No.

At the Gold Coast Breakers home ground. So “very popular” that it isn’t even held at a sports stadium. While you’re going out on a limb here, Siva, do you want to tell us how many hundred people were at the GC7s? Here’s a link to info about the _park_ that hosts this very popular event: http://www.gcparks.com.au/park-details.aspx?park=1235

And here’s some YouTube footage of this very popular event: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZiGqDyyRYo

I don’t mind promoting rugby, but dressing this up as some kind of meaningful international tournament is patently false.

http://gc7s.com/photo-gallery-2008/

As for places in the Cup, there is a real indication of the international flavour:

1st: Brisbane Fiji
2nd: Helensvale Hoggs
3rd: Nerang Bulls

the only way that creating a club would work would be for the australian domestic competition to be formed and take hold, with the NPC, Currie Cup, Argentine zona campeteona, pacific rugby cup and it going into H cup style comp as others have said before, the Super 15 is a provincial competition whether we like it or not.

i agree though with you re the Super 15 teams. As I posted in the Waratahs thread, I really think the ARU should push for the Reds and Waratahs to be replaced by new Sydney and Brisbane one city clubs.

I’d like to see a 7s of club rugby festival at ANZ Stadium. But by rugby I mean both codes. Get 40 club teams. Get games like St George against Stade Francais, or Waratahs vs Wigan, or Rebels vs Storm.

8 states and territories, 8 weekends, 18 teams.

each state is given a weekend, these unions then allocate which stadium (area or city) hosts that states sevens weekend for that year with high emphasis on development areas. rather than look at current clubs, form the super clubs which might eventually become part of the domestic competition. full advertising, marketing and coverage dedicated to the weekends. formulated on the world sevens series.

On 3/4 January, at Punta del Este in Uruguay, an international and club sevens will be held. Then in 5 January at Mar del Plata in Argentina, the South American Sevens will be staged. Once again there will be two series, an international and local tournaments.

Austalia should not be left behind in the growing worldwide interest in Rugby Sevens.

You could definitely run carnivals, festivals etc around them – even Beach 7′s tournaments etc. Imagine the Bondi Beach 7′s!!

Very TV friendly if you ask me.

The idea was an additional level below Super 15, to get some exposure for club rugby, and their players. The reason for having the club teams in each city play is it reduces local travel costs to nil, and even for country sides it is easier.

E.g. Sydney Sevens.
12 Shute Shield teams
5 Suburban Rugby Club Division Champions (from 2009 would be Kings Old Boys, Lindfield, Hunters Hill, Rouse Hill, Manly Savers) or 5 First Grade Champions (from 2009 would be KOBs, Barker Old Boys, Merrylands, Rouse Hill & Manly Savers).
10 Country Zone 1st Grade Premiers – Avoca Beach, Pirates, Narromine, Lennox Heads, Tech Waratahs, Coffs Breakers, Old Bar Beach, St Alberts College, Wanderers (Newcastle), Coonamble
5 invitational teams – e.g. invite club champions from Fiji, Tonga & Samoa, an all star style team, and another
This would give 32 teams, for 8 x 4 team pools.

Already the big 7s tournaments exist to give teams a test out before the season – the Hottest 7s in Darwin in Feb is very popular (and with $65,000 prizemoney why wouldn’t it be?), and there’s the Ella 7s in Coffs Harbour in early March.

But no reason why these couldn’t be extended into part of a larger tournament.

Sorry to raise an idea that I’ve raised before but, with regards to funding a comp such as this, rather than pay each player/team/whatever a flat amount, it’s got to be incentive-based. Like a lottery, people will pay for the chance to earn something big. Whilst I’m not suggesting (outright) that each team should have to pay to enter and get nothing unless they win the whole thing, I am suggesting that if you play your cards right, this comp wouldn’t actually cost anyone an absolute fortune.

Getting a few well-known ex-players got involved at the start would obviously also be an enormous benefit – people would pay to play with or against them and for the chance simply to watch some old idols.

I think it would be a great recipe for fairytale stories – e.g. a bunch of young kids from the bush going all the way versus some semi-pros. Or some once-semi-famous old-timers giving it one last shot.

I also think it would be a great way to discover new talent and encourage those on the fringes to stick with it and have a go.

I hope I haven’t misinterpreted your message Bay35 and thanks for trying to keep the glimmer of rugby alive through the off season.

Each of S15 teams could send team and could invite strong Aussie club teams (esp locals to bring bigger crowds) and we could get a look at some new teams/players. Kiwis and pacific island teams regularly tour for sevens so they would come if prizemoney was good. So that would leave 5 x S15 teams (imagine the pool of death with only 4 pools), 5 x local teams and 6 x S15 kiwi and national pac island teams.

Given the games are short, heat wouldn’t be too much of a problem. The real big boys from the tight fives wouldnt be picked anyway. I assume due to workload that some of best players wouldnt be playing, but I am certain RUPA wouldn’t allow the extra work anyway with threats of injury and burnout. Oh well, we can only dream. Only option RUPA may accept would be for S15 teams to be mostly academy/club based (next best players could be on short terms sevens contract), and perhaps that S15 players could play a max of say 2 of the 5 weekends so spread the load.