IT'S regarded as "one of the best sevens tournaments this country has to offer"so where better to be than Ilkley Rugby Club on Saturday July 2?

That's right, the La Casita Ilkley Summer Sevens Tournament is making its return almost a year after the last event.

It's going to be the usual rugby bonanza, a day full of matches and entertainment for all involved, with over 30 teams including male elite, male social and female all battling it out to claim the winning prizes.

There will be a BBQ, food stalls and bars for everyone to enjoy themselves upon entry and pricing will be placed at five pounds for a ticket, while under 18s can go free. The action will commence at 10:30 am and the last game will be wrapped up at around 5:30.

Head of Rugby at Ilkley RFC Rhys Morgan has encouraged people to stay behind after the fixtures for food and drink.

Looking ahead to the event, he also said: "I'm really looking forward to it because we have managed to get eight elite teams, sixteen social teams and eight ladies teams, so I'm really happy with that because that is the exact number of teams we need.

"At the same time it's going to be a learning curve for us because it will be the biggest tournament we've ever had. So, we need to make sure we've got the ordering right and then hopefully everything will run smoothly."

Morgan added: "We as a club and rugby in general have been hit hard by Covid, so we do naturally have less people playing, which has meant games have been called off at points.

"Because of that, we have lost income, so the sevens' tournament has come at a great time for the club. It'll be fantastic to have the community down at the club and hopefully everyone will have a brilliant day. Also, it will bring some income into the club too to ensure we recoup some of the money lost last winter. It should be a great event."