The FIRA Sevens tournament kicked off in the 28 degree heat of Thessaloniki, Greece, with 12 countries in all playing for promotion into the Division A league.
Under the intense Mediterranean sun the international sevens games got underway, and with a promotion into the Division A league at stake, the contest was a fierce one.
The pool games were run back-to-back to fit them into the tight one-day schedule, all on the one converted soccer pitch. The venue was on the southern outskirts of Thessaloniki, the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the geographic region of Greek Macedonia, with a population greater than a couple of the countries playing on the day.
The pool games as follows:
POOL A: Liechtenstein - Slovenia
POOL B: Hungary - San Marino
POOL C: Switzerland - Montenegro
POOL D: Bulgaria - Greece
POOL A: Serbia - Slovenia
POOL B: Austria - San Marino
POOL C: Turkey - Montenegro
POOL D: Greece - Bulgaria
POOL A: Serbia - Liechtenstein
POOL B: Hungary - Austria
POOL C: Switzerland - Turkey
With the top team from each pool going ahead to play each other in the semi-finals...Slovenia, Bulgaria, Hungary and Switzerland made their way through:
Slovenia 17 - 19 Bulgaria
Hungary 22 - 17 Switzerland
The semi-finals provided two well-matched games with Bulagaria, despite going down to six men, proving too much for Slovenia, and Hungary edging past Switzerland in a intense, yet balanced game of equal opponents.
The Final proved a game too far for Bulgaria, expending all their energy in a physical semi-final against Slovenia, they didn't leave enough in the tank for the barrage of conteracttack rugby that came from the Hungarians.
Hungary seemed to ease past the Bulgarians with every well constructed move, and managed to nullify them in defense despite being less imposing physically. Hungary's economical game with the Swiss gave them the intensity that the Bulgarians lacked in the final and ensured they were worthy tournament winners in the end.