Dragons Ladies to face Cardiff Blues in defence of Heineken 7s

The hosts, who were beaten by the Dragons in the final at the Arms Park last summer, will take on the Ospreys in the event on Saturday, May 27.

In the men’s competition Newport, plate winners in 2016, will take on Bedwas while Cross Keys face RGC 1404 and Ebbw Vale going up against Aberavon.

Llandovery won the title for the third time on the spin in Cardiff in August and will start against Neath.

The event is a chance for talented sevens players to catch the eye of the Wales coaches.

“With Wales Women Sevens playing in Amsterdam that weekend, the Heineken 7s is an ideal opportunity for some of the most promising young players to show what they can do on a high profile stage,” said Nick Wakley, head coach of the national side.

“The tournament is a really important development tool to increase our pool of sevens talent. We hope to participate in the Commonwealth Games next April and there is every opportunity for players who do well at Parc y Scarlets to break into the Wales Sevens squad in time for that multi-sports global event.”

“As we saw with Jaz Joyce’s rise to Team GB in Rio, there is an opportunity now to impress and progress to the very top, both for Wales and Team GB.”

Gareth Williams, head coach of the men’s team, said: “This is a vital competition for identifying and developing our next international sevens players.

“The tournament has been brought forward from the end of August with a view to potentially selecting players into our set-up for the Rugby Europe tournaments this summer, and as we have seen in recent years, players who impress on that circuit are in prime position to put themselves forward for World Series selection.

“With the Commonwealth Games and Rugby World Cup Sevens taking place next year, it’s an exciting time for rugby sevens and a fantastic opportunity for any players who impress at Parc y Scarlets at the end of the month.”