The Canadian Maple Leafs reached Punta del Estes, Uruguay, on New Year's eve after an arduous journey that saw them lay idle for ten hours in Toronto and another six in Chile.

As coach Morgan Williams reported - "at least we could get into the lounge in Toronto - but Chile - not so lucky!"

Once on the ground in the capital, Montevideo, a motor coach was there to meet them and continue on to the beach side resort town that is hosting this popular event.

"We enjoyed a Uruguayan barbeque and then headed to the beach to loosen up the legs," says Williams. "There we helped get a car unstuck out of the sand."

Then, with a back drop of the million dollar beach side homes - there was a New Year's eve fireworks display that lasted 45 minutes - making for a pretty memorable send off for the players from 2009 to 2010.

Work began in earnest on the New Year's day - with the tournament beginning on Saturday evening. Canada is in a group with Toyota and Carrassco Polo Club. There are seven pools of three - with the top teams advancing from each pool plus a second best finisher as a wild card.

The Canadian Maple Leafs are a development side - in preparation for the IRB Sevens series - and this tour is wholly supported by the Canadian Rugby Foundation.

Punta del Este 2009 Pools:
A – Tonga, Nordeste and Jockey Club de Salta
B – Uruguay, Bridgestone 7 and La Plata
C – Buenos Aires, Salta and Old Christians
D – Samoa, Tucumán and San Isidro Club
E – Canada, Toyota 7 and Carrasco Polo Club
F – Argentina 7, Lobos Moby Dick and Trébol
G – Italy, Citi 7 and Old Boys


Maple Leafs Squad
Sean Duke (BC Bears, UVIC)
Sean Ferguson (BC Bears, UBC)
Brodie Henderson (Bayside Sharks)
Nathan Hirayama (BC Bears, UVIC)
Phil Mack (BC Bears, UVIC)
Nolan Miles (James Bay AA)
John Moonlight (Ontario Blues, Ajax Wanderers)
Mike Scholz (Ontario Blues, Oakville Crusaders)
Keegan Selby (Ontario Blues, Brantford Harlequins)
Ian Shoults (Prairie Wolf Pack, Calgary Irish)
Keaton Styles (Bayside Sharks, UVIC)

Coach Morgan Williams

Punta del Estes History

 
Frankie Deges provides some insight on the Punta tourney in this excerpt from a story on the Ultimate Rugby Sevens site.

The sun soaked beaches of Punta del Este, Uruguay, are amongst the best in South America and as much as Uruguayans flock to their own beaches, neighbouring Argentines usually cross the wide River Plate to find their summer playground.

Rugby has always been a part of the city – rugby balls seen in beaches such as Solanas to the South or Montoya to the North.



Touch rugby on the beach was fun, but when the wise men of the British School Old Boys decided to have a Sevens tournament, they were hit with a response that shocked them.



As all good ideas, it needed the widespread support of the rugby community and with a trip to Punta del Este on the offing, a number of Argentine and Paraguayan sides made the trip for the inaugural tournament, played on January 6, 7 and 8th, 1989.



The venue was to be in Punta del Este’s nearest stadium, the Campus de Maldonado in the centre of the Maldonado town, minutes from the beaches. The Campus hosted all but one of the sevens – in 1995 whilst it was being refurbished.



Organisers Old Boys were the winners of the very first Punta Sevens. Played in the middle of summer, matches only started late afternoon and the final kicked-off after midnight, becoming a feature.