Olympic Sevens the key to American rugby
Roar Rookie By matt manley, 22 Jul 2009 manley is a Roar Rookie
- Tagged:
- 2016 Olympics, Olympic Games, Rugby Union, Sevens rugby, USA Rugby
With Sevens up for possible inclusion into the 2016 Olympics, the questions abound about what this will mean for the game of rugby. Will it help or hinder its popularity?
For years, Sevens has been a stepping stone for players seeking international experience. But only a handful of players have committed to the seven-a-side version completely.
Fijian legend Waisale Serevi is probably the most notable of these players and coaches.
I could see the number of specialist Sevens players increasing if it becomes an Olympics sport, but it will always be a step and never the final destination for the aspiring rugby player.
However, as an American, I feel Sevens is the best way to showcase the talent and potential that we have to offer world rugby.
The USA Eagles fifteen’s side is simply not going give our players a good chance of earning a professional contract. This is because we don’t play enough high calibre competition.
USA wing Takudzwa Ngwenya got a contract based on his play against South Africa in the 2007 RWC. I have to think that Todd Clever’s intercept that lead to the Ngwenya try also lead to him getting a contract in South Africa.
One game, two future professionals.
The USA Eagles have played the Springboks a total of three times. Contrast that with Sevens: thirteen plus.
Sevens provides more opportunities for US players against the world’s best rugby nations. For the United States, as a ‘developing nation,’ rugby in the Olympics is a good thing, period.
Let me introduce you to the future of American rugby:
Leonard Peters is an ex-NFL player who decided to pick up Sevens on the advice of a friend.
Peters, who stands 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) and weights 215 lb (98 kg), was born in American Samoa and grew up in Hawaii. He was familiar with rugby from his youth and gave it a try after getting cut by the Chicago Bears. Peters was selected to the USA Sevens team that will compete at the World Games in Kaohsiung, largely because of his athletic potential.
This is what many have labeled as a ‘crossover athlete.’
These are athletes that played others sports in college, but have turned or returned to rugby. The number of these athletes will increase as youth rugby continues to grow.
Players will come back to the sport after college when the NFL isn’t an option.
What does this have to do with Sevens?
Well, guys like Leonard Peters are going to turn heads with their athleticism because Sevens is the perfect game for them.
The skills required for Sevens are different from those in fifteens, but they give you a clue of a person’s potential. It serves the purpose of introducing people to rugby, but doesn’t overwhelm you with all of the subtleties of the game.
If Peters gets a chance, watch him. He will look raw, but that is the beauty of Sevens.
My hope is that he might get a look at fifteens. Obviously not a professional look, but with a chance with a big club here in the States. Given time, who knows?
The thing is, Sevens planted the seed, just like it will with everyone else out there.
Recommend this story.
- Explore:
- 2016 Olympics, Olympic Games, Rugby Union, Sevens rugby, USA Rugby
July 22nd 2009 @ 5:04am
Steffy said | July 22nd 2009 @ 5:04am | Report comment
Why would the IOC consider 7s if it’s just a half way house for 15s?
July 22nd 2009 @ 5:59am
matt manley said | July 22nd 2009 @ 5:59am | Report comment
The IOC would and should choose 7′s for exactly that reason, because it is half-way to 15′s. This means the inclusion of more nations, especially nations that draw a lot of attention.
A competitive 15′s setup is just more difficult to produce. We would have the same old nations competing for gold. That is not what the Olympics wants. They needs a setup where the USA, China, and Russia can be competitive and only Sevens can provide that.
The one thing that interests me is that Wales, Scotland and England would be a single side in the Olympics. In rugby, they compete alone, but only Great Britain is recognized as an Olympic country. The idea of a Olympic “Lions” side should excite rugby fans.
July 22nd 2009 @ 6:24am
Jecker said | July 22nd 2009 @ 6:24am | Report comment
MATT – there are quite a few players like Leonard Peters who are ripe – and available – for 7s or 15s rugby if they did but know it.
The total number of players varies for all the college football programs in the States but just taking NCAA 1A and 1AA you have approx. 24,000 guys only about 2,300 of whom can get a job with an NFL or a CFL team. So you have at least 20,000 guys who played college football.
Some of these – a lot of these – were scouted, got an invite or didn’t and just walked on, turned in a 40 a fraction slower than the cut off and that was that. Many of them are, like Peters, big and fast, but they go back to changing tires at the Chevron because nobody told them that with some learning, some coaching, some playing time, they might have a rugby future. Nobody told them that there are big bucks to be made in Britain and Europe if they turn out to be really good at the game.
It’d be a great shame if Rugby USA has to wait till the (maybe) event of Olympic 7s. Both rugby versions need prosetylizing at colleges when students come up for graduation and are thinking of hanging up their cleats. I know Nigel Melville feels strongly that this is the way to go but, so far, not many Dan Lyles have been found.
Something’s wrong somewhere. Maybe it’s just plain old lack of awareness.
July 22nd 2009 @ 8:04am
Lindommer said | July 22nd 2009 @ 8:04am | Report comment
Matt Manley: “The one thing that interests me is that Wales, Scotland and England would be a single side in the Olympics. In rugby, they compete alone, but only Great Britain is recognized as an Olympic country. The idea of a Olympic “Lions” side should excite rugby fans.”
The IOC won’t accept separate teams from Britiain. For the 2012 London Games the four British soccer associations have agreed one of them will be called, and represent, Great Britain. I could imagine something similar for rugby 7s.
July 22nd 2009 @ 10:32am
onside said | July 22nd 2009 @ 10:32am | Report comment
will it help or hinder its popularity?
It wont make any difference. 7,s in not rugby.7′s is a running game.Rugby on the other hand is a brutal collision
game that stops all the time with convoluted rules only referees can interpret. Rugby 7,s is to serious rugby what
Twenty/20 is to Test cricket. Twenty /20 will neither help nor hinder a possible interest in Test cricket .
Rugby7,s is played by rugby players, on a rugby ground ,using a rugby ball. Its fast moving ,fun and uncomplicated.
Everything that todays professional rugby isnt. So,help or hinder? the question is moot.
July 22nd 2009 @ 10:33am
matt manley said | July 22nd 2009 @ 10:33am | Report comment
The number of athletes playing rugby in the US is growing every year. Football is a Fall sport here in the States, so rugby has placed itself as a Spring sport. This certainly creates a chance to get some athletes to make that transition during their Senior year of college.
Here in the States, it doesn’t help us to work against football. We need to work with it and around it, so that we can create our own identity. The Olympic Sevens creates huge possibilities for USA rugby, but it isn’t the only way we can succeed.
July 22nd 2009 @ 10:43am
Conor said | July 22nd 2009 @ 10:43am | Report comment
I think its inclusion would be massive for america, due to the fact that once 7′s was named an olympic sport, the rugby prgramme in america would be able to receive the massive funding that america puts into its olympics.
July 22nd 2009 @ 10:53am
Rickety Knees said | July 22nd 2009 @ 10:53am | Report comment
The USA is the sleeping tiger of world Rugby. Rugby 7s becoming an Olympic sport will be the catalyst to wake the tiger up.
July 22nd 2009 @ 11:08am
Working Class Rugger said | July 22nd 2009 @ 11:08am | Report comment
Matt
You’re probably well aware of this already but the annual growth rate in participation in the US is 15%. Very impressive. Most of that in the High Schools. And an increasing number of Elementary School are taking up Rookie Rugby programs. Which will only lead to far better skilled players in the future. Whilst the USAR aren’t perfect they are gaining ground. Through Rookie Rugby they will expose the game to over 100,000 students in a single Schools District in Florida next year. And it only takes one to kick start the process. Currently according to the IRB there are a little over 67,000 registered players in the US, but the updated figures are actually 82,000+. If the growth trend continues next year there could be a touch over 96,000 players.
If and when 7′s are included in the Olympics I suspect that the growth of Rugby in general will only accelerate. Everyone knows how much the US likes to win a medal. The funding provided will only expand the games reach and likely get the all important Varsity status so rugby can begin to recruit more and more athletes.
July 22nd 2009 @ 11:10am
Working Class Rugger said | July 22nd 2009 @ 11:10am | Report comment
Rickety
It’s already beginning to stir.