They came from all parts of the world.

Rugby fans flocked to Abbotsford in droves this past weekend for the 2010 Abbotsford Rugby Sevens, adding a real international flavour to this year's event.

They came from Kenya; they came from Fiji, as well as a number of other places from around the globe.

Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, California and even Florida license plates dotted the parking lot at Rotary Stadium where this year's event was held. They came to enjoy the food, the music and the beer. But most of all, they came to enjoy the sport of rugby and the camaraderie that comes with it.

"I think it's good people from other parts of the world are here," said Waisale Tikoisolomoni Serevi, arguably the biggest name world-wide in rugby sevens and the star attraction of this year's event in Abbotsford.

"[Politics] divides people. Religion divides people. The one thing good about sport is it brings people together. Whatever race you are, sport brings the people together and that's what I enjoy about it."

And although the fans didn't seem to have a particular favourite at times, it was two Canadian teams that drew the highest acclaim and earned the top tournament honours. Valley High, a group of Team Canada players based out of Victoria, narrowly defeated Canada Maple Leafs by a score of 29-26 in the International Cup Final.

It may have a bitter pill to swallow for Abbotsford's Kurtis Appeldoorn, who plays for the Maple Leafs, but it was well worth it.

"It's an awesome experience being able to have guys I play with around the country and guys from around the world come to Abbotsford and play in a great Sevens tournament," he said. "I feel like a host as well as a player when I'm here and it's nice to show the guys around town."

He added the Abbotsford Rugby Sevens event shows just how popular rugby is becoming, not only in Abbotsford or B.C., but throughout Canada as a whole.

The South Africa team defeated the Fiji Bayside Ambassadors in the International Plate Final 21-17.

South Africa advanced to the final after the team from Kenya, dropped out of the competition.

The Ambassadors were given a boost earlier in the week when Serevi, a legend in the sport, announced he would play for his country in Abbotsford.

"It's good to play with young players. At the moment I'm 42-years-old, but I'm still enjoying running around," he joked.