2016-2017 World Sevens Series
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I hope Winiata gets a proper explanation, because this is just plain weird. Also missing are Kayla McAlister and Hazel Tubic. Honey Hirime has retired from 7s, not from XVs. Unsure, but the same might apply to Huriana Manuel.
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"Attacking too much" sounds rather simplistic, I find it hard to believe that's the reason given. Plenty of exciting players that try to do too much on their own though and it ends up to the detriment of the team when they often die with the ball or turn it over.
Probably not the best idea to come out slagging the coach when there's still a spot open, but if that really is all she's been told then fair enough.
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All Blacks 7s squad for the Wellington 7s (* indicates new caps):
Scott Curry – Captain – Bay of Plenty
Dylan Collier – Southland
DJ Forbes – Counties Manukau
Iopu Iopu-Aso – Taranaki
Trael Joass* - Ta$man
Rocky Khan – Auckland
Andrew Knewstubb* - Ta$man
Vilimoni Koroi* - Otago
Tim Mikkelson - Waikato
Sione Molia – Counties Manukau
Tone Ng Shiu* - Ta$man
Sherwin Stowers - Counties Manukau
Isaac Te Tamaki – Waikato
Regan Ware – Bay of Plentyhttp://www.allblacks.com/News/30277/four-new-caps-in-all-blacks-sevens-squad-for-wellington
It's an understatement when I say I'm underwhelmed by this squad. I don't understand the sudden love for these Ta$man players; if they performed so well, why didn't their team make the final at the National 7s? Not to speak of the guys who did perform well, who are NOT in the squad.
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@Stargazer Ta$man didn't even make the SFs. Very underwhelming when I saw this squad.
I can't say I'll be rushing to watch the sevens play this season. Have these 4 new players addressed the problem the NZ team has (i.e., a lack of speedsters)?
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@Bovidae Yeah, I had the intention of going at least one day, but now I've seen the squad, I'll watch it on tv. Really disappointed that a guy like Emerson, who is so incredibly quick and played well, is not in the squad. And Dylan Collier is still there? Geez.
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So the national champs get 3 players in the squad, one of whom didn't play in the championship.
Is Khan really the best playmaker we have?
I seem to think the Sevens can't have their new coach arrive soon enough and hopefully with a big broom. There is way to many blinkers on regarding selections I think.
I didn't see these Ta$man guys play but none of them were mentioned in dispatches as exciting talent.
Our long run of success in this code was founded on taking the most exciting fresh talent out there and teaching them how to play at a high level. Once we started looking only at the 'best Sevens specialists' we started going downhill.
I doubt these days we would see the likes of young Lomus, Cullens, Janes etc get a run. -
@Crucial said in 2016-2017 World Sevens Series:
So the national champs get 3 players in the squad, one of whom didn't play in the championship.
Is Khan really the best playmaker we have?
I seem to think the Sevens can't have their new coach arrive soon enough and hopefully with a big broom. There is way to many blinkers on regarding selections I think.
I didn't see these Ta$man guys play but none of them were mentioned in dispatches as exciting talent.
Our long run of success in this code was founded on taking the most exciting fresh talent out there and teaching them how to play at a high level. Once we started looking only at the 'best Sevens specialists' we started going downhill.
I doubt these days we would see the likes of young Lomus, Cullens, Janes etc get a run.One of the newbies, Andrew Knewstubb, was named the Men's Player of the Tournament last weekend. So it's not entirely true that none of them were recognised as exciting talent. The question is more, who decided that he was the MVP last week, because a lot of people were surprised about that (including some of the commentators); there seemed to be more deserving candidates.
I'm not sure that the current selection would have been much different under Clark Laidlaw. He was in Rotorua and watched the Nationals last weekend. I cannot imagine that he didn't have any say in today's team naming.
I cannot help but thinking that the 2016-17 series are going to be used for testing emerging talent, just to see how they go at this level and that winning the series is not even a consideration. The selections seem so random. Also, it was common practice the last few years that a squad was named for two tournaments (so Wellington and Sydney), they haven't done that this time. Or am I reading too much in that?
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one mans thoughts on the Wellington 7s
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@taniwharugby This type of articles about blaming low ticket sales for Welly7s on "the fun police" is becoming a bit of a drag, esp if they sound like they have been written by someone who wasn't there last year and is just repeating what he read in the just as ill-informed comments under Stuff articles.
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@Stargazer said in 2016-2017 World Sevens Series:
@taniwharugby This type of articles about blaming low ticket sales for Welly7s on "the fun police" is becoming a bit of a drag, esp if they sound like they have been written by someone who wasn't there last year and is just repeating what he read in the just as ill-informed comments under Stuff articles.
But that's the whole point! People went when it was a party and now they don't go. Those commenters who you call uninformed are the people who used to go and now they aren't going. It's pretty clear you like the 7's and think it is a great event now. It is also clear that the majority of people disagree with you. I sort of find it a drag when people say they aren't going because of restrictions and are instead told that the reason ticket sales have dropped is because 7's was only a fad and tens of thousands of fans got bored of the event over night.
The fact is that the police have said that the 7's cannot be a party. They aren't changing their mind. The organisers have to operate within that environment and put on the best event they can. The problem is that clearly 7's in New Zealand isn't that popular (tournaments are relegated to the rugby channel and it generates barely any discussion on here). Marketing it as a rugby tournament isn't likely to work either. Marketing it as a tournament to families hasn't worked either.
You have to find some way to get a balance. Ticket prices need to be massively reduced and it should be moved back to Friday/Saturday. Perhaps the 7's is now impossible to save. Only ten countries in the world get to host a 7's tournament - it's a privilege. Let's say Barcelona wants to host a tournament. How long would World Rugby persist with New Zealand?
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The thoughts of the new coach and his plans leading up to Tokyo. I wish Laidlaw was asked about the type of player he wants because the status quo isn't working anymore.
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@hydro11 Won't respond to everything you've said in your post, because this topic has been discussed to death before (also on the Fern). If people weren't there last year, they can't know whether it was fun or not, last year. They didn't stay away last year, because it wasn't fun last year, but because they didn't expect it to be fun - based on experiences from previous years or negative press before last year's tournament. So negative expectations versus actual experience of last year's tournament.
I agree about the ticket prices (esp because they've now dumped the half-day tickets too) as well as the food/drink prices, but I find it kind of sad that people think an event can only be a party if you can drink a lot of alcohol (pre-loading or at the stadium) and/or can get drunk.
By the way, the family zone was almost full on both days last year, esp. in the first block of the day (until 4pm). I was sitting right next to that zone, so I definitely know!
Also, I read somewhere a couple of weeks ago that the ticket sales for Sydney were also down. If you look carefully on tv, you see attendance at other sevens events is not that great either. I wouldn't expect cities like Barcelona to sell out, not for a long period anyway. Not the least because their team is not consistently in the top tier, and rugby is way below other sports in popularity in Spain. That will apply to many other cities/countries around the world.
Finally, the regional sevens, national sevens and condor sevens were all on Sky Sport, not just the Rugby Channel. Only the men's World Series, and the few World Series games of the women that are televised (most are not on tv at all), are only on the RC. I don't call that 'relegating', I call that milking it for extra subscriptions for the RC. Agree the marketing has been shit.
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I think you're both making reasonable points, but at the end of the day I would imagine that we can all agree that it's not an 'event' on the calendar any more in the way it once was. It may have been awesome fun in the family zone last year for the 15,000 who went last year, but that's a huge failure compared to the past, what it costs to put on, and what should be expected for NZ to continue to have such an event. It's time for it to be either moved or moved on. I agree that it's sad that people need booze to have a good time, but equally events like that need somewhat of a party atmosphere, or they die. Like the sevens has. So, let's light some candles.
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I applaud that article, as in my view, there isn't enough people calling a spade a spade.
Sevens rugby is exciting, fast, enthralling, great to watch, and a spectacle.
for about an hour. Or when your team is playing.
For a sevens weekend that leaves about 15 other hours to fill. I'm sorry, but having a few beers and a party is a fantastic way to fill that void. I've not looked at all the stats, but I assure you, the whole family thing has very limited appeal. Attention span of children - not very long at all, trying to get them to sit on a hard plastic seat for 2 days .. more or less impossible.
It simply has to be a piss up / party. Sorry organisers, it's as simple as that.
