24.3.13 - [balls] up and under at the Sevens Village

There is no way to describe sevens weekend in 250 words. I suggest you bag your spare bed/sofa/patch of floor/spot on the terrace [delete depending on how early you book!] in our flat next March to see for yourself.

Instead, I’ll talk about one of the silly games available at the HSBC sevens Village. HSBC erect a free-entry big screen area next to the stadium throughout sevens. We spent hours there, sandwiched on giant cushions between superheroes, horses with Tesco plastic bags for T-shirts, Canadian Mounties, cavemen, Lance Armstrongs and Oscar Pistorius’ wielding water pistols (bit too soon).
As if the lovely weather, constant sport and drink were not enough entertainment, HSBC set up mass participation games to keep the masses amused. The up and under challenge was most popular. Competitors, in full fancy dress, entered a small arena tasked with catching five rugby balls, launched by a mortar-like contraption hidden behind a curtain, without putting any balls down.

I spent hours laughing at the drunk and terrible, and tutting at rugger lads who took it far too seriously and made fools of themselves. So when it was my turn, I felt a little pressured – money where your mouth is time.

Ball 1 caught safely – huge relief.
Ball 2 caught in other arm – respectability reached.
Ball 3 caught with fingertips – this isn’t so hard! Getting cocky now.
Ball 4 disaster! It bounces off the other balls and into the crowd;
Ball 5 determined to catch…I end up lying on the floor with ball 5 clamped to my shin with one hand as I balance the other three under one arm. Dignified.