Sevens Rugby and summer is a perfect fit
Roar Guru By Working Class Rugger, 16 Oct 2010 Working Class Rugger is a Roar Guru
It has been a little over a year since the IOC officially ratified rugby Sevens’ inclusion in the 2016 Rio Games. The decision held huge significance for the game of rugby and will see its return to the fold after so many years in the wilderness.
Since October last year, the IRB’s World Series has once again seen impressive growth in viewership culminating in HSBC becoming the series first title sponsor in its 10 plus seasons.
Furthermore, for nations such as our own, Sevens has begun to transform from a circus side act to an increasingly important development pathway for up and coming talent.
Much of this is largely thanks to the IOC and the perceived importance on building strong squads and world-class events leading up to 2016.
Though, while we have seen a greater focus on Sevens in Australia, which directly coincides with the resurgence of our national Sevens program, is enough really being done to promote and grow not only this format but rugby as a sport on the home-front?
Much has been made of the potential of Sevens to assist the game’s growth both internationally and also on a domestic level, but what plans do the ARU have in the works to capitalise on this once in a lifetime opportunity?
As we all know Sevens is a fast, open running variant of the game, easily accessible to not only the wiry old fan but novices alike. It provides a fantastic platform in which to educate and capture the hearts and minds of potential fans and players. As has been stated many times previously, rugby fans tend to be rugby players, either current or former.
It’s a game that for many, once played, captures their imagination for a lifetime. How does the ARU plan to build on such strength?
Currently the game suffers from many ingrained and unwarranted stereotypes: stodgy, dull, elitist, etc.
Those who love the game know these for the most part to be un-truths and in recent times completely false and outdated. Nonetheless, they still hound rugby and in many cases stunt its potential to grow into the game it could be, not what in Australia the game currently is.
One of the greatest hurdles in rugby’s quest, apart from apparent absent administration bordering on amateurish folly, is an incredibly competitive football market with two strong professional rivals. Competition for fans and talent is fierce and without the clout, accessibility and exposure of other codes, rugby could be condemned to anchor the field in fourth.
Enter Sevens and summer.
The establishment of Sevens as a solely summer based sport could provide rugby with a key development and public relations tool well into the future. Running organised competitions opened to not only rugby clubs but all comers, young and old, could prove to be a golden growth opportunity.
Such an endeavour could draw greater levels of interest and talent giving the game the necessary jolt to move forward. Such movement would need to be mandated directly from the unions and clubs alike to ensure that it is run as smoothly and professionally as possible.
Not only will you draw current players but potentially a swathe of league, AFL and even soccer talent looking for a means of keeping fit during their respective off-seasons.
Furthermore, such a format, with its open nature, would appeal to and should be directly targeted toward children. It is an opportunity if missed that will set Australian rugby well behind its traditional and future rivals in terms of talent and development.
The subject of a domestic circuit has been raised previously and if it ever gained traction with the right marketing would prove fruitful for our game.
However, such a circuit should be left to develop organically with the majority of any AOC funding received to be directly poured into establishing, growing and promoting Sevens as a summer sport at both club and school level, including developing means to translate any increased patronage to the 15-man game.
Sevens, if utilised correctly, could be the vessel to grow our game outside of its traditional boundaries and into a game played and appreciated in greater numbers nationally.
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October 16th 2010 @ 7:07am
Tom said | October 16th 2010 @ 7:07am | Report comment
Pity no one gives a dam about it here in Australia.
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October 16th 2010 @ 7:31am
katzilla said | October 16th 2010 @ 7:31am | Report comment
It certainly is a pity, the NZ sevens leg sold out in 3 minutes this year.
The biggest party in NZ without a shadow of a doubt. Its going to end up being something that people go to NZ for.
Wish it was the same here.
October 16th 2010 @ 8:46am
p.Tah said | October 16th 2010 @ 8:46am | Report comment
Tom, that’s because the powers that be didn’t really show any interest in the format until recently. That’s changed. It’s will slowly receive more coverage and I expect interest will grow.
If more of us saw how fun the HK and Wellington 7s is I think attitudes would change. Even Kevin Sheedy (AFL) said he thoroughly enjoyed the HK 7s.
October 16th 2010 @ 10:17am
Shahsan said | October 16th 2010 @ 10:17am | Report comment
Yah, it’s strange how low the profile of 7s is in Australia especially when it was Australia’s prowess in the shortened game in the 1980s that first took it on to a higher stage.
The teams Australia used to send to HK included names such as Campese, Ella, Gould, Lynagh, Poidevin, while in the 1990s we saw Horan, Roff, Tune, Gregan, Burke all make their marks there too.
All this of course prompted Fiji and NZ to take it really seriously to the extent that they took to another level again.
October 16th 2010 @ 11:55am
Working Class Rugger said | October 16th 2010 @ 11:55am | Report comment
Shahsan
As you have pointed out Sevens is a fantastic development tool leading into higher representative honours. I really dpon’t think those a the top didn’t really realise the value in Sevens as a development pathway and chose to heavily back ‘the product’ in the form of the Wallabies. Now with its re-emergence as an Olympic Sport not only could it assist elite talent it could really press Rugby’s cause domestically. I would really like another one of these Q&A threads that have occurred here previously to see if there are indeed any plans in the near future to do as I have suggested above.
October 16th 2010 @ 1:40pm
warlach said | October 16th 2010 @ 1:40pm | Report comment
Great thoughts, and it would appear Robbie Deans at least agrees with you, picking 7 from the team at Delhi. However, the franchises throughout the Tri Nations countries have got to extend on the start already given to them by their playing lists and cooperate with the various organisational bodies to ensure the smooth advancement of the sport.
October 16th 2010 @ 7:45pm
Sylvester said | October 16th 2010 @ 7:45pm | Report comment
Warlach,
Deans has the right idea. So many top All Blacks have developed through a sevens background. Vito, Ranger, Dagg and Jane, for example, were all no-names on the IRB circuit two or three years ago. Going back even further, Cullen, Lomu etc.
If other nations invested as much in sevens, and paid attention to those players, they could also reap the rewards.
October 16th 2010 @ 8:33pm
Shahsan said | October 16th 2010 @ 8:33pm | Report comment
Spot on, Sylvester. For example, Cory Jane was unknown but brilliant at the 2006 Commonwealth Games. He’s done pretty well since.
October 16th 2010 @ 8:38am
Shahsan said | October 16th 2010 @ 8:38am | Report comment
Great idea; I like it. As the writer says, it would be a good chance for people of other codes to play the game in a circuit of tournaments. Rugby could widen its pool — and pull — considerably.
As we have seen, 7s is especially well suited for rugby league players especially because it emphasises good one-on-one defence and ability to beat a man. It could well suit many AFL players too.
October 16th 2010 @ 8:45am
Oakie said | October 16th 2010 @ 8:45am | Report comment
Another great idea, and I do give a damn!
October 16th 2010 @ 12:04pm
sevens said | October 16th 2010 @ 12:04pm | Report comment
Sigh.
Did anyone else watch the commonwealth games comp? There was only one decent game – the final – the rest of the matches were rubbish.
Why would Australians – who don’t follow a Super 15 team – suddenly jump on board some 7′s team? It’ll be as meaningless as One Day Internationals.
All this expansion, expansion, expansion is sucking the life out of the game, hollowing it out and serving it up as tripe.
October 16th 2010 @ 6:32pm
Shahsan said | October 16th 2010 @ 6:32pm | Report comment
I watched every game that was played. Like in any/every 7s tournament, most of the games on the first day are mismatches: they are warmups for the big guns and, for the smaller teams, a chance to rub shoulders and learn.
If you’re following the big teams, these games are instructive in showing how your team is likely to fare the next day: you can tell which teams have a good rhythm and which teams do not.
The final 4 games of the first day, between the top two teams in each group trying to finish top so they avoid a fellow big gun, were all very good, especially Samoa vs Kenya and England vs Australia.
After the teams have found their level after the first round, the games on the second day are usually a lot more interesting. And so it proved.
PNG were great entertainers, if a little silly at times, while the Cup q-finals and semis were all good.
It was not the best 7s tournament ever played — Samoa didnt have their best players from the cricuit and couldn’t peak again while Fiji was not there — but it was quite good nevertheless. The final was exciting though not of the highest quality.
But you must have not been watching closely enough if that was the only good match you watched.
October 16th 2010 @ 6:42pm
Working Class Rugger said | October 16th 2010 @ 6:42pm | Report comment
Shahsan
The beauty of a local circuit is that it would be particularly even for the most part. Yes, one team will have to be the dominate force in order to be the overall winner but I envisage a lot of close result if it ever got up.
October 16th 2010 @ 6:47pm
Shahsan said | October 16th 2010 @ 6:47pm | Report comment
Yes, i think it would be too.
On the other hand, the beauty of the easy games at the start is that the top teams get to the final still in a state to do themselves justice. If the tournament is too even, you could have some pretty crock teams by the end.
October 16th 2010 @ 7:19pm
p.Tah said | October 16th 2010 @ 7:19pm | Report comment
Great summary of 7s Shahsan. Its not about individual games its the build up. It’s the whole tournament and the battles and strategies within it. It took me a long while to work out this. Before then I didn’t get it and I did not enjoy it. Now I really enjoy watching a tournament. The Comm games wasn’t of the highest quality but was still enjoyable. The great thing about 7s is, if one particular game is a blow out or poor you only have to wait a few minutes for another one to start
October 16th 2010 @ 6:45pm
Working Class Rugger said | October 16th 2010 @ 6:45pm | Report comment
sevens
Right then. How about you provide us with your idea of how Rugby should approach this issue.
October 16th 2010 @ 12:40pm
Whites said | October 16th 2010 @ 12:40pm | Report comment
Where do the players come from for Australia’s IRB Sevens team? Are they players not contracted to a Super Rugby team? Is it just a youth team?
October 16th 2010 @ 12:43pm
Working Class Rugger said | October 16th 2010 @ 12:43pm | Report comment
Going from the average age (which tends to be 20) many if not all of the current 7s squad come directly out of the Academy system.
October 16th 2010 @ 12:46pm
M1tch said | October 16th 2010 @ 12:46pm | Report comment
NRL and AFL players have 6-8 weeks break then its back in training mode – I highly doubt they will cross over to 7′s during their only break
October 16th 2010 @ 4:27pm
Working Class Rugger said | October 16th 2010 @ 4:27pm | Report comment
Mitch
Wasn’t talking about at a professional level. More a club,schools and juniors.
October 16th 2010 @ 5:04pm
p.Tah said | October 16th 2010 @ 5:04pm | Report comment
I played touch in the offseason to stay fit, I would have loved to have had the option of playing 7s in summer as well
October 16th 2010 @ 1:02pm
Biggy said | October 16th 2010 @ 1:02pm | Report comment
WCR do you know what kind of viewership numbers the series is getting? Rugby 7′s is much more viewer friendly for non-rugby markets, it would be interesting to see what kind of numbers they get in places like the US, the potential is unlimited really. The Olympic decision is huge, does anyone know the Asian games are starting this week in China and has 7′s for the first time? It should be pretty even as Japan is below strength, Korea, HK and China will all be competitive.
On a seperate note, the Adelaide and Edinburgh legs of the current IRB circuit really are the two ugly ducklings. The ARU needs to switch the Aus leg to Suncorp, SFS, AAMI in Melbourne or anywhere but Adelaide. There has to be a competitive process for staging a leg, if Adelaide and Edinburgh cant get excited about what is now a world class event, cut them loose.
October 16th 2010 @ 5:49pm
Working Class Rugger said | October 16th 2010 @ 5:49pm | Report comment
Biggy
I was aware the 7s was an event at the Asian Games. Should be a good event if you go off the form from the Asian 7s circuit. Korea are a real chance. As for the ratings I’ll see if I can find a link.
October 16th 2010 @ 6:35pm
Shahsan said | October 16th 2010 @ 6:35pm | Report comment
7s has been in the Asian Games since the 90s, I believe.
October 17th 2010 @ 12:38am
Biggy said | October 17th 2010 @ 12:38am | Report comment
cheers didn’t know that, it has been added to China’s domestic national games (a big deal there) as a direct result of the Olympic decision though.
October 17th 2010 @ 7:48am
Shahsan said | October 17th 2010 @ 7:48am | Report comment
That is good news. That has been the big aim all along by the IRB.
Since being promoted by the HKRFU and its then coach George Simpkin (whom you may have noticed coaching Sri Lanka at the CG), rugby has interested China since the 80/90s – especially for toughening up its students and soldiers (the same aim Pierre De Coubertin had when he introduced rugby to the French).
But unless rugby was on the Olympics program, China — as well as other Olympic superpowers Russia, USA, Germany etc — would never pour resources into the sport. Now they will.
October 17th 2010 @ 11:51am
Working Class Rugger said | October 17th 2010 @ 11:51am | Report comment
Gaining Olympic status is a huge thing for Rugby in China. It will lead to it being intergrated into every province through the school systems. I have heard that the IRB are working with both the Chineses Rugby Union and the Sports Ministry to roll out a nationwide development program but information is scarce. Hopefully, it is happening.
Some may be interested in of rumours of another European League looking to establish itself. No offical name yet but the Continental Rugby League has been has been used by the source I read it from. Looks as if Moldova, Lithuania, Kazakstan and another will form it. Interesting to see if it gets up.
USARugby are now a official full member of the USOC so I would expect see a great deal of growth in competitiveness and particicpation. Interestingly according to many US based Rugby player’s evidently most clubs don’t provide accurate participation figures. They only provide their 1st XV’s. Evidently USARugby are pushing for all clubs to provide figures for all teams so the actual participation could be significantly higher. So far this season it sits at 93,000 but many of the High Schools are yet to provide their playing number’s so it is expected to topple the 100,000 player mark this season just off 1st XV’s alone.
October 18th 2010 @ 8:19pm
p.Tah said | October 18th 2010 @ 8:19pm | Report comment
An interesting article by Brian Moore on the IBRs need to focus more on Asia
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/news/8069506/Brian-Moore-elite-rugby-ignores-Asia-at-its-peril.html
October 18th 2010 @ 8:40pm
Working Class Rugger said | October 18th 2010 @ 8:40pm | Report comment
p.Tah
I have to say I agree with the premise of his argument. While the IRB has been investing greater resources in Asia it still needs to increase its investment further. They also need to reward Unions who are looking to grow their Union themselves. Take Sri Lanka who with the support of their Provincial and National Government(s) are looking to grow their base by a factor of 4. Asia is a very important region for Rugby and needs to be encouraged.
The idea that Asian nations must gain access to the larger tournaments is quite unrealistic. I seriously doubt any Asian Nations will ever be able to regularly compete against the current powerhouses. What Rugby should be looking to achieve the the popularisation of the game in the region and creating a truly competitive Asia within itself. As Moore states their are currently 26 Unions affiliated with the Asian Rugby Football Union which could be used to create very competitive structures. The A5N’s are a great blueprint and something the IRB should be looking to promote.
October 21st 2010 @ 7:20pm
p.Tah said | October 21st 2010 @ 7:20pm | Report comment
Great article on Sevens in Asia discussing the upcoming IRB Asian Sevens Series in Sabah (East Malaysia). Interesting to read that the Malaysian governement is funding a 10,000 seat stadium specifcally for rugby in Sabah in their bid to host one of the IRB World Series legs there.
http://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news.cfm?NewsID=75329
October 16th 2010 @ 1:12pm
AngrySeahorse said | October 16th 2010 @ 1:12pm | Report comment
Great article Working Class Rugger. I cant add anymore to that you summed it up well.
October 16th 2010 @ 1:21pm
King of the Gorgonites said | October 16th 2010 @ 1:21pm | Report comment
As I and others have been saying for a while now – rugby sevens is the catalyst to get rugby back to where it belongs. Rugby is in a unique position, in that it has a sport that has been accepted into the greatest/largest sporting tournament of all – the Olympics. This historic decision will see the international sphere of the game grow even more. We must utilise this significant decision to reposition rugby in this country.
For anyone who has even attended or watched a full tournament of rugby sevens could attest to, the game is simply brilliant. It is quick, surprising, entertaining, and a lot of fun. It embodies the ethos of rugby. Some of the ethos may have been diluted in XV’s but not so in the abridged version of the game. Sevens is what rugby is all about.
The commonwealth games were a magnificent advertisement for rugby sevens. What a final that was. Even though Australia lost they can hold their heads up. It was a magnificent performance. The quality of our sevens has increased immensely. The ratings for the rugby sevens were some of Channel Ten and Foxtel’s highest ratings for the event. It showed that Australia will love the game if given exposure to it.
I’ve previously suggested a three tournament series. Perhaps over four weeks. Located at the Gold Coast, Sydney and Melbourne. Two days. 16 teams. All five Australian provinces, Indigenous, Country, NZ provinces, the PI national teams, Kenya, and some other internaational teams to contest. With the right organising and promotion it will be a success.
A thing that should be considered is that sevens is very physically training, therefore, holding it in the heat of summer, is that too much to expect of the players? The tournaments also need to include the Wallabies, to draw the crowds in, so the timing of the tournaments to fit around spring tours etc. need to be considered.
Another thing that needs to be addressed in the Adelaide Sevens. I went to the tournament this year, and it was fabulous, a great time had by all. But is Australian rugby best served by holding the event in Adelaide? The other legs around the globe draw huge crowds, but Adelaide are still drawing modest turn outs. Have the locals really got behind the event? And is there any real point of pushing rugby in South Australia? I travelled for NSW for the event, but do enough rugby supporters travel for such events? I note that the ARU has not confirmed that Adelaide will host the 2011 tournament, so that would suggest that the ARU are seriously considering moving the event. I think this may be a good thing. I think it should be brought back to its heartland- Sydney. Sydney is a congested sporting market, so rugby needs to bring out the big guns to get rugby back in the media and peoples lips in the biggest city in Australia. Hold it at the SFS. The Friday night will get the work crowd. Make Saturday a family day. And then Sunday is finals day.
Sevens is the future and the great hope of reigniting rugby in Australia. With the right vision from the Administrators, and a grass root push from supporters such as us on the roar, sevens will be the impetus for rugby’s continued rebirth in Australia.