Riding on the coattails of a magnificent sevens gold-medal victory in Rio, Australian rugby has been presented a wonderful story and opportunity.
Despite the many warranted pieces written regarding the broken state of the game and its administration, the Australian women’s sevens team have achieved what many Australian rugby fans have for so long been pining – a tournament victory.
An Aussie team combining a powerful, incisive running game, with crisp accurate passing, coupled with some superb first-half tackling. Against New Zealand. In a final. For an Olympic Gold medal.
Refereed by a Spaniard no less!
In watching the tournament to date, what has stood out is that irrespective which nation was playing, this is a return to what rugby is all about – the running game at its finest.
Support play is rewarded, players enjoy taking the game on, and having sound fundamentals in tackling and ruck play are still rewarded. The level of fitness (particularly on defence) is incredible.
The simple joys of not having games bogged down in reviews, the natural focus on five-pointers, and immediate yellow cards for professional fouls makes the game flow at a crazy pace – none of this ridiculous, inconsistent whistling time-off and dishing out warnings for flagrant penalties that impede attacking play.
What is even better is that the girls had a chance to shine and showcased a wonderful form of rugby to a global audience.
While there are huge benefits for the global game by association with the Olympics, Australian rugby’s greatest challenge now is how to maximise the opportunity this victory brings for a game that is at the cross-roads Down Under.
The women’s team have laid a significant foundation stone for the ARU in pursuit of the 2016-2020 Australian Rugby Strategic Plan.
The high-level goals of “making rugby a game for all”, and “igniting passion for the game” are no better demonstrated in the sevens game. This is a growing phenomenon at the global level, and too good an opportunity to be missed.
The game promotes fantastic elements of running, skills, teamwork and power – and still rewards those with good rugby technique. It is a game for men, women, boys and girls alike.
It great to watch on television, awesome to play, and incredible to watch live – the sevens tourney held in Sydney in February this year saw 74,000 attend over two days.
In the context of live attendance, a wonderful atmosphere is created without the need for ‘doof-doof’ music, nor dime-a-dozen ground announcers spruiking useless cross-promotional advertising or (even worse) their own form of match analysis.
Further, the rotating format of matches see exposure to many players and diverse skills in the one day.
While many comparisons will (and should) be made to the success of T20 in cricket, the ARU’s challenge is how to schedule sevens as a central part of our game.
Sevens is a global product, and difficult to calibrate back to cricket’s domestic short-form success, where a game will conclude in three hours. A sevens tournament is played over a weekend, and such is the physical toll on players that you cannot simply churn a tournament over 15-22 rounds of a season, nor would there be funding or appetite to do so.
The solution? A four-round national sevens league, including the following elements:
• Played between states and territories for both sexes
• League points accumulated over the four rounds
• Capitals or major regional cities could host a tournament every second year
• Free-to-air market potential for television
• Incentive to have two international players per team
In terms of timing, there is potential opportunity to schedule this four-round tourney in October, which does not clash with the international sevens schedule, and could lead into potential selection opportunities and incentives on the international circuits held bewteen December and May.
Such a tournament would promote the game nationally, take a growing form of the game to new markets, and naturally build a development pathway to the format’s elite level.
As a final comment, my six and four-year-old daughters watched the whole game with me on Tuesday, transfixed (in context, a Saturday or Sunday afternoon usually sees any ambition to watch footy scuttled by Anna or Elsa, or any other godforsaken Disney princess).
What clearly stood out to them was that girls are awesome – they can run fast, score lots of points, and most importantly look like they are having a lot of fun while doing it.
Congratulations again on a wonderful performance from Australia’s new rugby heroes and ambassadors, and good luck to the men’s team over the ensuing days.
Bakkies
Guest
The women didn't have a good RWC.
Bakkies
Guest
There is still an emphasis on set piece in 7s more than you realise. Kick offs especially, Tietjens was one of the first coaches to put an emphasis on using tactics to win back the ball after kicking off. One of the reasons GB rarely had the ball in the Final was due to Fiji putting pressure on the catchers. There were more penalty kicks to touch then I've ever seen in 7s. Teams are confident of winning the ball back rather then quick taps in their own half against strong defences. A bad scrum puts pressure on the scrumhalf and the passing in the backline
Bakkies
Guest
7s is nothing like loig
Bakkies
Guest
I don't think women are suited to AFL due to the emphasis on kicking to move the ball over greater distances and scoring points. Women really struggling with kicking in GAA playing on the same size pitches as the men. Some players can barely kick 30 metres taking shots at goal. Kicking has improved in women's Rugby but at least there are tries to score points
Bakkies
Guest
Fiji are technically in the Commonwealth their membership changed due to poor governance
Kirky
Roar Rookie
Ouch Sheek! I wouldn't be game to say that but you're OK mate, ~ you are of course correct tho!
Kirky
Roar Rookie
You got it 'Onside' The two variations of rugby are only really linked by the rules being pretty much the same but comparing one to the other just can't happen they're just well! ~ different. If the sevens format suits the Aussie way of doing things and they adapt well to it good on them but there'd have to be reservations regarding the Ladies running parallel to Sevens rugby with the Womens AFL Competition upcoming! Everyone knows in Australia that "if the Pope was in town and there was a game of Footy on, the Old Pontiff would be driving around on his own" the crowd would be at the game, far more important, so I'd expect the bulk of any Ladies wanting to play a contact sport here in Australia that they'd head to AFL, it's a religion here and part of the Aussie psyche, and it could be said that's a big part of the problem regarding Australian rugby and AFL ~ rugby's just not their game, and it shows! Nothing but nothing matters in Australia but the sport of AFL everyone knows that so, I just have a feeling that attempting to conduct a Womens Sevens Competition alongside a Ladies AFL could be problematical. ~ I hope I'm wrong. As far as New Zealand is concerned, they do not really promote the game of Sevens at all, it is just pretty much "something else to do" and it's regarded as a novelty game, and if you look at it that's really what it is. The Kiwis consider that 15s is the epitome of the sport of rugby and that's the way it is! and I would imagine, always will be! This Sevens Olympic squad had only one All Black in it, as the rest of the talent opted to stay in New Zealand and play in the Super Competiton and hopefully put up a good show in an attempt to influence the All Black Selectors for the big games coming up. Also the All Blacks Selectors never attempted to persuade any player to play in the Olympics, it was entirely up to the individual, so it could just be imagined what quality a side could have been formed if the NZRU had insisted that top players must take part. The game of Sevens just doesn't cut it in New Zealand but in saying that it is still played albeit with not the greatest amount of enthusiasm so. to put it in a different context, "if the Final of a Rugby Sevens was in town and a Final of a Fifteens game was also on, the only ones at the Sevens game would be the Mums and Dads, Wives and Girlfriends, that's just the way it is in New Zealand and always has been
Boz the Younger
Guest
Firstly I want to make a point which I haven't heard anybody make about this win yet. These women, with the support of the ARU, have after only four years of work had the biggest tournament win for Australian rugby since the Golden Wallabies won the 1999 World Cup. That is 17 years ago .... think about that. For me the biggest lesson to be taken from this is that unrelenting professionalism, where no idea is dismissed as "not the Australian way", and where players are selected and developed without fear or favour on merit instead of club affiliation or mate's clubs, is the way to champion status. It is a lesson that the Wallabies should have learned it from the All Blacks over all these years, but perhaps now that the ARU has proven itself to be an organisation capable of this the men's game might be a bit more willing to shake off the stuffy old cobwebs that have held back 15s in this country for so long. So well done to the ladies and we could even give a rare well done to the ARU for it's work here, lets hope we get to say that far more often.
Jimmy
Guest
Unfortunately short lived euphoria, we got flogged in the quarters by the Saffers. Hopefully the women's exploits will fuel a revival.
Mac
Guest
Harsh Sheek. I cant agree with that. Men's rugby is in a strongly contested place and lets not get to up ourselves. We are still highly rated and the usual suspects are either just behind our ranking or in front. Never been any different. And hate loosing as much as any but I do agree we could be way better and the system way better. Any Green and Gold rugby has my support.
sheek
Roar Guru
Emphasis on women. Australian rugby men are pretty well inept at everything they do at present. Not the women!
Chris
Guest
Good point Sydneysider about Touch and also Tag.
Sydneysider
Guest
Do touch footy participation numbers go under "rugby" or "rugby league"? (seeing that touch footy is now officially affiliated with the NRL in Australia.)
Joe King
Guest
Now they just need to get a banner outside every school that reads: 'Play Rugby Sevens: Go To The Olympics'. And include a website so people can then easily find the nearest competition. Plus the more females that play, the more mums feel comfortable (and even excited) about their kids (and possible future kids) playing. They should also make another push for Viva Sevens. Promote it as a fun night out for the whole family to play. Allow mums and dads and older children to play in the same team. Have another game for younger family members. It's social aspect would be the point of difference to other sports that are graded by age. Then actively advertise, promote and recruit for the other versions of rugby through the contacts with Viva Sevens.
Rocko
Roar Guru
WATNB - love the concept of Codemasters bringing 7s to the old PS1 :-)
We Are The Navy Blue
Guest
Agree this Rocks bloke hits the nail on the head. Looking forward to his article on how the Wallabies can learn from the Jonah Lomu playstation game.
Onside
Guest
Its all good
Onside
Guest
Thanks for the perspective Rugby Fan
Rocko
Roar Guru
High level snap-shot below in link - ARU's major decline at club rugby level. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-04-11/aru-reports-deficit-as-womens-rugby-sevens-continues-to-grow/7317824
peeeko
Roar Guru
i would be very interested to see the actual numbers?