 12 pools. Similarly you can select semi-final 1 or Semi-final 2. Click on "Create Report". The report can be printed off. Back to top |
