MARCO Vaghetti has set his sights on making the north of England a hot-bed for sevens rugby.

The Blackburn player is the founder and festival director of the Manchester Rugby Sevens – a compet-ition now in its third year and attracting teams from around the world.

This year’s tournament, to be held at Broughton Park Rugby Club, will have more than 100 teams taking part, including the Dutch and Nigerian national sides, as well as Sale Sharks and other top class invitational teams.

The 25-year-old runs the Ribchester-based Bthere Events who launched the competition in 2009.

Since then, it has firmly established itself on the rugby sevens calendar.

“I have travelled around the world and have been to sevens tournaments in Hong Kong, Dubai, Welling-ton and Fiji,” said Vaghetti who plays second team rugby at Ramsgreave Drive. “When I came back, I realised we did not have anything like that in the North of England so I made it my aim to get something up and running.”

The three-day tournament returns to a festival of rug-by following last year’s elite event – which was a part of the UK National Sevens series.

“The beauty of running it as a festival is that there is something for every-one,” added Vaghetti, an outside half when he gets to play. “We have 12 categories from under 14s to veterans. There are social comp-etitions and a main event for all the big teams.

“There is also a social element to the festival and we have geared it up to be a day-out for all the family with plenty of entertainment laid on.”

Despite teams from across the country and abroad taking part, Vaghetti is hoping for more of a local feel – he’s even been pestering his Black-burn teammates to enter a side.

“Every time I see them I ask when they are going to enter,” joked Vaghetti. “I think they are getting a bit fed up with all my pestering.

“But I would love to see teams from the likes of Blackburn, Clitheroe, Burnley and Rossendale taking part.

“My first taste of sevens rugby was at Blackburn and there was always good turn-out from the East Lancs club.

“To get them playing at the Manchester Sevens would be fantastic.”

n The Manchester Rugby Sevens runs from Friday to Sunday, May 13-15 and for more details contact Marco Vaghetti on 07801 616103, email info@manchester rugby7s.com or log on to info@manchester rugby7s.com