Idea for World 7's

[JasonE]

Apparently the NRL clubs don't want anything to do with the 7's next year, however that shouldn't stop an event going ahead providing a suitable venue could be found in the Northern Hemisphere.
My idea is that an Australian team could still be well represented for example a 7's team of:
1.Brett Dallas
2.Darren Albert
3.Michael Withers
4.Jason Hooper
5. Michael Devere
6. Brad Drew
7. Chris McKenna

and a Kiwi team of:
1. Hape
2. Paul
3. Solomona
4. Lauititi
5. Swain
6. Vaealiki
7. Talau

Most PNG stars play in the UK as well, i think along with the rest of the RL playing nations such an event would be well supported.

 

[ripper]

Maybe invite some of the up and coming Union 7s teams like Kenya

 

[Jeffles]

It will be an absolute shame if we lose the Sevens all together. The self interest of the clubs knows no bounds. Funny that when the Sevens got better crowds (pre SL) there were no complaints about injuries. This is a useful excuse by the clubs to save money.

I've wanted a Northern Hemisphere Sevens for years to compliment the Aussie one. Now we may even have none.

 

[bazza]

I would invite the NRL clubs and if only 3 or 4 wanted to play that would be OK

I'm sure teams like Newtown and North Sydney would be happy to put teams in

Then you could have some rep type sides from WA, NT, NSW Country, etc

 

[ParraMatt]

Do you think they'd get the money to play in this event seeming it is being moved to the northern hemisphere.

 

[The Observer]

Considering that none of the NRL clubs want to play in a Sevens tournament which was held in Sydney, in their own backyard, I doubt they'd fly across the world for one. Teams like Newtown, Norths, WA, NT, NSW Country could not afford it.

Jason, I like your idea. Although Brisbane CEO Bruno Cullen and St George CEO Peter Doust have said that they would consider an Australian Sevens team, it could be easier for the RFL to call upon UK based Australians for the team. Similarly, with the NZ team, although the NZRL might prefer to send an NZ Residents team to give them an opportunity, it could be cheaper for the NZRL, RFL and RLIF for such a team to draw upon UK based NZers.

Finally, considering the Pacific Island teams struggle financially, even with RLIF cash, to send teams to Australia, let alone across the world, it may be better for a combined PI team to be formed from UK based players.

It begs a few questions - would the RFL be willing to host the Sevens on behalf of the European RLF and RLIF? Given Richard Lewis' enthusiasm for the international game and for bringing big tournaments to the UK, I think he might. I doubt it could be held before the SL season - it would be cold in January-February, and the Challenge Cup is on. In 2003 the SL clubs would each only release one player because they didn't want to disrupt their cup run. Also, a number of SL club grounds would be hosting soccer or Union matches.

Perhaps the RFL would support a Sevens tournament in the middle of SL - e.g. June-July?

Where should it be held? York? Middlesex? JJB? Halliwell Jones? Halton? Galpharm? KC? City of Manchester? London? Headingley? This would be a good lineup.

England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, France, Russia, Holland, Serbia, Morocco, Australia*, New Zealand*, Pacific Islands*
* = UK based players only

Qualifiers/Possible entrants
West Indies, Nigeria, South Africa, South Asia Bulls (all UK based players) Singapore, USA, Lebanon

I would prefer an international team only event - Super League hosted the World Nines in 1996 and 1997 with national teams, and Australia bowed out at the Semi Final stage on both occasions. It would definitely be competitive in UK. If England was considered to be too strong, then it could be split up into Lancashire, Yorkshire, Cumbria.

However there is a possibility that the SL clubs will only support a UK based tournament if they are involved. The club/international mix might not be ideal, and it wasn't great to see France and England beaten in 2003 by club teams. However, if it means there is a tournament vs none at all, then its better to invite the SL clubs. If that's the case, then it might require a lineup something like this:

the 12 SL clubs +
Scotland, Ireland, Wales, France, Russia, Holland, Serbia, Morocco, Australia (SL players only), New Zealand (SL based players only), Pacific Islands (SL based players only) + one qualifier from:
USA, West Indies, Nigeria, Singapore, South Africa, South Asia Bulls

 

[Man_of_Steel_1982]

I prefer the international only sevens idea as well.

You'd only need 10 players from the NRL, they wouldn't have to be super stars, just young guys willing to have a go. Then you could have teams from everywhere like Russia, USA and all that. Play it at the start of the year and end of the season, moving to different locations each time. And it wouldn't neccessarily be a 3 horse race (GB, AUS, NZ).

 

[MRLA]

The MRLA arent happy with the news of the past week regarding the World Sevens and are hopeful some kind of agreement can come of the situation.

This(WOLRD SEVENS) would have been MALTA's sevens debut which may now happen at Wollongong instead, at the 2005 Wollongong Sevens.

 

[Big Bunny]

On the Footy Show the idea was raised by Colin Love that the 7's could possibly be held in QLD, with the international element being kept intact but including NSW and QLD instead of the clubs. I tend to like that idea, although I still hope to see the qualifying tournament in Sydney. Hong Kong was also mentioned, but is a dud option I feel.

 

[griff]

I'm very disappointed in the clubs. As we all know, the Sevens is vital for new and developing nations as a stepping stone to full 13 a side competition.

I am not convinced an international only Sevens would work. Having the clubs all playing in a carnival atmosphere brings out the fans of each club, and it is these crowds that subsidise the whole event. I really don't think an Australian Sevens side would be that much of a draw, particularly if it is made up of lesser players (which it will be, since all the top players are likely to not make themselves available).

 

[yakstorm]

If you had a national only Sevens tournament, you would be forced to have a lower scale tournament. Possibly hold it somewhere like Newcastle, Illawarra, Townsville? and you look to have say 12 nations.

1. Australia
2. NZ
3. England
4. PNG
5. Fiji
6. Tonga
7. Samoa
8. Russia
9. France

With the other 3 spots being made up of either qualifers, other home nations or some other way of entry.

Teams broken up into four pools of three with the top team qualifying for the Cup.

 

[dimitri]

didnt super league hold a successful international only nines tournament during super league in townsville

im sure a similar tournament in newcastle or even the gold coast would be an excellent success

 

[yakstorm]

If you had a national only Sevens tournament, you would be forced to have a lower scale tournament. Possibly hold it somewhere like Newcastle, Illawarra, Townsville? and you look to have say 12 nations.

1. Australia
2. NZ
3. England
4. PNG
5. Fiji
6. Tonga
7. Samoa
8. Russia
9. France

With the other 3 spots being made up of either qualifers, other home nations or some other way of entry.

Teams broken up into four pools of three with the top team qualifying for the Cup.

 

[hgfds]

If there are only going to be 12 teams what about a 13 a side match on the sunday,broncs vs png,pi's or world 13 etc,something akin to the dutch tournament where two seperate events where held at the same time.

 

[The Observer]

Big Bunny, I agree that HK is a dud idea, for reasons I've listed in another thread. If the tourney remains in Aus, then Love is on to something by suggesting that Australia splits up into NSW and QLD for the tournament. In fact, I would go further to say that NSW should be split into its City Origin/Sydney and Country Origin/NSW Country teams. I'd put an Aboriginal team straight into the main draw, but the City, Country and QLD teams would get first pick. Nonetheless, the Dream Team would be strong enough to win it.

I'd put an Emerging States Australian team (representing Vic, SA, WA, Tas, anyone else) into the qualifiers.

Does the tournament necessarily need to move out of Sydney? Maybe not. Although SL attracted a 12,000+ crowd to Townsville in 1997 for the World Nines,

http://www.rugby-league-world.com/1997/Results/RepMatches/repseason.html

I'm sure Sydney could still top that without the clubs - especially if NZ and GB do well in the Tri Series this year and International RL gets a boost.

Yakstorm, do you think we'd need to reduce the number of teams so drastically to 12? If SL could manage 12 in 1997, with the teams listed in the above link, the RLIF could look to a 16 team tournament and look to have a 8 team emerging 7s tournament i.e. those that miss out from qualifiers - they might as well be put into action in their own tournament over the W7s weekend rather than just the qualifiers.

You could say that international RL has become more competitive since then. If Australia were split up into a few teams, then the tournament would be even more competitive. There are a host of teams that could rely on Australian based players only:

City Origin, Country Origin, Queensland, ATSI team, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Cook Islands, PNG, Malta, Greece, Italy, Lebanon

with a few relying on some NZ based players - NZ Kiwis, Aotearoa Maori, American Samoa.

Those teams from overseas would be New Caledonia, Russia, France, GB, Japan, USA. Below is a possible pool system for a revised World Nines with possible rankings for those teams (I just ranked the Aussie teams first to put them into separate pools.

POOL A - City (1), NZ (5), Fiji (9), Samoa (13)
POOL B - Country (2), GB (6), PNG (10), Russia (14)
POOL C - Queensland (3), France (7), Lebanon (11), QUALIFIER (15)
POOL D - Aborigines (4), Maori (eight), Tonga (12), QUALIFIER (16)

Emerging Nations tournament could involve American Samoa, Cook Islands, Emerging States Australia, Greece, Italy, Japan, Malta, New Caledonia, USA, West Indies/Singapore.

 

[The Observer]

Any thoughts on my last idea? If anything, it may provide the best of both worlds of the club 7s and international 7s proposals.

 

[In-goal]

im not a fan of Aboriginal and Maori teams as they represent a culture not a country, If the players are good enough they will play for Australia or New Zealand

 

[ruggabugga]

The establishment have turned their back on sevens. Don't flog a dead horse. Sevens is relatively new to league. It was only about 20+ years ago that the proffessional code started playing this form of the game and went in search of Rugby Union people to teach them the principles of the game. Seven's as a future for league appears limited without the support of the NRL clubs. The Rugby code have an established International agenda and are about to exteng the concept to the Olympic arena. RL has missed the boat on this one and should look to build on it's strengths.

 

[Ari Gold]

POOL A - City (1), NZ (5), Fiji (9), Samoa (13)
POOL B - Country (2), GB (6), PNG (10), Russia (14)
POOL C - Queensland (3), France (7), Lebanon (11), QUALIFIER (15)
POOL D - Aborigines (4), Maori (eight), Tonga (12), QUALIFIER (16)

Emerging Nations tournament could involve American Samoa, Cook Islands, Emerging States Australia, Greece, Italy, Japan, Malta, New Caledonia, USA, West Indies/Singapore.

i reckon thats a great idea for world sevens.....might be a little expensive because there are so many internation teams, but that line-up is very good, would attract a lot of people......

 

[The Observer]

i reckon thats a great idea for world sevens.....might be a little expensive because there are so many internation teams, but that line-up is very good, would attract a lot of people......

Cheers rob. Its fair to be concerned that the cost the international teams might be high, so in order to keep costs down yet expand the Sevens concept and the number of teams in international RL, it may even be worth tweaking the Sevens to have a tournament in each hemisphere.

The ARL (on behalf of the RLIF) could host one leg of the World Sevens in Sydney in late summer (e.g. late February) just before the NRL commenced, as the ARL has done many times. In this leg, the ARL could host teams primarily from the Southern Hemisphere:

POOL A - City (1), NZ (5), Samoa (9), Russia (13)
POOL B - Country (2), Maori (6), Tonga (10), QUALIFIER (14)
POOL C - Queensland (3), PNG (7), Lebanon (11), QUALIFIER (15)
POOL D - Aborigines (4), Fiji (eight), Cook Islands (12), QUALIFIER (16)

An World Sevens qualifying tournament, based in St Marys, could involve nations like American Samoa, Argentina, Emerging States Australia (Vic, SA, WA, Tas, NT), Greece, Italy, Japan, Malta, New Caledonia, Niue, USA, Singapore.

Now in this tournament
- the 4 Aussie teams and 2 NZ teams would include as many NRL players as possible.
- PNG would probably be 1/2 local, 1/2 QLD based (like this year).
- the PI teams would all have a strong core of local players to give them a chance (Am Samoa and Niue could use their Aus and NZ based players for the qualifiers)
- Greece, Italy, Malta, Lebanon, Japan, USA could use their Aus based players
- Argentina, Russia and Singapore could fly their players over
- Emerging States Aus would comprise genuine products of RL in those states (including any players possible from NRL system).