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Rugby League take on 7's

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wamberal

Phil Kearns (64)
The most pressing need is for a couple of players who are genuinely quick, as well as good in other respects.

But ever since the days of Andrew Harriman we have been susceptible to a team that has a real flyer.
 

AngrySeahorse

Peter Sullivan (51)
Journalism in this country - spew! Pyke?, Tomkins? for Olympic 7's? This would be funny if they were joking but the fact that they are being serious is just disturbing. I watched Tomkins in that BaaBaas game & the try was the one good thing he did.

IMHO Olympic 7's (in addition to going for Gold) is a promotional tool to get more people into following & playing Rugby with the hope that it will flow over to traditional 15's. Allowing players straight into the Olympic 7's team from Loig defeats that whole purpose.

I think players can struggle going to or from 7's or 15's depending on their genes, build, playing position, etc. For instance, 80min (well, 75min in women's club Rugby) of being bashed from pillar to post & returning the favour as a flanker in 15's exhausts me a lot more than playing x2 7's games back to back. I'd summarise it as 7's requires more "lactate acid tolerance" which you need in 15's too but the onset is sooner in 7's due to the lack of rest (which you usually get in 15's come set piece time) between intensive sprints.

15's has what I'd call "Contact endurance" more tackles, more people in the tackle & the break down, less gaps leading to more contact, more hitting the deck & having to keep getting back up (as 7's tend to try & avoid going to ground), more strength related pushing activities such as rucks, mauls, scrums, etc (yes 7's has these but there are far less bodies/force to overcome & less emphasis on them). In short you could also say it is "Muscular endurance related". It is a different kind of exhaustion.

Despite what I have said above on the differences I don't believe it is out of the realm that hybrid players can exist. As far as 15's flankers having a go at 7's is concerned I like the idea of flankers who are capable of playing as backs - such as Colby Fainga'a.
 

No4918

John Hipwell (52)
Of course Digby is going to say he'd be keen if a journo asks. What player wouldn't? That's a long way from him actually going out there and actively seeking the coaching staff and asking what he would need to do. He will be 30-31 and probably well aware his chances are next to nothing.

Until someone starts training and playing with the squad it's all just journalists looking for a quick story with the olympics still fresh in everyone's minds.
 

southsider

Arch Winning (36)
they need to give more opportunities to play 7's!! at the moment the only time you can play is if you get selected by a shute shield team to play at a pre-season tournament. i played in a couple of tournaments as a junior and loved it and tend to think id be much more suited to 7's then 15's but the opportunities just arnt there!!
 

Riptide

Dave Cowper (27)
Digby, JOC (James O'Connor), Beale and Hopper all strike me as players who could adapt and thrive in the 7's game given their footwork, handling, speed and spatial awareness.

RIO is being viewed as a big deal by the IRB and they are encouraging various Unions to participate fully. I received an email yesterday from one individual on one Union board who referred to the opportunity to market the game. What's lost on me is how it would help position the XV game; I'm not that interested in 7's.
 

wamberal

Phil Kearns (64)
There are some obvious connections between Sevens and the longer form. The name "rugby", some common rules and similarities, some players will play both forms, most fans will enjoy both formats. The Sevens version is a lot more accessible for newer fans, and a challenge will be to build bridges for them to the longer form.


I will be really interested to see whether Qantas picks up sponsorship for the Thunderbolts. They should get a fair bit of sponsorship leading up to the Olympics, plus the Gold Coast Sevens is showing signs of becoming pretty popular as an event. So I am told.



It would be good to get a pre-season local Sevens competition onto the ABC on Saturday arvos, should not be too difficult.
 
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