Putting some “fest” into rugby football

DHL Oktoberfest 7s lived up to all expectations, combining the festival feeling of Oktoberfest with the fast and furious action of Rugby Sevens. The sport is obviously in “good hands” in Germany.

The atmosphere was electric at Munich’s impressive Olympic Stadium. Thousands of fans from around the world gathered for the inaugural DHL Oktoberfest 7s, held alongside Germany’s world-famous Oktoberfest beer festival.

“It’s brilliant,” said one fan from South Africa, who flew in to watch the tournament and take in the festivities down on the “Weisn” – the local name for the famous Oktoberfest fairgrounds. “Whoever came up with the idea was a genius.”

It's brilliant. Whoever came up with the idea was a genius.

Fan from South Africa

It seems this sentiment was shared by many – the festival feeling was unmistakable. The stands were filled with an eclectic and international group of rugby supporters – from father-son duos sporting their favorite team jerseys and full family fan clubs with babies in toe to dedicated, flag-draped diehards and Lederhosen-clad merrymakers. Chilean fans cheered “olé” during their team’s opening match vs. Australia, and the Irish sang “Ireland’s Call” to inspire their side against Olympic Champions Fiji in match 2. The announcer’s call to “come on fans, clap your hands” brought fans to their feet, making noise with their yellow DHL boom sticks held high. Minutes later they were back on their feet, dancing as the DJ played YMCA and spelling out big yellow Ys and As with their boom sticks. And the scene didn't change over the course of the two-day event.

The players felt it, too. The German squad, playing in front of the largest home crowd ever, thanked the fans after each match, encouraging them with “weiter so” – which roughly translates as “keep it up.” The Australians – who eventually claimed the Cup in a dominant display over Fiji – were impressed as well. Aussie captain James Stannard even told the crowd in a post-match interview that he loved the atmosphere, that Olympic Stadium was one of the best he’d played in, and he urged the fans to keep making lots of noise.

Good rugby
For their part, fans saw a lot of really good rugby at Germany’s first major international rugby tournament. Twelve world class national sides were on hand, among them Olympic Gold Medalist Fiji, reigning HSBC Sevens World Series Champions South Africa, and Olympic Silver Medalist England. Three other top ten teams in France, Australia, and Argentina meant German fans and others from around the world were treated to some of the world’s best at this historic venue. 

Every 15 minutes you’ve got two new international teams playing, so it’s thick and fast and flowing.

Rob Vickerman, former English Sevens Captain

Rugby Sevens is truly a festival of football – and the Oktoberfest vibe injected another good dose of “fest” into an already great rugby party. The action is non-stop, says former English Sevens Captain and DHL Ambassador, Rob Vickerman. “Every 15 minutes you’ve got two new international teams playing, so it’s thick and fast and flowing.”

As always, Fiji was a real pleasure to watch, delighting the crowd and making the game look easy. South Africa demonstrated their continued dominance of the sport, losing only to Fiji in the Cup Semifinal. Team Australia was the only side to make a perfect run through the tournament, winning their first piece of international silverware since 2012.

In the Final, the Aussies dominated the Pacific Islanders, scoring four first-half tries in three minutes to take a 26-0 lead and break the game wide open. Fiji struck back in the second half, but in the end, it was too little too late.

Good hands
The German hosts had a lot to celebrate at Oktoberfest on Sunday after finishing an impressive fifth place beyond four of the world’s best teams at their first major international rugby tournament. Some 21,000 came to watch the action over two days at Olympic Stadium. The reviews have been overwhelmingly positive, with fans calling for more all over social media. The organizers didn’t disappoint, already announcing dates for next year’s tournament – October 5-6, 2018. They hope Germany will become a stop on the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series.

Former South African rugby captain, Bob Skinstad, certainly hopes Munich will become a regular world rugby destination. “To be honest, I wasn’t sure how it was all going to fit together, but it’s one of my favorite stadiums, some of my favorite teams; it’s been amazing.”

I think Germany were brilliant…they had some tremendous results!

Bob Skinstad, former Springboks captain

German head coach and fellow South African, Vuyo Zanga, sees this as “a start” for his team. “This is massive for the boys,” he says. “They beat three World Series teams.”

Germany is not known as a rugby nation, but the team is on the rise and appears to be in good hands with coach Zanga. In fact, rugby seems to be in good hands in Germany, and with the sport growing it could be only a matter of time before the country reaches that next level.

Good hands are vital in the game of rugby, says Vickerman. “Good hands are important at every level of the game – it’s the first thing we teach under-fives, and it’s the thing the world’s best sevens players pride themselves on.”

Good hands are important at every level of the game – it’s the first thing we teach under-fives and it’s the thing the world’s best sevens players pride themselves on.

Rob Vickerman, former English Sevens Captain

At DHL Oktoberfest 7s, DHL celebrated the role good hands play in the game of rugby and in the business of logistics. In addition to showing a short TV spot throughout the tournament, fans were encouraged to tweet photos of themselves in the stands with the hashtags #goodhands and #DHLOktoberfest7s to win a chance to race the DHL Match Ball Delivery Van and win tickets to Rugby World Cup Sevens in San Francisco next July.