From 26 to 28 May in Amsterdam, the traditional Amsterdam Sevens rugby 7 tournament will take place. Latvia, as always, will be represented by the “Transact Pro” team.
The tournament in Amsterdam is one of the most prestigious and oldest in Europe. It is also one of the largest events of its kind. The tournament has been organised since 1972 and gathers rugby players from around the world. In the men’s division, 48 teams compete every year, including several respectable national teams. For example, this year the strong Italian team has applied; the teams traveling the longest distance include China and the US.
For the seventh time, the “Transact Pro” team will participate in the tournament. This is the only representative from Latvia. The last two tournaments have been the most successful ones for the team. In 2015, the team placed among the Top 20 best teams; in 2016, the team reached the “Heineken Boot” finals where it lost on the central field to the international “Rah Rah Roosters” team.
This will be the team’s second international tournament this year. In February, the team participated in a tournament in Israel. The team’s key players have international experience, both as part of the “Transact Pro” team and the Latvian national team. Moreover, in Amsterdam, Andrejs Aleksandrovs will join the team. He lives in the Netherlands and plays for the “Waterland” premier league club. Andrejs has been the driving force of the team in previous years.
The coach of the “Transact Pro” team, Uldis Bautris, said: “Injuries have slightly complicated the process of gathering the team; however, we have enough players now. Improving the skills of our players is our key priority. We will also involve some young players, hoping that such a high-level tournament will allow us to identify the future leaders of the team. If we manage to achieve the same results as last year and take a step forward, I will be happy as a coach.”
On the first day of the tournament, 48 teams will be split in 12 sub-groups and will play a preliminary round. On the second day, the teams will be split according to the results of group tournaments and will continue in play-offs, where they will fight for one of two trophies.