Only one week remains until Group D of the 2015 Singha Premiership Rugby 7s series kicks off at Kingston Park, as the series makes a second consecutive visit to the North East.

Now firmly established as an integral part of the summer build up to the new season, the sevens will once again offer a speedy start to the competitive action of the new season.

With the Falcons 2015 squad to be announced early next week, members of the 2014 squad have been reflecting on last year’s tournament and been looking ahead to this year’s edition.

The club’s most seasoned sevens campaigner, Tom Catterick saw his 2014 performances earn him a call up to the England sevens team, and a chance to claim the fabled Falcons No 10 shirt as his own. They were opportunities taken well with the Fly Half believing playing the shortened code armed him with the confidence needed to do so.

“The experiences I’ve had in 7s going away with different teams, being in a different atmosphere, it brings a level of confidence that you can’t always get from training.”

“If you perform well and put your hand up to say that, I can do this well on quite a big stage in front of thousands of people, it gives you an opportunity to shine.”

Two of the club’s emerging forward talents also made use of the 2014 sevens as a launch pad for first XV involvement with Sean Robinson and Dan Temm both highlighting what the competition does for a players skills and physical condition.

Robinson said: “I loved it last year, it’s always nice when you win! Sevens focuses on your basics, you have to be able to tackle well and pass well and being involved gives a good opportunity to work on those skills.”

Temm added: “It’s a good way to break back into things like tackling, full flight running and hitting a few rucks and things before the big 15s stuff starts. We don’t know the squad yet, but I’d be more than happy to be involved again.”

With a late afternoon start and the stadium remaining open post tournament for the bars to screen the France v England international, the sevens should play out to a good crowd and a great atmosphere.

It is something Chris Harris and Simon Hammersley are both keen to see the teams from Leicester, Newcastle, Sale and Worcester experience.

Harris said: “It will be good to get a good crowd here and get behind the boys, it was a quality atmosphere in Darlington but now it’s up here on a great surface that is ideal for 7s. They are all pretty tough sides and are all pretty good at sevens, there will be a lot of boys wanting to play and wanting to impress and to do really well.”

Hammersley continued: “It’s a great competition, it’s nice to have it up in the North east, it’s a really competitive level of 7s and to have it in the early evening gives it a bit more of a buzz.”

The 2014 squad were talking with premiershiprugby.com with their full interviews available to watch by the following links.

[Tom Catterick][1]
[Simon Hammersley][2]
[Chris Harris][3]
[Sean Robinson][4]
[Dan Temm][5]

With a proud record of qualifying for the overall finals in every year they have competed, the Falcons squad, which will be announced early next week, will be hoping to follow in those footsteps.

Tickets for Group D of the Singha Premiership Rugby sevens are still on sale, priced from £10 for adults and £5 for under 16s.

To book yours, click here call 0871 226 6060 or visit the Kingston Park box office during office hours

[1]: https://youtu.be/PLcuDm_5cHs
[2]: https://youtu.be/xeRWXurjMHQ
[3]: https://youtu.be/zXzq0WuUerI
[4]: https://youtu.be/PdntROtOYjQ
[5]: https://youtu.be/lxR0gS_gP3k