Adelaide Sevens

[Hawko]

Just back from watching most of the second day of the Adelaide Sevens and was fairly disappointed with a number of things:

Australia:

I think the Australian team is under the misguided belief that you can't play sevens if you are over 80kg or 175 cm. We looked like a team of midgets. As a result we lost kick-offs and lineouts endlessly and had no presence at the rucks. A number of times we were blown off the ball because our opponents were bigger and more aggressive. I hope to watch it again on replay, but that was what I saw from the stand. We lost the plate (?) semi to Argentina in a game I thought we had sewn up despite our limitations. Grant and Vanderglas were out injured, I understand, and I hope they are back for the next round. They are needed, along with another 190+cm and 105kg forward with a big engine. Perhaps Dean Mumm is available, he has all the requirements and has not set the Super world on fire this year.

The Crowd:

The crowd looked to be seriously down on previous years. The new stand makes it hard to measure but it was 3/4 empty, despite being magnificently positioned. Although designed for cricket/AwFulL, its a great arena to watch rugby with excellent sight lines. I think this may be the last time they schedule it here. Pity, especially for me as my only serious rugby in this small country town will be via Fox.

Other:

Fiji and Samoa are not the teams they were. The Saffers appear to be back and England were unimpressive. NZ top class as usual (depressing really). Wales were better than I expected.

 

[Bradley]

I watched the 7's on TV and I was really disappointed in our team's skills.

The ARU says the event set a record of almost 27,000 over two days ( http://www.rugby.com.au/news/sevens...gby_sevens_adelaide,145933.html/section/21893)

That is nothing like the crowds they get where the HSBC World Series is staged, eg Hong Kong - 42,000 sell out per day and Wellington NZ where it is sold out.

John Grant played Shute Shield yesterday so I assume he got dropped from the 7's squad. Please explain?

Sitauti was brought in and he seemed to gun it in the early games but ran out of puff in the games that mattered even allowing for a try-saving tackle against Samoa in the QF. Unfortunately Sefanaia was injured in the important games and was not seen. Pity - he was our best player along with Zack Holmes.

 

[TOCC]

In my opinion its only another 12-24months away before the IRB Sevens is generating enough cash that they will be paying there own wages and we will be able to have a devout squad of Sevens players, they are expanding the tournament by 2 more location in 2012/2013 with Asia(likely Tokyo) and south America(guessing Argentina).

At that point, i think the current ARU mindset of using the 7's as a development tool will need to change, as Hawko mentioned, you can be the most talented bloke on the field but if you cant match the other teams physicality then you are going to struggle, this has been the case with Australia for the past seasons because we use a large chunk of blokes in the 18-22 category who are still developing physically.

I don't think the ARU should limit itself to purely looking at the rugby system either, they should scout the rugby league system and the rugby union and find the players most suitable to represent.

 

[BRIX]

Question: Any ideas on who is funding the 7's squad...Is it the AIS or ARU? Anyway my point is the budget seems to be a reflection of the performances. 7's is very much a sport you would think Australia would excel at given the beach rugby/touch/oz tag sort of skill-set and background of our young populous.

We should be doing better. We're THAT bad

 

[Bradley]

Question: Any ideas on who is funding the 7's squad...Is it the AIS or ARU?

It is a combination of ARU and Australian Sports Commission. It has been mentioned in these pages previously that the ARU standard contract for a 7's player is around 20k per season. This is topped up by an athlete grant of $15,750 from Ausport - the funding arm of the Australian Sports Commission. You can see a list of the recipients here under Australian Government Sport Training Grant (AGSTG)
https://ausport.gov.au/supporting/funding/grants_and_scholarships/grant_funding_report

You can see in the report key Aussie swimmers such as Alicia Coutts, Bronte Barratt, Brenton Rickard, Emily Seebohm and Geoff Huegill are paid 21k. When Olympic funding for 7's kicks in next year I think our 7's players will be elevated to the same level of funding.

Going by that the average Oz 7's player is on $37,750 per season. Key players like skipper Bernard Foley will be on a higher ARU contract of between $30-40k bringing their salaries up to around $55,750. Not bad money but well short of the six figure salaries of the English players.

 

[Empire]

For the amount of training that goes into 7's, the wage at that elite level is pretty woeful.

It's either a reflection of how much the ARU regards 7's, or how poor the ARU currently is. Maybe a bit of both.

It's time it was moved to another city - hardly anyone I know could be bothered traveling to Adelaide for rugby.

Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane. Turn it into a proper carnival, and really try and get some money, crowds and interest generated.

Maybe then we can pay these guys a bit more than the tiny wages they receive at present.

 

[canowindra]

John Grant sat on the bench after the Samoan game in HK, and was dropped from the bench and from the squad.During the Samoa game he had difficulties retaining the ball, in fact every time he touched it it resulted in turnover ball. I think he was considered too high risk,( remembering the profit:risk ratio) he either scores tries or turns it over; as he rarely passes and seems vulnerable at the breakdown. Unfortunately he also dislikes tackling!

 

[canowindra]

Bradley, do the players receive the $ from the Sports Commission as cash, or is it the value of the training accommodation and equipment that they receive from the AIS?

 

[Bradley]

Bradley, do the players receive the $ from the Sports Commission as cash, or is it the value of the training accommodation and equipment that they receive from the AIS?

$15,750 is cash. The 7's players are also scholorship holders at the AIS. This is where they do the majority of their training and they have access to all the facilities including sports science and accommodation etc.

 

[TOCC]

For the amount of training that goes into 7's, the wage at that elite level is pretty woeful.

It's either a reflection of how much the ARU regards 7's, or how poor the ARU currently is. Maybe a bit of both.

It's time it was moved to another city - hardly anyone I know could be bothered traveling to Adelaide for rugby.

Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane. Turn it into a proper carnival, and really try and get some money, crowds and interest generated.

Maybe then we can pay these guys a bit more than the tiny wages they receive at present.

not really, the players also earn match fees/tournament fees which boost there income, and considering most of them are only 18-21, a $45'000 wage is reasonable wages.

This will increase in coming years with a increase in the number of tournaments and sponsors.

 

[Bullrush]

On a slight tangent - I was thinking that the IRB should really drop the 7's from the eligibility teams that can disqualify a player from playing 15's for another country.

I know in NZ's case, some of the 7's guys can't pick up Super contracts let alone AB call-ups - who cares if they play for another country at the RWC?

Tomasi Cama is one who comes to mind immediately.

 

[AngrySeahorse]

Disappointed on the way we bombed the game against Argentina, O'Connor wouldve been pulling his hair out. I also would have liked to see the girls play. I thought the NZ v SA game was a good final.

Agree about needing players over 80kg, some bigger players have got some toe I dont know why we cant at least get one to help out at the breakdown where we were not too crash.

 

[grievous]

For the amount of training that goes into 7's, the wage at that elite level is pretty woeful.

It's either a reflection of how much the ARU regards 7's, or how poor the ARU currently is. Maybe a bit of both.

It's time it was moved to another city - hardly anyone I know could be bothered traveling to Adelaide for rugby.

Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane. Turn it into a proper carnival, and really try and get some money, crowds and interest generated.

Maybe then we can pay these guys a bit more than the tiny wages they receive at present.

yes, lets keep it on the east coast and screw those far flung outposts, Rebels aside I think the east coast sides should work on getting resptacle crowds to their S15 games

 

[Empire]

How many turned up to this showpiece event?

 

[Bradley]

Hong Kong it aint

 

[TOCC]

I think the ARU can expect to be under some pressure from the IRB to improve the event as well, currently its the lowest crowd drawing events on the circuit and detracts from the competition(25% capacity crowds don't look good), its only a matter of time before the IRB tell the ARU to fix it.

I think the reality of Adelaide retaining the 7's is pretty slim to be honest.