Does sevens rugby hurt or hinder the main game?

I like Rugby Sevens as a every now and then sporting event to watch, like a festival but my heart and soul will always be in fifteens. There is nothing as hard hitting, tense and emotional as a fifteens game in the RWC or All Blacks V Springboks. Playing for your national side in the RWC is the pinnacle of both sports. Even though Sevens may be more global most people or at least everyone I know who loves Rugby picks fifteens over sevens every time. That's not a slight against the game, because its a great game but it will never match the intensity of watching your side play in the RWC

Interesting point Union13 and one which I have considered myself. I do recall this issue being discussed publicly in the past and I must admit your suggestion has merit. I think though that the speed of the game would increase somewhat and you would probably need 20-25 minute quarters (in American Footbal there are lengthy breaks between each play and in soccer there is not the ongoing heavy contact and constant involvement of almost the whole team as in League and Union, which would tire the players quicker). But I like the suggestion. As it is the game does at times get too congested and defence oriented and we all like to see the free running genius of players able to exploit a gap. Difficulty though is in league where does that place your scrum. In Union that would be fine because you would just dispense with the breakaways. But in League you would be left with a four player scrum which would seem unbalanced unless one of the backs omes in to create a stable second row....I'm assuming of course that the two dispensed with players come from the forward ranks, but maybe in League it could be one forward and one back..

Matt .. juts picked up your thread here in Argentina. 25 years ago a few us debated whats the right/optimum size rugby/league/sevens team for a 100m x 50m fileld that allows for enough space to create existing running/passintg moves as well as agressive and challenging defensive plays ... the number was 11 (while different take a look at soccer or American Football..the most analysed sport in the world with 'top' athletes and endless subs/speciailists on a similar sized pitch) ... ideally a 13 side team with league-like athletes playing modified union rulles would offer the best opportunity for a truly global real-rugby product.

You do realise that Joe Lydon and Michael O'Connor played league so they didn't look to league for ideas. The Aussie and Kiwi players probably played both as juniors. Plus England have picked a few league converts over the years in the 7s team. The attacking is nothing like league. How many one out hit ups do you see in a 7s match? The only people rabbling on about Rugby being an entertainment product are Australians. Funny about. Thankfully the IRB don't listen. The game of Rugby is fine but it's up to the players and coaches to coach and play attacking rugby. Don't change the laws every year to suit Australia, international sports don't work like that. These laws are changed to speed up the game not for entertainment purposes. Rugby is not a circus act

You only have to listen to the comments from the current Sevens players and Coaches for the proof that they look to League for trends and ideas for how to structure their play. Sure Sevens has scrums and lineouts, but they are hollow versions of the 15 a side versions. The extra space on a Sevens pitch, for both Attack and Defense, makes the attacking and defensive structures more like League that Union. That's what the experts are saying Bakkies, but don't let it make you uncomfortable and defensive. The game is no longer about the players, it's now about entertainment. The reason Union is so big currently is due to the fact it is fun to play and was almost completely a game for the players during a time when TV sport was a minor addition. Nowadays sport is a big money business where TV viewing demands a spectacle and where the next generation of participants are sitting on the sofa watching the stars of today for encouragement. Why, for instance are we constantly talking of the need to fix the scrums, or for the halfback to clear the ball after 5 seconds or for players to increase their skill levels and stop kicking the ball so much? It certainly has nothing to do with player safety or making the game more 'fun' for the professionals playing it. The fact is Rugby is now in the professional arena where entertainment calls the tune. And the current for of the game will continually be pressured by Sevens and League for open running rugby unless it changes to reduce the amount of unentertaining aspects to the sport. I have always been a Rugby fan, but of late it's hard to ignore the increasing TV funding rugby league is receiving or the swelling of support for the 13 man game here in NZ. Rugby will remain king, as it has such a long and deep set history, but at present League is snapping up the people around the fringes because of it's apparent higher intensity, more risk taken and the fact that there is more space encouraging running play. If you don't agree that Rugby can evolve by looking at what makes Sevens and League popular then that is fine also.

Playing 7s is almost a full time gig for a lot of the players on the IRB circuit. There will be more tournaments on and outside of the circuit and training camps. ''Sevens is also a lot less technical and much more open.'' Not anymore it isn't. One of the reasons why Fiji aren't as strong as they used to be as 7s is no longer about running around in circles and away from contact. They aren't as technical as Samoa in the contact area and that's why Samoa are massive improvers. Modern day 7s is heavily contested at the breakdown. Lineouts and scrums are just as vital. Concede a tight head in 7s and you are screwed. There are a lot more cards due to professional fouls at the breakdown too.

Once again 7s is nothing like league and second if League is so entertaining then why are there only two fully pro competitions on the planet.

Why should NRL players be allowed to play in the 7s in the Olympics? Separate sport which was a breakaway from the establishment, players are registered with the NRL and the clubs wouldn't allow it. The Olympics are on during the crunch time of the NRL. If players like Bunji Marshall want to play in the Olympics they need to stop signing long term multi year deals with NRL clubs and sign with the NZRU to play in the ITM Cup.

I think Sevens and Rugby League will eventually push 15 a side Union towards a 13 man format personally. With every passing season the global emphasis for entertainment from the game increases. League continues to provide a great entertainment spectacle and Sevens is now becoming a genuine 'big kid' in the market. Eventually Union will drop two forwards and remove the 'hit' from the scrum, to remove all the time wasting and collapses. This will pave the way for the Hooker to instead resemble the role and build of a modern loose forward. The typical pack will include two big but mobile props, one tall lock and one power lock (ie Brad Thorn, Scott Higgenbotham or Adam Thompson) and two shorter loosies (one at Hooker and one locking the back of the scrum. The extra space created from this change will see a move towards a more open fitness oriented game where ball movement and wide attack play will be more evident. The only step for Rugby League to join the global rugby family will then be the inclusion of lineouts and competitive rucking. Sevens will remain the carnival and more simple entry point into the game, but it's match length prevents a full length tournament format without excessive repetition on TV.

p.tah i got an article coming out soon regarding the five forms I recommended in my hypothetical that globally all 5 forms will be played around the world ( but it isn't). So good point but it be nice if 4 out of the 5 were played in particular the 13's (being leaguie and all) lol. I lament about league's incompetent admin & putting the league/union hatred aside and my ideal world would be league & union both being global games instead of just union. I wished for but I know it will never happen.

NF I think that's the way to go in emerging 'rugby' nations, such as the Northern European ones. In those areas League and Union should be working together to pool their resources (financial and playing stocks). Obviously they couldnt realistically play all 5 forms, but it would be better to collaborate IMO.

Sylvester, the IRB can have a say. If anyone plays in a non-authorised league then they won't be allowed to play in any IRB-sanctioned game of rugby. The IRB likes to control the game.

tc, the IRB only control their own products. They can't stop cashed-up types in say Asia or the US starting pro leagues and throwing cash at top 7s players. It's happened twice now in cricket and almost to rugby in '95. Olympics 7s is definitely a carrot to lure non-rugby players to 15s, but if the sport becomes a major international product who knows what forms certain players might choose to specialise in.

I congratulate rugby on it's progress globally with it's 7's in particular it mine ideal world it be awesome to see: 7's, 9's, 10's, 13 & 15 man game play around globally being a leaguie it annoys me of the incompetent backwards thinking administration for the past 100+ years which hinder it's own potential globally. So good luck come Rio time.

7evens is a breeder ground for developing new back from developing rugby coutnries to plays 15 a side or secure 15 a side contracts. Preety useless 7evens with regards to finding or developing forwards.

The IRB controls both 7s and 15s and there not going to allow there jewel in the crown (world cup 15s) to go under . If anything the argument of people who are taking up 7s but who have never played 15s is actually helping give a wider gate for new people to maybe consider playing 15s ,if I was interested in playing T20 wouldn't that bring me closer to test cricket then say baseball .To be honest I think there are some people on here who are a little scared of how fast rugby union is growing around the world.

I'm sure that will still be the case for most in the short term, but imagine a scenario where you can paid the same if not more playing sevens than international rugby. You also get the travel the world playing on pro circuits, the games are shorter and more exciting, higher profile and relatively easy on the body, possibly leading to longer careers. It sounds out there, but I doubt many would have considered a time when players would consider forgoing international cricket for T20, but it's happening. The difference in your tennis analogy is that some taking up sevens may never have grown up playing union and harbouring ABs ambitions. They could be leaguies, basketballers, track athletes or anything, and simply have transferable skills. As an example, here in Canterbury, a regional women's sevens training squad has been assembled to prepare for a NZ squad naming in a couple of months. Half the players had not played rugby before this season and still do not play 15s because they play other sports, mostly touch, basketball or netball.

Tennis is in the Olympics, but the Grand Slams are what tennis players want more than a Gold Medal. For Soccer it's the World Cup not the Olympics, I suspect as alluring as a 7s Gold Medal is, the pinnacle for a rugby player will be a 15s RWC. Aussie cricketers despite being lured to India for IPL money would rather an Ashes series victory wearing the Baggy Green. I'm certain that the ABs jersey will always be the pinnacle for a kiwi.

Sevens has been amazing for NZ rugby, in that so many young players have refined their skills and become good/great All Blacks. However, the Olympics could be a game-changer. We're going to see more specialists who do not play 15s. They may see an Olympic gold medal as a bigger carrot than an ABs jersey. Hard to imagine, but it's quite possible they won't have come from a rugby It's likely pro leagues will start around the world, along the lines of T20 cricket. The risk being, how many potential 15s stars might never progress from sevens? Imagine a young Cullen or Lomu running amok in sevens, but never playing Super Rugby or for the ABs...scary

I do agree with stojo01 that 7s is more comparable to league than union. Why because there is a lot more space in 7s just like league, also the majority of points come from tries not penalties or drop goals. Also with only 7 players each the contest for possesion is not like it is in union as you can not commit too many to the breakdown. I do think 7s will have a negative effect on the 15 man game just like t20 cricket is having an negative effect on one day cricket. The reason being is people do not have any patience anymore. They want to see a fast action packed game.