Rugby Sevens to help not hinder the real deal

They will still field a League team, though they will be junior players primarily. To be honest, that club moving over to Union is some way is good for the game. The club itself though it was bigger than the sport (via it's owner), and just bought all the best players so it could win everything each season. Maybe without that club in the game, the talent can be distributed around a little more.

7s is a fantastic sport - that's why it was voted in to the Olympics with such a huge majority. I was a bit scpetical at first, but once you've seen a tournament - especially the bigger ones in Hong Kong, Dubai or Wellington you see why its such a unique sporting experience. The athletes playing the game are fantastic - some of the kickers slot side-line conversions with drop kicks - I haven't seen Dan Carter do that

Chochie Yeap, 7s is a fanatastic development tool for the full version of the game. According a FIRA forum poster it is having a huge effect in Russia, with traditional Rugby League power Lokomotive converting. Not just to 7s but to the 15 man game. He even provides a source.

sevens is a great game..a core of the backline players have come from sevens, Mils Muliana, Joe Rokocoko, rugby greats jonah lomu and Christain Cullen. Australian players Matt Giteau,Adam Ashely Cooper, James O'Connor have all come from sevens. Sevens is where they developed their skills. This shows that Sevens rugby is a vital contributor to the 15 man game.

Love the 15 man game as well as the 7's however bit upset that I can't find it on TV this year! Does anyone know if it is being shown? Have already missed the Dubai 7's last weekend have George in SA this weekend but seems Foxtel is only showing last seasons highlights?

To The Truth - Shows you how much you know about rugby. The open space of the full pitch is used as part of the game so as not to have everything choked up. I take it you don't play rugby or you would not make such unintelligible comments. If you don't like it, don't watch it and leave the comments to those who know what they are talking about. It was devised in Melrose as a way to make funds for the club after the seasons end and became popular because it is fun to watch as well as play. There is also a matter of allowing countries to participate that do not have the numbers or finances to compete in the 15's.

Sorry The Truth, but you are completely wrong. 7s is a game that does require specific skills, which is why so many of top 15s players are crap at it. the chance of having the ball turned over in 7s is actually far higher, meaning that the contact situation has be avoided where possible. You will often see 7s team retreating backwards rather than run at the line. They need to create space, and find space before moving forward. This makes it more akin to football, not league which has a barge mentality. 7s rugby has lineouts, scrums and breakdown. Despite the ignorant comments above, tries are often well constructed team efforts, and are not just the result of running around or over the top of the opposition. 7s rugby has never really taken off in Australia, which may be why so much of the commentary about it is so off the mark. Try watching a few full games, you might learn something.

Sorry, but for this ridiculous mini-game to have any relevance to rugby union (or have credibility in general), it must be played on a smaller field. Years and years of slagging league for players being interchangeable and of the same body type, now union's big opportunity lies in just that? Don't expect any fat props every four years. Sevens is about running fast and little else; whereas, actual rugby union is just about the antithesis these days. Get a bunch of fast guys, show them a rugby video on YouTube and win your country a gold medal. That sounds easy enough.

The Sevens game was never meant to replace the full 15 a-side version and never will. However, it does extend the rugby season into the Spring for Clubs and I think it is a great addition to the Olympics. For one, there is no point having what would be another Rugby World Cup, just without the smaller nations. Second, the Sevens format lets the spectator see more games in one day and provides a suitable spectacle in the environment of the games. Also, for many countries it is a very useful development tool. There is room for all forms of Rugby Football and those that try and make it into a win or lose situation for one form or another are missing the point. Just enjoy them for what they are.

Sevens Rugby has already done a great deal for the 15 man game in terms of development in non traditional nations. With its inclusion in the 2016 games it will only further help boost this. Thinking 7s will replace the full version is ludaricous and unfounded. Kenya a nation that in Rugby circles only ever appears on the 7s circuit proves the naysayer's wrong. 7s has helped popularise Rugby not just that format. So much so that the Kenyan Govt. is working with the KRFU to expand the games reach to every school in the country and the Kenyan National team now play in front of capacity crowds and are regularly shown live on National TV. Alot of the naysayer's do so out of spite. Not the Rugby people, some of them just don't like it and that's their right to their opinion but I see it more of a vessel than the main event. We should really be utilising in far more here in Australia particular in junior development and recruitment.

'These others, either boasting of rugby’s demise to league, or fearing for rugby’s survival, are afraid of Sevens replacing real rugby. ' I guess I'm one of the others as I don't like the idea of sevens in the olympics. But I am neither afraid of rugby's demise or afraid of sevens replacing rugby. I just don't like sevens rugby. It reminds me of a bunch of school kids running around the school yard playing touch rugby. Get an overlap get a try, woopy!