Rio Olympics
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Marcelo
Ken Catchpole (46)
Rugby supporters prefer TRC, Bledisloe Cup, Super Rugby and even the NRC. If you have a business and don't listen to the strongest core customers, you're doomed to fail.
Sevens is fast, unstable and unpredictable, can't base the game with that. Sevens supporters are few and unstable as the game, a real rugby growth should be based on XV.
Highlander35
Steve Williams (59)
On citizenship he'd be no chance, unless there are some funky loopholes that can be exploited.
On residency, eligible in September 2016, so misses on that.
Scrubber2050
Mark Ella (57)
Sevens is a hybrid game like touch.
Real rugby is a 15 man game and agree expansion should be there
Real rugby is a 15 man game and agree expansion should be there
qwerty51
Stirling Mortlock (74)
I'm not sure what points are being argued here but the 7s at the Olympics is bigger than any other rugby event in 2016. Obviously the 3 years in between 7s isn't very important but I strongly suggest the ARU put everything they can into trying to win gold in 2016.
Scrubber2050
Mark Ella (57)
We have a much greater chance of winning the next RWC x 2 than winning gold at Sevens.
Strewthcobber
Simon Poidevin (60)
Is it?
I reckon winning back the Bledisloe would have a much bigger impact for the ARU on just about every metric you could think of. Especially with the timezones
Much more likely to happen as well.
What does Olympic success mean for the Australian hockey team?
Omar Comin'
Chilla Wilson (44)
I think Sevens has the biggest potential for increasing participation and reaching a new audience. Success at the Olympics would create great awareness and inspire a new generation of kids to give rugby a go.
I also think in time it could be comparable with 15's in terms of popularity. Eventually it may be the most popular form of rugby. It fits the short attention span of people today and it's much easier to expand.
I also think in time it could be comparable with 15's in terms of popularity. Eventually it may be the most popular form of rugby. It fits the short attention span of people today and it's much easier to expand.
Godfrey
Phil Hardcastle (33)
It's a shame to me that 7s will be a lot of people's first or largest exposure to rugby. Sure, at least it's some exposure. But it takes away nearly every attribute that makes rugby a special sport to me - particularly things like "all shapes and sizes" and the strategic complexity.
To me it's like a pinball machine when you wanted soccer.
Also just leaving a prediction that Greg Inglis will represent Aus in Rugby in Rio. It'll happen.
To me it's like a pinball machine when you wanted soccer.
Also just leaving a prediction that Greg Inglis will represent Aus in Rugby in Rio. It'll happen.
Omar Comin'
Chilla Wilson (44)
Well 7's is a gateway to 15's. It's still the same sport. Pretty much the same rules. Obviously the tactics are different though. The more 7's I watch the more I enjoy it. It's a very skilful game, and not just ball skills but rugby skills. The battle at the tackle/ruck is arguably better than in 15's and the technique has to be better.
And at the professional level rugby isn't really a game for all shapes and sizes anymore.
And at the professional level rugby isn't really a game for all shapes and sizes anymore.
p.Tah
John Thornett (49)
I love 15s and I love 7s. Like Omar the more I watch 7s the more I enjoy it. A whole game, tournament, series can turn with a dropped pass, missed tackle or an intercept and it often does. That can happen in 15s, but the pressure is more concentrated in 7s. You can be 2 tries behind with 2 minutes to go and still win. I couldn't be a coach of 7s I'd drop dead from the stress. I'm stressed just watching it on TV.
RugbyFuture
Lord Logo
Just look to the Australian sevens team (which I don't care if they've been called the "thunderbolts" should be called the "Rock Wallabies") in tokyo....
p.Tah
John Thornett (49)
In Tokyo the 'Thunderbolts' should have been called the 'Harold Holts' because they didn't turn up.
Omar Comin'
Chilla Wilson (44)
The thing in Sevens favour is how much quicker teams can become competitive. We've certainly seen that with the emergence of sides like Kenya, Canada, USA etc.
I wonder if the world series might evolve into something a bit like the ATP world tour in tennis. Where you could have many different world series events through the year, but with some worth more points than others.
That way it could get to the point where something like 50 teams are playing regularly on the tour (though 8-24 per tournament).
I wonder if the world series might evolve into something a bit like the ATP world tour in tennis. Where you could have many different world series events through the year, but with some worth more points than others.
That way it could get to the point where something like 50 teams are playing regularly on the tour (though 8-24 per tournament).
Quick Hands
David Wilson (68)
It's about the only time they have any exposure to the larger sporting public.
We can't even fill Homebush for Bledisloe matches these day, so even rugby supporters don't think it's that big. 15 years ago tickets sold out on the day they went on sale.
Quick Hands
David Wilson (68)
Quick Hands
David Wilson (68)
If we keep picking the journeymen who go around on the 7s circuit in the Olympics, I'd agree. If we pick the best players we're a very good chance.
Quick Hands
David Wilson (68)
Expansion means widening your audience, player base, supporter base and media coverage. At the moment the 15 a side game in Australia has a small audience, a small player base, a small supporter base and very little FTA media coverage. As a business, rugby is as close to broke as you could get without being out of business.
Hardcore, rusted-on supporters won't like 15 a side rugby less because of 7s, they'll all still watch tests, super matches, NRC and club rugby exactly as they do now. Some of us will do so and will also watch 7s. Like p.Tah, I'm a late convert to 7s - even though I played it a bit in my playing days, I paid little or no attention to it as a spectator. In the last couple of years I've started to watch more and more of the World 7s - and I've found it much more absorbing than I thought. (On a wet Easter weekend, it was fantastic)
Money simply cannot buy the coverage that the Olympics will bring, particularly if Australia win a medal in rugby 7s. Domestically 7s rugby is growing much faster than 15 a side games - it's the perfect introductory form of the game and suits males and females and can be played in areas where there isn't a lot of rugby knowledge. It's also quite easy for people who haven't been watching the game for 30 years to understand.
The Olympics are the biggest sporting event in the world and they bring exposure to a worldwide audience, with all the commercial opportunities that that brings. Rugby in Australia can't afford not to focus on the Olympics every four years.
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