Rio Olympics

[D-Box]

Men's Running Qualification (Round 6 - Hong Kong)

Host - Brazil

1st WS South Africa (110 points)
2nd WS Fiji (108 points)​

3rd WS New Zealand (107 points)
4th WS Australia (84 points)

(Next three teams are England (78 points), Argentina (64 points) and the USA (63))

Regional Qualifiers (Tournaments to be held 2nd half 2015 but I will assume the they will go the way of the World Rugby Series rankings)

Africa Kenya
Asia Japan
Europe Great Britain
North America USA
Oceania Samoa
South America Argentina

Final Qualification tournament (assume the next best team gets this)

Lucky bastards France (Final v Portugal/Canada)

Regular Tournament Series Points are

22 Cup champs
19 2nd
17 3rd
15 4th
13 Plate Champs
12 Plate RU
10 7th & 8th
8 Bowl Champs
7 Bowl RU
5 11th & 12th
3 13th
2 14th
1 15th & 16th​

Max Points Available 66​

 

[D-Box]

While it is a mathematical possibility for them to miss out I would think that you can probably guarantee South Africa, Fiji and New Zealand should be a shoe in for qualification. Despite my comment in the Hong Kong thread provided the Aussies keep getting into the top 8 the only team that could take them out is England. Looking at Samao's performance today this could be really dangerous though I would think that Australia should be able to win a best of the rest Tournament considering that the teams at the top of the comp would probably be France, Canada and Portugal.

 

[D-Box]

Final Qualification Tournament - Likely Teams

This is the regional allocation for the final qualification tournament:

Africa - 3
Asia - 3
Europe - 4
North America + Caribbean - 2
Oceania 2
South America 2

Based on the performance in qualification tournament and those in the main comp this is what the tournament could look like

Africa - Zimbabwe, Tunisia, ?????
Asia - Hong Kong, South Korea, ?????
Europe - France, Portugal, Spain, Russia
North America - Canada, Mexico(Guyana)
Oceania - Puapa New Guinea, Tonga
South America - Uruguay, ????

 

[Omar Comin']

If England miss out on the top 4 will they compete in the European qualifier (alongside Wales and Scotland), or will a combined GB team be involved?

Maybe in 7's they should always compete as GB at an international level. Would open up more spots in the world series as well and help it grow into new markets.

 

[D-Box]

Not sure but I think it may be that only England is allowed to compete in the European using their players. After that they would combine for the Olympics

 

[Quick Hands]

If England miss out on the top 4 will they compete in the European qualifier (alongside Wales and Scotland), or will a combined GB team be involved?

Maybe in 7's they should always compete as GB at an international level. Would open up more spots in the world series as well and help it grow into new markets.

There's a whole lot of anomolies thrown up by the home unions being separate in the World 7s but together as GB in the Olympics. Another is that Ireland plays as a unified country in rugby (the only sport to my knowledge that they do so), but in the Olympics Ulster players would only be eligible to represent GB, not Ireland (unless they were citizens of the Republic of Ireland). There would be no way they could represent Ireland at the Olympics and hold a British passport.

So if England don't make it, I'd expect a combined GB team to compete in the European section - with Ulster based players considered for GB selection. It would be a nonsense for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland players to compete as separate entities in an Olympic specific qualification tournament.

And if England do qualify in the top 4, one would expect that they would be able to draw upon all British rugby players to represent GB at the games - including those who currently represent Scotland, Wales and Ireland (if British citizens and resident in Ulster)

 

[Omar Comin']

There's a whole lot of anomolies thrown up by the home unions being separate in the World 7s but together as GB in the Olympics. Another is that Ireland plays as a unified country in rugby (the only sport to my knowledge that they do so), but in the Olympics Ulster players would only be eligible to represent GB, not Ireland (unless they were citizens of the Republic of Ireland). There would be no way they could represent Ireland at the Olympics and hold a British passport.

Actually since 1998 all Northern Irish are able to get passports and citizenship for the Republic of Ireland as well. So those from Northern Ireland would be eligible for both.

And not all of Ulster is part of Northern Ireland. Some of the province of Ulster is part of the Republic.

 

[Quick Hands]

Actually since 1998 all Northern Irish are able to get passports and citizenship for the Republic of Ireland as well. So those from Northern Ireland would be eligible for both.

And not all of Ulster is part of Northern Ireland. Some of the province of Ulster is part of the Republic.

Assuming that people of a Unionist persuasion would want to relinqish their British citizenship for an Irish passport.

I realise that only 6 counties of Ulster are in NI, I was trying to economise with words. I'll use NI in future.

EDIT: None of which removes the anomalies thrown up by the different structures used by WR (World Rugby) and the IOC. As far as I know the IOC have quite strict rules on nationality, so if a person is resident in Northern Ireland and is a British Citizen, they can't just get an Irish passport before the Olympics and represent Ireland. They would have to be resident in the Republic of Ireland for a set period. The IOC would sayif someone is a British Citizen and resides in part of GB, they can only represent GB at the Olympics.

 

[Omar Comin']

I didn't think they'd have to relinquish their British citizenship and that the treaty signed in 1998 enabled people to have both. Olympic eligibility isn't that strict, I think you just have to have citizenship for the nation you represent. So either way, people from Northern Ireland would be able to decide which nation they want to represent.

But yeah I agree there are anomalies and think it'd be better if GB participated in Sevens every year instead of England, Scotland and Wales.

 

[Braveheart81]

But yeah I agree there are anomalies and think it'd be better if GB participated in Sevens every year instead of England, Scotland and Wales.

Surely that would just mean that Scotland and Wales basically cease their involvement in 7s.

A GB team would almost certainly be based in England and predominantly use English players. This could change if Scotland and Wales became better at 7s but creating this system would almost guarantee that wouldn't happen.

Having an anomaly once every four years seems far less disruptive than having an anomaly every other year.

 

[Quick Hands]

Surely that would just mean that Scotland and Wales basically cease their involvement in 7s.

A GB team would almost certainly be based in England and predominantly use English players. This could change if Scotland and Wales became better at 7s but creating this system would almost guarantee that wouldn't happen.

Having an anomaly once every four years seems far less disruptive than having an anomaly every other year.

I have no problem with England, Scotland and Wales competing in the WR (World Rugby) 7s circuit.

My main points were:

If England qualify in the top 4 for the Olympics, there would be no point in Scotland or Wales competing in the European qualification tournament as GB would have already qualified.

Following on from that, if England don't qualify in the top 4, then a combined GB team should contest the European qualifying tournament as a combined GB team will go to the Olympics.

British citizens who live in Northern Ireland represent GB in all other sports at the Olympics and thus should logically represent GB at the Olympics in rugby.

 

[Omar Comin']

GB team would almost certainly be based in England and predominantly use English players. This could change if Scotland and Wales became better at 7s but creating this system would almost guarantee that wouldn't happen.

Well Wales and Scotland aren't bad at 7's. Wales won the world cup in 2009.


I don't see why the three unions couldn't all contribute to it and develop a pathway that provides equal opportunities to players. England, Wales and Scotland could still play separately in the European sevens series for instance.

The Australian sevens team is based in Sydney, but that doesn't mean guys from outside NSW are disadvantaged.

I don't think this will happen btw, I just think it would be simpler and would also open up 2 new spots in the series for teams in new markets.

 

[Quick Hands]

Or Scotland could become an independent country
(just like the Netherlands, Belgium, Rep of Ireland etc)

 

[Joeleee]

Or Scotland could become an independent country
(just like the Netherlands, Belgium, Rep of Ireland etc)

Hmmm, good idea. Maybe they could have a big vote about it or something!

 

[Nusadan]

Was a close thing in the referendum last year in Scotland, the YES party should have told the voters about the implications regarding qualification for the Olympic 7s which would have made the difference!

 

[Quick Hands]

Having just sat through 2 days of very uninspiring play from Australia, it has confirmed the following opinion:

As soon as RWC 2015 is over the ARU need to rotate high quality players through the 7s program in 2016 with a view to picking the best available players for the Olympics.

As a start the following players should be prepared for our Olympic tilt:

Quade Cooper
James O'Connor
Bernard Foley
Michael Hooper
Israel Folau

Anyone else feel free to add to this list. I can't see the point in turning up to Rio with a bunch of journeymen.

 

[qwerty51]

Michael Hooper, Sean McMahon, Bernard Foley, Nick Phipps, James O'Connor, Ed Jenkins, Cam Clark, Jesse Parahi, Andrew Kellaway, Henry Speight, Matt To'omua, Pama Fou

That team could win gold.

 

[Bobby Sands]

Michael Hooper, Sean McMahon, Bernard Foley, Nick Phipps, James O'Connor, Ed Jenkins, Cam Clark, Jesse Parahi, Andrew Kellaway, Henry Speight, Matt To'omua, Pama Fou

That team could win gold.

Good team and could easily happen, only with Gill playing instead of Hoops.

 

[Omar Comin']

We have to qualify for Rio first.

If we don't make top 4 (which seems likely now), we're going to have to beat Samoa in what will come down to one match in the final of the Pacific Qualifying tournament. If we fail there, we'd have to win the repechage tournament which will include the loser of USA and Canada and at least one decent (on their day) European team - France or Portugal.

 

[Marcelo]

Michael Hooper, Sean McMahon, Bernard Foley, Nick Phipps, James O'Connor, Ed Jenkins, Cam Clark, Jesse Parahi, Andrew Kellaway, Henry Speight, Matt To'omua, Pama Fou

That team could win gold.

And what about the Rugby Championship 2016 and the Bledisloe Cup 2016?