To most Australian rugby fans, 7s rugby is a bit of a joke. Slap and tickle rugby, touch rugby; not a real deal.
Perhaps not surprisingly, Australian teams perform very badly in 7s, and our rugby community shows little interest in the game. But if the San Diego 7s – on at the moment – are anything to go by, we’d all better wake up ’cause 7s is going to be big.
The day started with Uruguay beating Kenya, which set the stage for a number of huge upsets and close-fought games. One of the best aspects of 7s is the format; the action is relentless, with each team playing three games on day one. There is no standing around, no lost time.
Of course this would mean nothing if the games were rubbish. Having a big pool of high quality teams creates tension, emotion and huge upsets. The passion of the supporters from as far afield as Kenya, Fiji, Argentina and the USA brings colour and meaning.
To see the Kenyans pushing in a scrum, leaping in lineouts and driving teams off the ball is magic. To see them crashing over for tries and victory against New Zealand is a fairytale that sports dreams are made of.
But the Kenyans weren’t the only team to shine – the Americans also lifted for the occasion. One point losers to South Africa, the Eagles came back to post victories over Australia and Canada.
In a twist of fate, the two giant killers and best-supported teams in San Diego, the US Eagles and the Kenyans, will clash today as they strive to win the Cup.
Day two is winner take all, knock-out matches. And if yesterday is anything to go by, the tension will be unbearable – as will the celebrations.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.
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