Excuse me but did you spell that correctly?
It's a question that we were asked all the time when the EAAST 7s began in 2024. The simple answer is yes. Creator of the tournament and former All Blacks 7s player, Teddy Stanaway explained that he was reading an article about the French returning treasure to New Zealand, treasure from World War I. There was a saying "Kia kaha, Kia Toa" which translates to "Stay strong, Stay victorious." The French article used the words Endure, Advance, Achieve, Succeed. This resonated with Teddy and by adding Toa (Mauri for Champion), that and Haguenau is in Le Grand Est regiosn of France, EAAST became a thing.
EAAST is a platform for international teams to use as a developmenttool outside of the pro circuit. The only tournament where tier 1 and 2 national teams and development teams can compete against one another, exposing teams to unfamiliar varied playing and coaching styles. To prepare for new contracts, upcoming seasons or pathway to Olympic games.
"EAAST prides itself on delivering an experience that mirrors the professionalism and intensity of the international rugby 7s circuit, the closest athletes will find outside the pro tour."
Teddy Stanaway
Originally planned as a warm up to the 2024 Olympics to allow teams to train, select players and engage in meaningful competition, it quickly became clear that the game of rugby 7s needed EAAST as a regular on the calendar.
From the first event in Teddy's now home town of Haguenau, close to the German border in Alsace, EAAST continues to grow. There will always be EAAST in Haguenau and with a second stop in Cognac in 2025 and more to come in 2026 the interest from host cities and teams is growing rapidly.
Partnering with EAAST has given our match officials the same professional opportunity as the players, a chance to work with world class teams, receive world class coaching and to develop themselves into world class officials. Off field, our team actively engages with teams from across the globe to include them in EAAST, manage their expectations and needs as well as working with host cities to prepare facilities and train locals.
Being a member of Sevens Referee is not just about running around with a whistle. Since the start, EAAST has been using our "Broadcast in a Box" solution for live streaming of games as well as our accreditation and tournament management solutions. That requires a dedicated and enthusiastic team working together from camera operators and broadcast teams to technical officials and support staff.
Teddy Stanaway recently spoke about the partnership and commented "the standard wouldn’t be possible without the precision and commitment of Mike and his referee team."
Over the past two years, they’ve not only ensured world-class officiating but also elevated our volunteer group to meet the highest tournament standards, leaving every host city better than before.
"The locals thrive on such a professional event coming to their city" said Mike Mulroy, "we spend a great deal of time with local referees and volunteers, offering training sessions and opportunities for the referees whilst we look to see whether they would be a good fit for our team at other events."
Mike continued, "the locals carry out a range of duties for every event, we welcome them not only as colleagues, but also as friends. We teach them new skills, find their happy place in the team and involve them in all of our post-match activities too."
Teddy finished off by saying
Thank you, Mike and the 7s Referees Team, for your adaptability, responsiveness, and passing on your decades of experience.