This year's University and Tertiary Sport New Zealand Women's Rugby Sevens Championship will again be held alongside an international competition ©UTSNZ

This year's University and Tertiary Sport New Zealand (UTSNZ) Women's Rugby Sevens Championship will again be held alongside an international competition.

As part of a link-up with NZ Rugby, the student players will be able to mix with some top-level stars.

Last year, the UTSNZ event took place alongside an international sevens event in Hamilton, giving the university teams the chance to appear at FMG Stadium.

This year's event at Pukekohe's Navigation Homes Stadium will take place at the same time as a senior invitational women's tournament.

New Zealand's national side will meet China, Thailand and Japanese club team the Mei Pearls.

The New Zealand development team are also set to compete.

The student teams will play alongside the senior New Zealand side ©Getty Images
The student teams will play alongside the senior New Zealand side ©Getty Images

Organisers have created the tournament to give New Zealand's players some game-time in between legs of the World Rugby Women's Sevens Series.

Kitakyushu in Japan is due to host the next leg of the circuit from April 20, nine weeks after the tournament in Sydney last month.

"Our Black Ferns Sevens are in the middle of an extended break in World Series events so giving them the chance to prepare for and play in a two-day tournament is great," said New Zealand Rugby high performance sevens manager Tony Philp.

University of Auckland, AUT University, Massey University, University of Waikato, Victoria University of Wellington, University of Canterbury and Otago University will take part in the student tournament.