By CPB -
November 17th 2009 @ 2:34am
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The solution for all Australian rugby woes
If there’s one thing that the Roar’s rugby posters can agree on, it’s that they can’t agree on anything. Whether it’s the third tier, club versus province, the plight of the game, grass roots, ELVs, coaching, cash, JON, Robbie Deans or the tightness of modern rugby jerseys, all are fair game.
And rightly so.
Fortunately a saviour has been delivered on a plate and it’s extraordinary that Roar contributors have barely noticed – Rugby 7s.
For rugby followers living on Mars who may only receive intermittent rugby news from Earth, rugby of the 7s variety has been accepted into the Olympics, commencing with Brazil in 2016.
While everyone agrees that this will be a great promotional platform for the game, the opportunities to capitalise on the Olympics and address the issues listed in the first paragraph have been barely contemplated. Well they are now.
Think 7s and think Twenty20 cricket.
Hordes of new fans and money are flooding into the game, especially at provincial level. Sure, at the moment the traditional format is threatened. But it’s early days and driven by the players’ desire for a better balance.
Ultimately, Twenty20 will become the lifeblood of Test cricket. The rugby implications are immense.
The current Rugby 7s focus is on a barely noticed IRB world tour featuring players not good enough for their states and provinces. Sure, that means minnow nations like Kenya, Samoa and especially Fiji can stand toe-to-toe with the big boys.
But in Australia’s case, no-name players running around Adelaide Oval don’t inspire the kiddies in the states where they actually play rugby or the others for that matter.
So let’s get our top players playing 7s in a full-blown made for TV rugby carnival.
Play it over, say two weeks, before or after the Super 15s or even over a few mid-week evenings over a couple of weeks to avoid clashes with other sports (during the Test season if need be, but ideally you’d want your Test stars involved).
The first (qualifying) round can feature the clubs of Queensland and NSW playing locally (Ballymore and the SFS) to represent their states the following weekend/week in the second (finals) round against the other states.
So, for example, the top three NSW and Queensland clubs, plus players from the Force, Brumbies and Rebels (or whatever they will be called), and give those teams access to their rostered players whose clubs don’t qualify for the finals.
If the NSWRU and QRU feel miffed, they aren’t represented then. They can include their Junior (seconds) sides from their playing rosters (if not required by their club).
The less broadcaster-attractive qualifying (club) round could be played during kiddie-friendly times during the day on a weekend free of club and Super 15 rugby, with the finals played mid-week (maybe over two nights).
The beauty of this competition is:
- tribal club followers can get involved (all of them in the first round)
- existing club and state / province administrative structures are utilised
- travel and accommodation expenses are minimised
- extra content is generated for TV rights holders (ideally free-to-air of course) so extra revenue for the ARU and other unions – all should receive a proportion
- a larger pool of players aiming to get an Olympics spot get to demonstrate their wares to selectors
- club coaches go head-to-head with provincial coaches
- the simple format generates increasing interest (hype) over the two weeks so is highly media friendly
- Rugby 7s is inherently attractive to non-rugby followers so will feed into more interest in the traditional format
There you go. In one swoop, all of Australia’s rugby ills have been solved. Except for maybe the tight jersey issue.
That’s just too hard.
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(19)
Bay35Pablo said | November 17th 2009 @ 8:08am | Report comment
This issue has been touched on in other threads at the time of the announcement. An Australian sevens series was suggested.
Agreed they should move the Australian leg of the World 7s from Adelaide, where it is just a bone to the last major state not to really have any rugby, to a major city where it can be used as a show case. I had been thinking of writing an article on that very issue over recent days (must have been the email from the ARU I got pushing the 2010 Adelaide 7s, and me thinking “But it’s in Adelaide!!!”). Sydney, melbourne or Brisbane would have more local support, draw more attention to rugby, and get more visitors using it as an excuse to visit.
Redb said | November 17th 2009 @ 2:58pm | Report comment
Agree. Rugby 7s tournament would be very good at the new rectangular stadium in Melbourne. Might upset a few Croweaters though.
PastHisBest said | November 17th 2009 @ 4:05pm | Report comment
Your point being, RedB?
Hoy said | November 17th 2009 @ 8:17am | Report comment
It would be a good tournament idea maybe, but might not make the difference to our actual 7s chances I don’t think. I don’t know why we never go any good in 7s. I believe that 7s is so close to being a specialist game, that it almost is.
Some good players have started in 7s I guess, getting their exposure to go on and get contracts, however some never do.
In Commonwealth games, we have tried to have the regular Wallaby stars play, and we have never gone any good, except maybe Kuala Lumpur, when Campo played. I think we came third from memory.
Last time, we had Latham, Lote, and I think Rogers (maybe). None made the difference, in fact they possibly hindered the regular team by not having the regular combinations within the Aus 7s team.
I like your idea for a viewing prospect, but again, as far as 7s go, it won’t help us win too many 7s games.
Working Class Rugger said | November 17th 2009 @ 10:18am | Report comment
CPB
I agree with you on the the opportunity 7s presents Rugby in this country. I have alaqways believ ed it was the perfect tool to really grow the game in Australia. The issue has always been that until now the ARU have largely dismissed its importance in this role. Now with the IOC ratifying the sport hopefully it will be taken more seriously. If the ARU has anyone with any vision beyond Super Rugby they will already be working on getting 7s into the school systems. Rugby has a product that could rival any of the other codes development programs, and the beauty of it is it takes no refinement as it has existed for more than 100 years. All we need to do now is take it seriously. And for all those who doubt its ability to attract new player’s and fans to the 15 man game. Three examples Kenya, Portugal and Tunisia.That’s only three of many.
rugbythinker said | November 17th 2009 @ 10:28am | Report comment
Promoting Sevens and getting best players to play is the way forward. However these days Sevens is almost a unique sport in its own right and many players used to fifteens would struggle. But imagine a tournament open to all and sundry……..an Australian Sevens team with top players from union and league…..can see that gold medal already!
Harry Wombat said | November 17th 2009 @ 12:07pm | Report comment
Interesting thought about whether any RL players might want to take part in the Australian Olympic 7’s team and yet remain as RL players. Would this be allowed to happen by the ARU and/or the NRL ?
M1tch said | November 17th 2009 @ 12:19pm | Report comment
Olympics are in august/september..unless the nrl team isnt playing finals thats only way I could see NRL allowing it to happen, but theyve said before they wont let players play a few months of rugby to then come back to league
PastHisBest said | November 17th 2009 @ 4:07pm | Report comment
They would have to be registered with the ARU, and the NRL wouldn’t allow this to happen.
Working Class Rugger said | November 17th 2009 @ 12:04pm | Report comment
Rugbythinker
I don’t see 7s as a different sport more a complimentary one. The perfect development tool. And a short glimpse into the future of Rugby possibly. At the junior level 7s is perfect in getting kids into the game. It’s quick, open and fun. And the best thing is its teaches the necessary skills and understanding for anyone to play the 15 man game. As for not being able to make the transition. Matt Giteau started in 7s as did James O’Connor. Next season we will likely see more of Richard Kingi and Luke Morahan. 7s is the perfect development told for backs and loose forwards to make the jump. Just look at New Zealand, there is a long list of those you have. I don’t agree with the open invite to all. If you are going to play Rugby 7s you must be a Rugby player. Afterall it was the IRB that did the hard yards and it should be Rugby and Rugby alone to reap the benefits. If those from other codes wish to compete the answer is simple. Play Rugby.
RugbyThinker said | November 17th 2009 @ 2:55pm | Report comment
The good news here is that everyone seems agreed that Rugby Sevens is the way to move game forward. Inclusion in the Olympics is a big funding boost to many countries. Governments in countries such as China, Germany, USA, Russia, etc only fund sports in the Olympics. Now Rugby in those countires will benefit and may even get onto school curricula. The thought process has certainly changed from only as far back as 2005 and the Singapore vote when not the entire rugby family thought it was a good idea. It would be good to see ARU take it seriously now. Point taken about NRL players but it would be interesting.
Working Class Rugger said | November 17th 2009 @ 4:14pm | Report comment
Rugbythinker
In Russia the govt is moving to install Rugby as an official schools sport so Olympic status is a real boon for the game internationally. The was an interview with the head of the Chinese Rugby Football Union who mentioned that prior to the decision the Union had talks with the Chinese govt in regards to the what if scenario. He was told that the game would be taken under the Ministry of Sport umbrella and ‘aggresively’ expanded into all 31 province’s in the country. So it’s definitely time we took the format seriously as the landscape of World Rugby could be in for some significant changes in the future. A country like the USA now has access to the necessary funds not only to run the game on a national scale but rapidly expand the player base meaning more athletes and attention.
Working Class Rugger said | November 17th 2009 @ 4:15pm | Report comment
Rugbythinker
NRL player’s are more than welcome but they must be registered under the ARU and play the game. So basically they’d have to convert without expecting the huge paypackets.
CPB said | November 17th 2009 @ 5:29pm | Report comment
Given the comments about Government funding in other countries, the release of the Crawford report into Federal Government sports funding in Australia is quite timely. I understand that in general terms it recommends moving a significant proportion of funding away from Olympic sports and to traditional mass participation sports including the football codes. Given Rugby already receives very little Federal Government funding (I’ve always assumed this is because of the perception real or otherwise that it’s not needed due to elite corporate types propping up the game) either way there could be some Federal support on the way, whether or not the recommendations are accepted.
Damo said | November 17th 2009 @ 6:15pm | Report comment
A red herring _ whilst this is all good re sevens in Olympics etc. I have thought , especially in the recent past dark days of Wallaby scrum annihilation , of a tight forward type of competition. Rugby 5’s. The idea being on of tight forwards Mauling/wrestling each other over the park. The opposite of 7’s which is all about speed and open play, Rugby 5’s would be all about scrums and rucks and tight forward play. It may not be a spectacle but it may produce skills and panache for international application
Klestical said | November 18th 2009 @ 2:49pm | Report comment
haha sounds amazing. im thinking “tram tracks” training style (pick and drive within the 5m line)…. crowds completely surrounding them and throwing mud
AndyS said | November 17th 2009 @ 6:18pm | Report comment
I would be all for having national tournaments open to all comers and expanding the pool of interest in the game. But if it is seen as a gateway sport for Union, or becomes a focus for the professional game, I’d fear for the future of all tight 5 play. It would be potentially catastrophic if it were to achieve some sort of T20 popularity – imagine the effect on cricket if T20 were to exclude all bowlers and only pay batsmen the millions on offer.
I am ambivalent about the long term effect of Sevens getting Olympic recognition. It might be great, but an equally likely outcome could be that Government / AOC funding will specifically preclude exclusionary practices such as requiring ARU registration. And were the game to become the Rugby version of T20 with loads of cash splashing around, why on earth would it wish to remained shackled to the financial millstone of Fifteens? I think such an outcome would see the sport rapidly establish it’s own governing bodies and competitions, managing the cash to it’s own best benefit. I’m sure it wouln’t be lost on the players either – if T20 is the model, I note in todays paper that Brett Lee is thinking he’ll retire from Test cricket but will still “definitely be playing international cricket”.
sledgeandhammer said | November 17th 2009 @ 7:36pm | Report comment
while a national 7s comp would be good news, don’t assume that the best 15s players will automatically be the best 7s players. For a starter most them wouldn’t be fit enough.
Shahsan said | November 17th 2009 @ 7:43pm | Report comment
Nonsense. I would pick a team of seven great 15s players — who can play 7s — to beat the best team of 7s specialists running around on the circuit anytime.