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An article on the SMH website suggests any semi final would be at the SFS, while only the final would have to be at ANZ (and so it should!). If the Tahs do make the final I think they should really consider making the ticket prices quite cheap in the lower categories. Give themselves a chance...

The difference between a 70% kicker and an 80% kicker is 2-3 points every 10 attempts. The difference between a genuine winger and a fairly lumbering utility back on the wing is probably worth more than that. The genuine winger can finish tries and find gaps in general play that a utility like...

And if there are any potential bids from private consortiums then the unions (particularly the regional union) won't necessarily have anything to do with them.

Weird that he says a variety of locations around the Southern Hemisphere given Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore (just) are in the Northern Hemisphere. What's wrong with Tokyo in March? Looking at the weather averages it looks fine for rugby. And long flights aren't a huge issue, traveling...

Good points Bardon. You may be right that launching a new series after the Olympics would be the best option. Our men's and women's sides now just have to do their part and win a couple of medals, preferably gold ones! In the meantime I'd think a one off super rugby 7's tournament as a...

That's my understanding of it. The IRB have released the details. Brazil and the top 4 in the 2014/15 IRB series qualify automatically. The next 6 qualifiers will be the winners of regional qualifying tournaments in Oceania, Europe, Asia, Africa, South America and North America. If we didn't...

Fair enough, it could work. There would be advantages of them being in the same conference though. Teams could more easily play 2 matches in Asia at a time and it would reduce their travel requirements a little. And the next step in the evolution will surely be a 5 or 6 team Asian conference...

I think it's a great appointment. That Canadian team has been very good in the latter part of this year's series. To get them to 6th in the overall standings ahead of the likes of Kenya, Samoa, Argentina and France is fantastic. Australia finished 5th this year. If he can move us up 1 place...

I think that would work best. The thing is the Asian teams would all work better with Australia than with NZ due to time zone difference (Singapore is in the same time zone as Perth and Tokyo is one hour ahead). So why not add one Australian team to the NZ conference and add the Japanese and...

Maybe. But I also wouldn't be surprised if the ARU were unwilling to give up any control of 7's.

That sounds promising. Have any J-League clubs started rugby teams yet?

You'd be able to recruit a few imported specialist 7's players from around the world, but I think some super rugby squad members, exciting young players and the occasional Wallaby would make sacrifices or do extras to be involved. At least for part of it. You'd have some guys writing it into...

Alternatively you could have an 8 team competition where every side played each other twice before finals over 7 evenings of 3 hours each. That's with every session involving 8 matches (each team would play two matches per session of play). After that you could have a finals day where the top 4...

I agree with you! I just think a summer domestic series would be a good fit as a piece in the long term puzzle of Australian rugby. As the ARU have so much on their plate perhaps it would be better if some other body organised it under some sort of licensing agreement. It would be great to...

They wouldn't be nothing fixtures, they'd be fixtures in a genuine competition, and for the players themselves it would be all about increasing their chances of making the Olympics. Some of the Wallabies and Super Rugby regulars will have Olympics ambitions and will need to play some Sevens in...

I was actually talking specifically about domestic 7's and making a comparison with the NRL 9's. So I wasn't shifting the conversation. And unless people happen to have substantial inside information all discussion between fans of this nature is largely hypothetical.

Well if it ever became truly successful a one off event could provide a substantial benefit. The Hong Kong 7's does for the HKRU. With a domestic series you could have 'one off events' in a handful of locations. They wouldn't be as big but in time they could become a decent revenue stream...

Well I've always thought there should be 2 Super Rugby teams in Sydney so this sounds perfect. Give one of them the Waratahs and allow the other group to start a 2nd side. (Yes I know this won't happen)

I suppose soccer had a few failures in the US before the MLS became the relative success it is. And what ultimately works in America might be different to what works elsewhere. The more people there are around trying to get professional rugby happening the more likely it will happen.

I'm pretty sure I didn't dream that I went to packed stadiums for the rugby sevens in London and Vegas with friends that knew nothing about the sport and really enjoyed themselves. My perception was that a significant % of the crowd both times (perhaps more so in London actually), were not...