Aloha World Sevens Aloha World Sevens The annual Aloha World Sevens rugby tournament brings 24 junior (under 20 years old) teams from 24 nations to Hawaii to compete in a three-day event that includes cultural showcases from participating countries. The tournament is sanctioned by USA Rugby. Sevens, which is also referred to as seven-a-side rugby, rugby Sevens, rugby 7’s, and rugby VIIs, is rapidly gaining worldwide participation, making it one of the fastest growing sports in the world. From its beginnings at the Melrose Club in the Scottish Borders in 1883, Sevens has grown to where the International Rugby Board now has 117
Thai greeting where Hinduism and Buddhism is or has been widely practiced. In Bali the greeting word spoken during the sembah is "om swastiastu", which is equivalent to "sawatdee" in Thai. Both originated from the Sanskrit "svasti". In Sanskrit "svasti" means "safe, happy, and prosperous", and "astu" means "hopefully". Thus "Om Swastiastu" means: "Oh God, I hope all goodness (safety, happiness, and prosperity) comes from all directions." In Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar, similar greetings—called "nop" (ນົບ), "sampeah" (), "Mingalar Par" ( မဂၤလာပါ), respectively—are also in use. In Malaysia and Brunei, it was historically used to convey thanks or salutations to a patron