Wellsford sevens event could be held annually

Sevens players will have another chance to impress Northland selectors this season at an additional local competition, the inaugural Wellsford Sevens Tournament.
Northland's wider training squad were named last month and have been training together ahead of January's Bay of Plenty Provincial Sevens at Mount Maunganui and the Pub Charity Sevens in Queenstown.
All of the Northland squad will take part in Saturday's tournament at Wellsford Rugby Club - spread throughout the Northland teams taking part.
It will be one of the players' last hit outs before selectors whittle the squad down to the 12 who will represent Northland at the upcoming provincial tournaments.
The Wellsford Sevens has attracted 12 teams from Northland and North Harbour, including Wellsford, Tomorata, Otamatea, Marist, Western Sharks, Muriwhenua, Moerewa, Port Albert, Waitemata, Mahurangi and East Coast Bays, along with an invitation team.
It follows the Moerewa Sevens and Whangarei and Districts Tournaments held last month, and organiser and local business owner Jim Phillips said it was created to give sevens players something else to aim for.
"Northland has a wealth of sporting talent but sometimes it is a little hard to find as there are not enough events for sportsmen to take part in. I want to start here with the sevens and try to get it up and running and then maybe look at creating other events," he said.
Phillips said he and fellow organisers - his wife Claire and Wellsford Rugby Club's Ross Neal - would like the tournament to become an annual fixture.
"If the tournament is successful in future years, eventually I would like to give back some financial support to young local sportsman who need it, with any money raised from the event."
Phillips, who works with CPPC Planning in Wellsford, drummed up plenty of support from other business owners and said he was overwhelmed at the community's response.
Meanwhile, Wellsford halfback Neal, who cannot play in the tournament as he is recovering from knee surgery, has put on his coaching hat instead for his club.
"I've been taking Wellsford, who are shaping up pretty good ... we won the plate at the Whangarei and Districts tournament, but I think - along with Waitemata, who are a good sevens club, and Mahurangi - we should be one of the favourites on Saturday," he said.
"The guys in the Northland squad whose teams are not playing will just slot into the other Northland teams," Neal said.
Games kick off at 10.30am on Saturday and finals are scheduled for approximately 3.30pm.