The 2008 Harborfest 7s has been cancelled! Harborfest has always been held in conjunction with the Harborfest festival in downtown Racine. Unfortunately this year, Harborfest will be June 20-22nd which also coincides with the Churchill Cup Finals being held at Toyota Park in Chicago, IL. The UW-Parkside ruggers have always desired to support international rugby when it comes this close to home. The Churchill Cup presents a fantastic opportunity to not only see rugby at the highest level, but also support our national team, the Eagles. Rest assured, Harborfest 7s will return in 2009, hopefully with even more improvements such as trainers, first aid personnel, and Port-O-Potties. We look forward to hosting you all again in 2009 and hope you can support the US Eagles at the Churchill Cup in Chicago this year! Cheers!

The Annual Revived Harborfest 7s is a rugby tournament that the UW-Parkside Men's Rugby Football Club hosts every year, coinciding with Harborfest on Racine's lakefront. Why is it "Revived"? Well, there used to be a legendary mens rugby team in the area called the Racine/Kenosha Rugby Club who hosted the same tournament but sadly met their end sometime in the mid-1990s and thus the tournament went on hiatus for a couple years. With the Parkside Rugby Club being established in 1997, the Harborfest 7s tournament was resurrected and took its place as one of the quality early season venues for 7s rugby in Wisconsin. It started as just a field and some "ruggers who showed up", but has morphed into a organized, semi-finely oiled machine of a tournament, complete with pithy sloganed t-shirts, fantastic sirs, an unbeatable location (on Lake Michigan in downtown Racine), and unparallel benefits with paid tournament admission. In 2007, a high school bracket was added with much success. The 10th Annual Revived Harborfest 7s will be held on either June 14th or 21st, obviously in 2008. As of right now, the Milwaukee Rugby Club is the three time defending champion and has taken pride in keeping the championship plaque in Wisconsin.

This year as is every year, the Harborfest 7's tournament promises to be a great blend of rugby and socializing. Located on the lakefront of Racine during Harborfest, this tournament gets more exciting every year. This year, we will have hardware for the winners, runnerups, tournament MVP, and consolation champs as well as free admission to Harborfest for all registered players and one guest per player. You also get $10 worth of tickets for food and drink per player at Harborfest for all registered players on your team. As anyone who was there last year can attest, we also have a free grillout that begins during the the tournament championship match with burgers, hot dogs, brats, chips, pop, and beer. In addition to that, we will have Harborfest 7's t-shirts for sale (cheap!) and concessions to buy throughout the day. The captains meeting is at 9:00 AM and the first match will begin at 9:30 AM.

Throughout the recent years, teams such as the Oshkosh Pigs, Milwaukee Black and Blue (2002 Champs), Wisconsin Mens (2003 Champs), Milwaukee Mens (2005, 2006 Champs), Racine/Kenosha old boys, Milwaukee Harlequins, Fond Du Lac Wolfpack, Michigan Old Boys, UW-Milwaukee (2004 Champs), UW-Eau Claire, UW-Platteville, the C-side C Men and UW-Parkside Mens have mixed it up and partied it up in beautiful downtown Racine. Last year's tournament was won by the Milwaukee Rugby Club in convincing fashion with UW-Parkside taking second for its highest finish ever at Harborfest 7's.

Teams confirmed for 2007 Harborfest 7s as of June 16th:

UW-Parkside Rugby Club
Parkside/Racine/Kenosha Oldboys
Milwaukee Harlequins Rugby Club
Ft. Wayne Rugby Club
Milwaukee Black and Blue
Kenosha Vultures Rugby Club
Milwaukee Rugby Club
Fond Du Lac Wolfpack Rugby Club
Grafton High School Rugby Club
Marquette University Rugby Club
Lake County Gladiators Rugby Club

Teams that participated in the 2006 Harborfest 7s:

UW-Parkside
UW-Parkside Oldboys
Southeast Wisconsin All-Stars
UW-Platteville
Milwaukee Harlequins Rugby Club
Lake County Gladiators Rugby Club
Milwaukee Black and Blue
Kenosha Vultures Rugby Club
Milwaukee Rugby Club
Fond Du Lac Wolfpack Rugby Club
Dubuque C-Side Seamen
Oshkosh Pigs Rugby Club

Driving Directions:

The tournament is located in downtown Racine, right next to the Harborfest Festival grounds. From I-94 (northbound or southbound), you will get off at Exit 333 which is Highway 20. You will take Highway 20 (also called Washington Ave.) all the way to downtown Racine. Highway 20 eventually splits into one way roads and you will veer right onto 7th St. You will take 7th St. till it dead ends into Lake Ave. and take a left onto Lake followed immediately by a right onto 6th St. This will wind around Pershing Park and the pitch will be on your right, with Lake Michigan directly on your left.

NOTE - If for some reason the above route in downtown Racine has been blocked off due to the Lighthouse Run, or a cycling race, you will want to travel southbound (hang a right from 7th on to Main) on Main St. until you reach 11th St. and then make a left onto 11th St. (going eastbound towards the lake) which will wind around Gateway Technical College and follow the lake all the way to our pitch at Pershing Park.

If you are going to Mapquest or Yahoo Map the pitch, please use the following address:

700 Pershing Dr.
Racine, WI

Lodgings

As this will undoubtedly be a fantastic day of rugby and a long night of socializing, Parkside encourages all ruggers to get a hotel and spend the night in Racine. There are tons of hotels and all of them are reasonably priced.

Click here to see different places to shack up, how much they cost, and reserve a hotel room online.

Entertainment

Every year, Harborfest gets great performers, many nationally known, to rock the crowds. This year is no different as Joan Jett and the Blackhearts will be performing Saturday night on the Miller Lite Flagship stage. Should you decide to come down Friday night, there is also a fantastic lineup consisting of Bowling For Soup playing on the main stage.

Click here to see all the things there are to do and experience at Harborfest.

Current weather in Racine:

Hopefully this page has helped you with information on the 9th Annual Revived Harborfest 7's tourney. The tournament is one of the first of the summer so contact Todd Streeter (262 880 7602) soon if you intend on playing and get them a roster card to add to the program. Till then, Cheers!