When and where is it? The Istanbul Rugby Sevens tournament will be held on Saturday the 7th and Sunday the 8th of August, 2010. The tournament will take two full days (early morning till late afternoon).
The tournament will be held at the Atatürk Olimpiyat Stadium - Annex Field, which has been provided by the National Olympic Committee of Turkey.


View Atatürk Olimpiyat Stadyumu in a larger map

What are the key characteristics of the Istanbul Rugby Sevens Tournament? The Istanbul Rugby Sevens Tournament is a two-day tournament (Saturday and Sunday), being played on one single pitch. World class teams (national sides, clubs and invitational teams) from multiple continents - so not only from Europe to keep the tournament interesting - are invited to play. Two slots are reserved for Turkish teams. The first day of the tournament is reserved for group games, whereas the second day is reserved for the play-offs and finals. Throughout the day and after the matches, there will be time to catch a breath in one of the tents on the Tournament Venue where live music will be played. After a dinner, all participants will get the unforgettable taste of the vibrant nightlife of Istanbul! Official party, and afterparty locations will be announced soon.

How about the field? We are thankful to the Turkish National Olympic Committee (Türk Milli Olimpiyat Komitesi (TMOK)) for the fact that we're allowed to make use of one of the best maintained grass fields in Turkey. We will be having the tournament on the Annex field of the Istanbul Olympic Stadium. The location offers everything we need to create a Tournament Venue: enough parking spaces; public transportation; a separate warming up area (note: this is not a grass-field, so do not forget to bring along your running shoes!); a grandstand; and enough space to put a party tent and multiple stands.

What can the winners expect? There is prize money to be given away to the teams ending in the top three:

• First Place: €3,000
• Second Place: €1,500
• Third Place: €500

Next to that, a surprise will be waiting in the evening after the finals for the top three teams, and there's a surprise for the player of the tournament as well!

When should we arrive in Istanbul? As the Tournament begins early in the morning on Saturday, the Captains' Meeting will be held on Friday evening. The contact person of the team will be notified well ahead in time where en when that is. As the games start on Saturday morning, it will be impossible to be on time at the Tournament Venue when a team plans to arrive in Istanbul on that same morning. Whenever the Team Captain is not on the Captains' Meeting to register themselves as arrived, the Organizing Committee will try to contact the contact person. If not reachable, the team will be replaced by one of the teams that are on the reserve list.
On the Saturday morning, the teams are expected to arrive at the Tournament Venue 30 minutes before the Tournament starts at the latest.

Is there an entrance fee for visitors? No, the entrance for visitors is entirely free! Note that there will be a security check by the officials before getting onto the Tournament venue. Needless to say, the entrance will be refused when you try to bring in drugs, weapons, fireworks and other illegal objects. Food and beverages are also not allowed; these can be bought at the Tournament venue.

Can we play? Official Invitations will be sent out to a select number of teams. Obviously, this does not mean that if you are not invited, you are not allowed to play at this Tournament. You can use the registration form on this website to register your team. Note that the tournament will be on a 'competitive' level. Registrations will happen on a first-come-first-served base, but the final acceptance will be at the discretion of the organizing committee.

How much is the registration fee? The registration fee is € 200.00, which includes the participation of the Istanbul Rugby Sevens Tournament, usage of the field and facilities of the Tournament Venue, lunchboxes (max. 15 per team) on both days, bottled water, referees, first aid facilities, and ofcourse the possibility to win the cup and prize money.

When and how do we pay for the registration? After you've filled the registration form on our website, we will send you per e-mail as soon as possible the Bank Account and Transfer information. Your registration is only confirmed whenever the registration fee has been paid.

What is your refunding policy? There are many reasons why a team might be in an unwanted situation in which they have to resign. We will do our best to help in any way possible to prevent teams from resigning. In inevitable situations, we will maintain the following schedule for refundss:

• 50% up until the 1st of May, 2010
• 0% after the 1st of May, 2010

What are the rules for forming the team? A registered team should exist of maximum 13 players. The players should be at least 18 years old, and they should be registered players at their national Rugby union. The Organizing Committee accepts two non-playing members (team manager, coach, physiotherapist and/or mascot), and will therefore provide only 15 items (like lunchboxes) per team.

Which airport should we fly to? Istanbul has two airports: one on the Asian side of Istanbul ("Sabiha Gökçen International Airport (SAW)"), and one on the European side of Istanbul ("Istanbul Atatürk Airport (IST)"). The Istanbul Atatürk Airport is the one that is the nearest of the two to the city center and the tournament venue. When needed, the Organizing Committee can arrange a shuttle bus to go to one or two main drop-off points nearby your hotel. Please contact us via the contact form of this website if you would like to make use of such possibility.
Cheaper flights are mostly heading to the Sabiha Gökçen Airport. The Organizing Committee advises you to make use of your local tour operator / organization to arrange the transportation to the European side.

Where should we arrange our accomodation? The Organizing Committee has a number of Preferred Hotels, with which special arrangements are made for the visitors (and teams) of the Istanbul Rugby Sevens tournament. If you would like to have more information about the hotels, please let us know via the contact form and we will provide you the information you need.
Obviously, you are free to arrange your own accommodation. If you do, please be aware of its location (be sure to book a hotel on the European side of Istanbul) and the Istanbul traffic. Istanbul is officially a "Megacity", and is the fifth largest proper in the world. Without a doubt, you will notice that whenever you get onto the road.

How should we arrange the transportation? There are a number of trips that should be taken care of:

• From the Airport to your Hotel and back
• From your Hotel to the Tournament Venue and back, on both days
• From your Hotel to a restaurant and / or to the official (after)party venue

When there is enough interest from visiting teams, the Organizing Committee can arrange transportation upon arrival from the Airport to the Hotel, and back upon departure from the Hotel to the Airport. If you would like to make use of the transportation arranged by the Organizing Committee, please let us know using the contact form on this website. The Organizing Committee will combine teams that arrive and depart on the same time in Istanbul.
The Organizing Committee will also arrange a shuttle bus to go from multiple key locations (nearby the preferred hotels) to the tournament venue, and back on both days.
As for the transportation from your hotel to a restaurant and/or to our official (after)party venue, it will be advised to take a taxi. Note that there is no such thing as day and night tariffs. There is only one tariff, so don't be fooled.

Is a visa required to enter Turkey? Yes. For most of the European countries a tourist visa can be bought at the point of entry in the airport for £10. Check the website of the Consulate or Embassy of your country in Turkey, or check this website to see what the specific requirements are for your country.

How about spending money in Istanbul? The Turkish currency is the Turkish Lira. The exchange rate is roughly as follows: 1GBP = 2.30TL / 1EUR = 2.07TL / 1USD = 1.48TL. This fluctuates during the summer, so it is worth to keep an eye on exchange rate sites, like xe.com.
We strongly advise you to pay in Turkish Lira, as changes are big that you will not get a fair rate when paying in a foreign currency. There is an ATM machine inside the Airport, and there are enough ATM machines in the city of Istanbul. Almost every ATM machine has an option to display in English, and accepts foreign bank cards. Please mind your own bank policy to withdraw money abroad.
A lot of the restaurants, bars and shops do accept major credit cards.

Is there a language barrier with the local people? Certainly not everybody speaks English, but most of the people will be able to help you out if you would ask them for directions or information.
We do advise though to have a small cheat sheet with you with the most important information - like your hotel name and address and some basic questions in Turkish.

We want to stay longer in Istanbul. What can we do? If you decide to stay an additional number of days in Istanbul to do some sightseeing, let us know and we might be able to assist you in some way.