It's a real shame, agree it looks silly. I think it's ridiculous that they limit numbers at London, it's embarrassing.
Same thing happened at Wellington didn't it?Shows how financially strong the RFU is when they can afford to sabotage their own event just to keep the local community around Twickenham happy with them.
Not a little but, a lot.It'll weaken the series a little in the short term as the two new teams that come in won't be as strong as any 2 of Scotland, England and Wales. But it'll benefit rugby globally to have 2 new spots available for non-traditional rugby countries. If this happens in time for next season I assume Japan will stay in the world series and Germany, who were runners up to Spain in the qualifying event, will also be added.
Not a little but, a lot.
Both these teams can, and do beat the top 4 teams.
Their replacements will be a human bye for the top teams for the foreseeable future. Damn!
Same thing happened at Wellington didn't it?
It's obviously a serious concern.
The Qantas Australian Men’s Sevens team will play an International Series against Japan in Mackay, Queensland this August, as part of the build up to the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
Kicking off on Thursday August 17, Andy Friend’s side will play multiple games in two days of Rugby Sevens action at BB Print Stadium in Mackay, as well as getting actively involved in the local community.
The International Series will form part of the preparation for the upcoming 2017/18 HSBC Sevens World Series, with the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast also looming large.
Minister for Tourism and the Commonwealth Games, Kate Jones said: “The benefits of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games are being felt throughout Queensland.”
“Mackay securing the International Series between Australia and Japan is a direct result of Queensland hosting the Games.
“The matches will form part of Australia’s preparation for GC2018, the 2017/18 HSBC Sevens World Series and the Sevens World Cup in San Francisco.
“This visit will provide a boost to the local economy and tourism industry, along with the benefits to the local community with school visits and open training sessions planned during their time in Mackay.
“The Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games provide a unique opportunity for us to create a lasting legacy for business, industry, sporting and community groups, right across the state,” Ms Jones said.
Good stuff. And presumably these matches will be for sevens "caps" (info on those sort of records tends not to be easy to find).The Qantas Australian Men’s Sevens team will play an International Series against Japan in Mackay, Queensland this August
Good stuff. And presumably these matches will be for sevens "caps" (info on those sort of records tends not to be easy to find).
This is interesting:
China to host richest ever rugby sevens tournament as US$100 million injection bears first fruitMonday, 17 July, 2017China is to host the richest ever rugby sevens tournament, with the top eight finishers from the 2016-17 World Rugby Sevens Series to fight it out in the “Champion of Champions” in Shanghai in October.The tournament, which is a similar concept to the eight-player ATP Finals in tennis, is part of a push to grow rugby in the country and it is hoped having the likes of Fiji, South Africa and New Zealand strut their stuff will help put the relatively unknown sport on the map.“On October 20 or late October, we will invite eight teams with the best records to Shanghai,” said Alisports vice president Wei Quanming. “[The venue] will be in Yangpu district.”Earlier in the year, when discussing the possibility of the tournament, World Rugby chief Brett Gosper said it would feature the “highest ever prize money we have seen in sevens”.Alisports – the sports division of e-commerce giant Alibaba, owner of the South China Morning Post – will host the tournament and is leading the charge as far as popularising rugby in China.Last October, the company invested US$100 million over 10 years with the aim of attracting a million new players within five years.The company is planning the Champion of Champions tournament along with World Rugby and the Chinese Rugby Football Association (CRFA) and Wei said China’s national team will also be invited.China’s men’s team is very much a work in progress but a chance to lock horns with the best eight teams in the world is an opportunity fellow developing sides, such as Hong Kong, would kill for.According to Wei, Alisports, which is engaged in a long-term partnership with the CRFA, will remain focused on growing the sport from the ground up despite leading off with a world-class tournament:“Our main focus is still to develop home-grown stars.The ultimate goal for China is to host a Rugby World Cup and plans are in place to launch a professional 15-a-side league featuring foreign players as soon as next year.
I keep saying this. Our future is up north. As in our direct north.
Get 'em to bring the all-star 15s from their post-season to our NRC.
And maybe this "National Competitions Conference" today is about kicking off a new sevens series (or maybe not …)
Get 'em to bring the all-star 15s from their post-season to our NRC.
And maybe this "National Competitions Conference" today is about kicking off a new sevens series (or maybe not …)
From what I have seen over the years, soccer is popular mainly because of gambling.
Throwing money at a sport achieves very little in the short term. Rugby or anything else.
I would love a quid for every business that has entered the Chinese market because it is so big, and "just a tiny market share will keep us in clover".
Doesn't happen. Or very rarely.
The important thing Wamb, is that it seems to be done with very little work done on behalf of World Rugby, being almost entirely Chinese driven.
Which allows lots of plaudits if it's successful, and a clear separation from any failures, which is the ideal situation for Rugby to be in.