Darwin to turn up the heat as players from around the globe fight it out for Hottest 7s dominance

The Hottest 7s arrives in town this weekend and with it comes a host of players from around the world ready to showcase their skills in the scorching heat.

The NT Mozzies will look to back up their plate final win in Round 3 of the QPR 7s with a strong showing on home turf.

The Hottest 7s arrives in town this weekend and with it comes a host of players from around the world ready to showcase their skills in the scorching heat.

TLR Stadium (Rugby Park) will play host to just under 30 teams featuring not just the best players in the country but also international stars from Fiji, New Zealand, Hong Kong and more.

Juniors and seniors of both genders will be up for the contest that’s been running since 1989.

The Hottest 7s also happen to be the richest sevens tournament in the southern hemisphere with a prize pool of $86,000.

This is the first time the tournament has taken place in November as it normally happens in January.

The NT will be represented by the local NT Mosquitoes who will be hoping to back up their plate win in the third round of the recent Queensland Premier Rugby Sevens.

New head coach Jarrad Torres has noticed the excitement around the Mozzie players heading into their home ground competition.

“They’re definitely looking forward to the contest in front of their home fans,” Torres told the NT News.

“It’s the first time in a long time that it’s been a proper NT team. The last few years the core has been from Darwin but this year we also have players from Nhulunbuy, Alice Springs and Katherine.”

Expect a big shift from experienced captain Robbie Butcher who has been in the Mozzie setup for 15 years and continues to impress.

Fellow Mozzie Dustin Briscoe is coming up from Alice Springs and brings a swiftness that he owes to his AFL background.

The Mozzies will hold training sessions from 6-7pm tonight and again tomorrow at Rugby Park.

Another Territory link comes in the form of Rohan Armstrong of the First Nations Sevens team.

First Nations coach Jarred Hodges believes the event will be particularly special for the Alice Springs local.

“Rohan has had a colourful journey up to this point,” Hodges said.

“He’s new to the game so there’s no pressure. He’s got a lot of speed from his AFL background so we just want him to show his assets when he’s in space.”

If you’re looking to view some international star power look no further than the host of Fijians that make up the Stallions Rugby team.

Fiji has been one of the dominant forces on the HSBC Sevens Circuit and Stallions will have seven stars including captain Livai Ikanikoda.

Stallions manager Alani Naltuo said his side had trained hard for the event.

“They’ve put in a lot of hard work and dedication,” Naltuo.

“Ikanikoda has two years of experience on the international circuit. He leads by example and is very well respected.”

The Stallions will attend Darwin’s iFitness from 7am today and tomorrow in a bid to help promote and support local Darwin businesses while they’re here.

Head to https://nt.rugby/hottest-7s/about for more information and ticket prices.