If anyone still remembers international sevens...

...there's an Olympic warm-up tournament on this weekend, in Burton-on-Trent, featuring Ireland, Team GB and USA, with mens and womens teams on show.



The England Rugby YouTube channel is carrying coverage. It's a real oddity, because the camera angles and lack of crowds make it look like a schools tournament. It's also taking place on a football pitch, with shorter grass than a rugby pitch. As it is a wet weekend, there's more than a few slips.

Ireland still have a challenging qualifying event next month, to secure the last Olympic berth. France, Samoa and Tonga are among the teams trying to claim it. They looked quite good on the first day, only losing by a score against Team GB, and beating USA.

Team GB are a complete unknown. The squad was announced back in February, and looks a bit like the mix you saw five years ago: mostly England players, with some Scots and Welsh. Unlike five years ago, no regular XVs players have tried to make themselves available. The coach is former England sevens player Tony Roques.

There are few worse sports for the COVID-19 world than international sevens. It relies heavily on international travel, participants from all over the globe, and generous corporate sponsorship. With many unions under financial pressure, the sevens progarmme has been an easy target for cuts. To be honest, if the sport wasn't in the Olympics, and attracting Olympic funding, sevens might well have been completely canned in a number of countries.

Against Ireland and USA, Team GB fielded two very different squads, and won both matches. For Rio, the Olympic team relied heavily on an England core. It's not clear how that will work this time around, because no-one has been playing, so it's hard to assess form. The England team has a lot of older players, and an extra year to wait for the Olympics will not have done them any favours. Mainstay player Phil Burgess already decided to end his career, and spend more time with his young family, so he leaves a big gap anyway. It says something about the sheer lack of attention on the code, that it isn't clear if any replaced Burgess in the provisional Team GB squad.

Ireland just scored 31 unanswered points against the USA. The final score was 31-14. USA are no mugs at sevens, so that is a great result.

Didnt know it on thanks

Ireland just smashed USA 33-0. USA have now lost five straight matches, and only have one left against Team GB to avoid a whitewash.

Ireland have lost twice to GB, with just the game today to get revenge.

Does anybody know the make up of the GB team ?

I would expect it to be heavily made up with English players as they are the best at 7's from the NH.

Rugby Fan wrote:Ireland just smashed USA 33-0. USA have now lost five straight matches, and only have one left  against Team GB to avoid a whitewash.

Ireland have lost twice to GB, with just the game today to get revenge.

Ireland’s games v GB were very tight, very little between the two sides. GBs defence very good.

LordDowlais wrote:Does anybody know the make up of the GB team ?

I would expect it to be heavily made up with English players as they are the best at 7's from the NH.

Dan Bibby (England)
Tom Bowen (England)
Richard de Carpentier (England)
Alec Coombes (Edinburgh / Scotland)
Alex Davis (England)
Tom Emery (Coventry)
Jamie Farndale (Edinburgh / Scotland)
Robbie Fergusson (Glasgow Warriors / Scotland)
Ben Harris (Saracens)
Paddy Kelly (Glasgow Warriors / Scotland)
Ollie Lindsay-Hague (England)
Ross McCann (Scotland)
Max McFarland (Scotland)
Tom Mitchell (England)
Luke Morgan (Ospreys / Wales)
Will Muir (Bath / England)
Dan Norton (England)
Luke Treharne (Wales)
Ethan Waddleton (England)
Morgan Williams (Wales)

Phil Burgess pulled out of the squad in March, and it's not clear if anyone replaced him.

EDIT: Just noticed Harry Glover of England in the squad so he might have replaced Burgess. He recently signed for Stade Francais, so it looked like he had ended his Sevens career. It's possible he answered a late call. He is very good, so has as good a chance as anyone at making the final cut.

Cheers RF, I take it that this is the side going to the Olympics.

Big representation from the Scots. Also, Luke Treharne is still going, fair play to him.

LordDowlais wrote:Cheers RF, I take it that this is the side going to the Olympics.

Big representation from the Scots. Also, Luke Treharne is still going, fair play to him.

No, this is the provisional squad. The Olympic squad has to be cut down to 12. In Rio, that meant 2 Welsh, 2 Scots and 8 English. Haven't a clue what Roques will do this time round.

With a small squad size, one or two selections end up dictating the rest. If your speed merchant is short, then you need height elsewhere, and not just your restart target. If your playmakers aren't good couterruckers, then other players have to have that skill.

Will they be looking at 15 as-side players ?

LordDowlais wrote:Will they be looking at 15 as-side players ?

The door was open, as it was last time. (Joe Simpson would have been selected if he hadn't been injured in the trials). This time, no-one put their hand up. The whole sevens set-up was such a mess, it's not surprising players chose the security of club or national union contracts.

Commentator Rob Vickerman has selected this Olympic Squad (13 in all, not sure if that's the number allowed now, or if it includes a travelling reserve). He has named two Scots, one Welshman, and the rest are English. This gives you some idea of how you might structure a sevens squad.

Dan Bibby - fly half/centre
Luke Trehane - scrum half/fly half
Ollie Lindsay-Hague - 9/10/centre
Alec Coombs - prop/hooker
Tom Bowen - prop/hooker/wing/centre
*Ethan Waddleton - prop/hooker (not playing thsi weekend)
Richard de Carpentier - prop
Alex Davies - prop/centre
Ben Harris - prop/centre
Harry Glover - prop/centre
Max McFarland - scrum half/wing
Tom Mitchell - scrum half/fly half
Dan Norton - centre/wing
Alex Davies - prop/centre

If Waddleton isn't fit, Vicks would take Farndale.

Rugby Fan wrote:Commentator Rob Vickerman has selected this Olympic Squad (13 in all, as there is a travelling reserve* which you can use until the tournament starts). He has named two Scots, one Welshman, and the rest are English. This gives you some idea of how you might structure a sevens squad.

Dan Bibby - fly half/centre
Luke Trehane - scrum half/fly half
Ollie Lindsay-Hague - 9/10/centre
Alec Coombs - prop/hooker
Tom Bowen - prop/hooker/wing/centre
*Ethan Waddleton - prop/hooker
Richard de Carpentier - prop
Alex Davies - prop/centre
Ben Harris - prop/centre
Harry Glover - prop/centre
Max McFarland - scrum half/wing
Tom Mitchell - scrum half/fly half
Dan Norton - centre/wing
Alex Davies - prop/centre

Not surprising really, of us all in the NH, England really do take the circuit more seriously than the rest of us, probably due to recourses, but thats just how it is, I will be chearing team GB on regardless.

Although we do have one world cup to our name.

After going unbeaten over the first two days, Team GB lost both matches today.

To some extent, that could be expected. Ireland and USA have all played with each other before, and the aim was to get back in the groove. Team GB are new to each other, and each game saw a new unfamiliar combination.

A quick takeaway is that Team GB are small. Aside from de Carpentier, our players are smaller in stature than other leading teams, so we need more pace and precision. Phil Burgess will be missed. That seems counter to the way Sevens has been going but, quite frankly, no-one really knows how Sevens is going right now.

Ireland looked good, and they have what it takes to beat the other teams in an Olympic qualifier. Still, the winner in Monaco will probably need some lucky breaks.

So Ireland won the tournament? I wonder does it count for anything

Collapse2005 wrote:So Ireland won the tournament? I wonder does it count for anything

Even allowing for the fact it was their debut World Series season, Ireland didn't claim too many large scalps before it was all cancelled. Beating USA and Team GB should be a confidence boost. Olympic qualification is still a challenge, as France are a higher ranked team, and Samoa can beat the best when they click. However, if Ireland can make it, then they'll be a medal contender. Rio showed how the smaller format can lead to off-the-wall results (e.g. Japan beat NZ).

All this assumes the Games go ahead, of course.

There's a lot of public unease in Japan, as we are going through a small COVID spike, and the vaccine roll-out will barely have finished the over-65s by the time the Games starts. If it was up to Tokyo, then the Olympics would probably be cancelled. However, a unilateral move would leave the city on the hook to pay a hefty fee to the IOC. The IOC needs to be the body to cancel, and they want to go ahead no matter what, to get paid for TV coverage by NBC.

If things get worse in Tokyo, then you might see a change. The again, while lot of pre-tournament training camps have been cancelled, it looks as if most athletes are still planning to make the trip, so it would be a big decision to call a halt.

They havent had the best luck in hosting the RWC and the Olympics

Samu Kerevi will try and make the Australian Olympic sevens squad. After the 2019 World Cup, he moved to Japan, which took him out of international contention. He stayed in touch with the Sevens coach, though. There's no guarantee he'll make it.

Still, he's one of the few 15s players to try for the Olympics. Team GB coach Tony Roques reportedly asked Marcus Smith to make himself available but he declined. While it must have been very tempting, he probably needs to be available for England to have any chance of making his case for a regular squad place.

The IRFU are hosting both Mens and Womens Team GB teams at the High Performance Centre in Dublin this weekend. Ireland are preparing for the Olympic reparchage qualifier later this month. All the games are up on the IRFU YouTube channel.

Ireland and GB each had a first and second team. On Saturday, the results went like this:

Ireland Men (1) 19-14 Great Britain Men (1)
Ireland Men (2) 0-31 Great Britain Men (2)
Ireland Men (1) 29-0 Great Britain Men (2)
Ireland Men (2) 0-15 Great Britain Men (1)
Ireland Men (1) 14-17 Great Britain Men (1)
Ireland Men (2) 0-43 Great Britain Men (2)

Not clear to me if GB (1) is actually a first choice team, or just a grouping. In fact, I haven't found a list anywhere of who is in either GB team.

Ireland (1) and GB (1) ended the day honours even. Ireland (1) also handily dispatched GB (2) , which won't have done much for those players' chances.

While the games seemed physical enough, handling and decision-making wasn't great. Both sides will need to take their chances better when the stakes are higher.

IRFU report here:

https://www.irishrugby.ie/2021/06/05/opening-day-of-hpc-international-7s-produces-thrilling-sevens-action/

Looks like a few players are switching national allegiances for the sevens.

Former All Blacks midfielder Malakai Fekitoa is switching his international rugby allegiance to Tonga.

The 29-year-old is one of four former New Zealand and Australian internationals who will represent Tonga at next weekend's final Olympic Sevens qualifying tournament in Monaco.

The others are former Wallabies forward Lopeti Timani, Australian sevens international Afusipa Taumoepeau, and Tasman winger Tima Fainga'anuku, who is a former New Zealand sevens representative.

Fekitoa will link up with the Tonga sevens squad in Monaco after playing for Wasps in their final English Premiership match against Leicester Tigers this weekend.

The former Auckland and Highlanders player, who was born on Hihifo in the Ha'apai Islands, made his test debut in 2014 and played the last of his 24 tests for New Zealand against the British and Irish Lions four years ago.

He represented Tonga in sevens before moving to New Zealand as a 17 year old, after earning a scholarship to Wesley College.

Players can switch their international allegiance by playing in an Olympic qualifying event, provided they have a passport for the second country and have completed a stand-down period of three years.

By playing in 50 per cent of Tonga's matches at the Olympic qualifying tournament in Monaco, Fekitoa will become eligible to play for the 'Ikale Tahi national team.

However, a mouthwatering debut against the All Blacks in Auckland next month is a no-go, with a test debut pencilled in for November.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/rugby-former-all-blacks-midfielder-malakai-fekitoa-set-to-represent-tonga/3ERHBGYOMTAXIMXKYO42JP7FSI/

Does that mean they can then move on to represent that country at the 15s game?

I genuinely hope not.

Its been that way for a while GF.

GeordieFalcon wrote:Does that mean they can then move on to represent that country at the 15s game?

I genuinely hope not.

It can do. While the route isn't straightforward, the principle was established before the last Olympics. You might remember there was talk Steffon Armitage might use it to play for France.

You have to commit to playing in Sevens competition, which usually doesn't match up with club commitments, so we didn't see much attempt to use it before.

Yes thats right i remember the Armitage thing.

Ah im not impressed...Feikitoa has played for the Kiwis over 20 times, and now could play for Tonga.

Bit of a mockery.

Fiji want Semi Radradra in their Olympic Sevens squad. Bristol going deep into the season has messed up plans for him to join up early. The coach has now said they are thinking of having him fly direct to Tokyo.

Bristol’s Centre Semi Radradra is said to possibly fly straight to the Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan in June. Fiji Rugby’s chief John O’Connor has revealed that they are prepared to fly the Fijian star to the Olympic Games if possible.

This is one step for the Fijian who will be coming into Tokyo as the defending champions after winning the first ever gold medal in the Rio Olympics in 2016.

RugbyPass revealed last week about the negotiations going underway to get more oversees Fijians into Australia to as they build on their current pool of players. Three players are being looked at if they can fly over to play for the Fiji squad.

Vilimoni Botitu and Pau’s Aminiasi Tuimaba are the two other players Fiji are looking into importing. The current Fiji 7s squad are now in Brisbane in their bubble as they prepare their inexperienced players for their first international tournament.

https://planet7s.com/2021/06/11/semi-radradra-could-fly-directly-to-tokyo-olympics/

Incidentally, next weekend sees the final Olympic qualifier in Monaco.

Ireland have Samoa, Tonga, Zimbabwe and Mexico in their pool, which is a tough proposition.

The other pool has France, Hong Kong, Chile, Jamaica and Uganda. While Hong Kong are no mugs, it will be a big surprise if France don't top that group. That pool will either leave France fresh for the final play-offs, or undercooked.

https://www.the42.ie/ireland-sevens-rugby-mens-olympics-repechage-5464710-Jun2021/

Charles Piutau can't join Fekitoa this weekend, because he has the match against Quins to play.

However, if Tonga were to somehow qualify for the Olympics, he could be drafted straight in, and switch his allegiance back that way. The Tongan manager has indicated they would be prepared to do that.

Still, it's a tough ask. Eggchasers asked whether it was fair that the randomness of a club schedule should dictate whether a player can switch allegiances. While it's not ideal, it's not especially arbitrary.

World Rugby YouTube Channel will be showing this weekend's Olympic qualifier.

So basically this is now a new way for the "tier  2 " teams to start and recruit all the NZ etc  cast offs.

Scotland will be at it next...

GeordieFalcon wrote:So basically this is now a new way for the "tier  2 " teams to start and recruit all the NZ etc  cast offs.

Scotland will be at it next...

It isn't new. The route was available last Olympics, and no-one took it. So far, we only know of one player who will try to use it this year. Another player, Hosea Saumaki, was given the chance to switch allegiance to Japan by playing for their sevens team but has chosen to stay with Tonga. He got tied to Tonga playing sevens for them as a teenager, but went to university in Japan, and has been in Japan since, so that's a big call.

It's unclear now whether Scotland, England and Wales will ever have a chance to use it, as they may compete in the future only as a GB team. Not only will that mean a smaller number of players, it won't necessarily qualify individuals for the underlying Team GB unions.

Tonga's problem is they are not a full member of the sevens circuit, so there haven't been enough conveniently-timed official events for them to qualify players. If they don't win in Monaco, then they won't qualify for the Olympic, and won't be able to use the event to switch players.

Team GB: Eight English and four Scots, with one English reserve.

Dan Bibby
Alec Coombes
Alex Davis
Robbie Fergusson
Harry Glover
Ben Harris
Ollie Lindsay-Hague
Ross McCann
Max McFarland
Tom Mitchell
Dan Norton
Ethan Waddleton

Men’s reserve: Tom Bowen

There are a few big calls. The one that stands out for me, is leaving out Richard de Carpentier.

Ireland beat Zimbabwe, good start

Samoa looking like a team to beat. They just smashed Tonga, and have run up over 100 points in two games. The pool match with Ireland is tomorrow.

Given Tonga's poor showing, the match between Ireland and Samoa is the first heavyweight clash of the weekend.

Ireland went 0-14 ahead before giving away a soft seven point score. Ireland restored the gap shortly afterwards, and Samoa then just couldn't get hold of the ball.

Final score Samoa 7-21 Ireland

Ireland top the pool, which means they play against a second-place pool finisher. If they win that, then they will contest the final.

France smashed Hong Kong 36-5.

Both teams go through to the semi-finals which are confirned as:

France vs Samoa
Ireland vs Hong Kong

Don't want to get ahead of ourselves here but France have handily beaten Samoa, so the big showdown should now be with Ireland, provided they deal with Hong Kong.

The final is at 19:07pm local Monaco time. That's 18:07 in Britain and Ireland.

Great win for Ireland. Brilliant stuff. Have a great side. Come a long way.
Look forward to the Olympics

Great win, delighted for the Irish lads.

Decent performance from the lads in green. Nice to see some of the original seven's names still in around the squad and getting minutes. Couple of Irish towards the top of the scoring charts and line breaks. Conroy was outclassing his opposite number most times he got the ball and Kennedy's offload will be a highlight reel moment for quite a while.

Feikitoa now available for Tonga XV's and Charles Piatau hoping to do the same.

GeordieFalcon wrote:Feikitoa now available for Tonga XV's and Charles Piatau hoping to do the same.  

Piutau can't do it, because he didn't play in Monaco, and Tonga didn't qualify for the Olympics, so he won't be representing Tonga there.

Tonga are not part of the HSBC Sevens circuit, so they don't play in the kind of representative tournaments you need to be at for that eligibility criterion to kick in. The Olympic qualifiers are a special case, and there won't be another before the next Rugby World Cup.

Meanwhile, down under, the Oceania 7s are taking place, with Fiji, NZ and Australia. They are all contenders, so it's a chance to see how they are looking. Everyone seems very rusty, so the gold medal winner is probably going to be the team which gets back into the groove fastest.

Here's Fiji vs NZ

Argentina and USA played a warm-up game. This is easily some of the worst camerawork ever. Argentina looked OK, and USA didn't.

Final match between Fiji and NZ this weekend. They are the top two favourites for gold, followed by South Africa, and then GB and Australia. From recent form, Ireland are probably in that last bracket.



Fiji look like they are holding back. Both sides are a lot more physical than GB and Ireland, so the two Home Nations sides will need to move the ball intelligently, and hope the referees protect them. While USA look well off their best, they have the game to beat anyone. However, the short format didn't suit them in Rio, or at the last World Cup.

The short form probably helped Team GB in 2016. It also boosted Japan, who beat NZ, and Argentina. Teams which might not win a medal can nevertheless be giant killers in early rounds.

Team GB were at the LA 7s with Argentina, USA, Korea, Mexico and Jamaica. Korea will also be at the Olympics, however only GB, USA have the Pumas are realistic medal hopes.

GB lost once, and won once against both teams. Here is their victory over Argentina.



Overall, Argentina took the tournament title, and looked the better team.

News about all other Olympic rugby sevens sides can generally be found on the website of the national union. Team GB, of course, is a combined side. You might imagine England, Scotland and Wales would all cover the progress of Team GB leading up the Olympics. In fact, none of those unions do. The whole Team GB sevens concept could not feel more unloved. The only vaguely current information about the teams is the twitter feed @GBRugbySevens, which was set up just four months ago.

If the side manages to get a medal of any sort in Tokyo, it will be a bigger achievement than silver in Rio.