2018 Sevens RWC

[Stargazer]

@machpants Yeah, the 15 core men's teams will indeed play fewer games: one game before the QFs instead of three. Normally, the men's Word Series tournaments involve the 15 core teams and one invitational team; the RWC has more participants, 24 nations.

The women's World Series normally involve 11 core teams and an invitational team, so there are 4 more teams from non-core nations. Again, the core teams will play one game before the QFs instead of three.

This is not being done to fit the men's and women's tournaments over two days, as the tournament is played on three days, just like the Sydney and Paris legs of the World Series. The men's tournament is played on Friday, 20, Saturday, 21 and Sunday, 22 July; the women's tournament on Friday, 20 and Saturday, 21 July (that's in local time).

I'm not sure what the reasoning is behind the new format. WR presented it as if it is something innovative. From what they've posted on social media, I have the impression that they think this knock-out format will make the tournament more competitive.

[Stargazer]

The squads have been named:

.

[Tim]

Anyone know much about Akuila Rokolisoa?

Akuila Rokolisoa, who was loaned from Auckland to Counties Manukau for the National Sevens

Rayasi to debut for All Blacks Sevens in Hong Kong

The All Blacks Sevens squad for the upcoming Hong Kong tournament has been named. Salesi Rayasi is in-line to make...

EDIT: Apparently he's a Marist player.

[Bovidae]

Knewstubb listed as a H-K player, not from Ta$man?

Webber injured again - obviously.

[Stargazer]

@tim A quick google search tells me he went to James Cook High School and was born in Lautoka.

[Nepia]

@tim said in 2018 Sevens RWC:

Akuila Rokolisoa

This has an interview with him - which isn't very helpful if you want info about him as a player.

[KiwiMurph]

From what I saw he was at the Hong Kong 7s he was a fleet footed attacker - very much on the small side.

[Stargazer]

Finally, the allblacks website is back on.

Unavailable due to injury: Joe Webber, Amanaki Nicole, Sam Dickson, Etene Nanai-Seturo and Ngarohi McGarvey-Black.

All Blacks Sevens coach Clark Laidlaw said the unique nature of the knock out competition contributed to it being a difficult squad to select.

“Getting the balance of the squad right was the main thing. It’s a different tournament in that its four games instead of six and we can only take 12 players, so we were looking to have flexibility in the 12 in terms of the positions they cover.

Black Ferns Sevens coach Allan Bunting said this was the most challenging squad he has ever had to name.

“It was definitely hard but that’s exactly where we want to be. In our trials there was so much motivation, excitement and skill set; we know we have selected the right team.

“We have had a good year, but this group is strict on themselves, we think we have room to improve and those last bits we need to get right are the toughest. 

First games
The All Blacks Sevens will play the winner of Russia v Hong Kong in their first match on Saturday, 21 July at 3.31pm NZT.

The Black Ferns Sevens face Mexico in their opening match of the World Cup on Saturday, 21 July at 6.50am NZT.

Broadcast
Rugby World Cup Sevens will be broadcast live on DUKE (Freeview channel 13 and channel 23 on Sky).

Saturday 21 July
Women’s qualifiers - Men’s qualifiers
Coverage begins 4.55am

Sunday 22 July
Women’s play offs – Men’s play offs – Women’s finals
Coverage begins 4.25am

Monday 23 July
Men’s play offs – Men’s finals
Coverage begins 3.55am

.

http://www.allblacks.com/News/32668/all-blacks-sevens-and-black-ferns-sevens-named-for-rugby-world-cup-sevens

.

Late edit 11/7, because NZR has changed this sentence in the article (added Koroi and removed "due to injury"):

Unavailable for selection: Joe Webber, Vilimoni Koroi, Amanaki Nicole, Sam Dickson, Etene Nanai-Seturo and Ngarohi McGarvey-Black.

[Stargazer]

Five became four in June after the JWC. How many will we still hold after the RWC Sevens? Three, maybe?

[ARHS]

Quite surprised that the announcement misses the non-selections of Vili Koroi and Tone Ng Shiu, seemingly replaced by Jona Nareki and Trael Joass, with Salesi Rayasi also in ahead of Bailey Simonson. Bold move indeed

[Bones]

No Dickson and Koroi is gonna hurt. Rokolisoa is a good player, very good team player and very much in the Cama mould.

[Bovidae]

Koroi is listed as unavailable for selection. Is he injured or rested after a big workload so far?

[Stargazer]

@bovidae I just noticed they changed that sentence in the article on the AB website (see my edit in my post with the line-up). Initially it said "unavailable due to injury". Could it have to do with his Mitre 10 Cup commitments to Otago? Would be weird though, if that would prevail over playing for the national sevens team during a World Cup.

[taniwharugby]

@stargazer particularly as the 7s contracts are worth quite a bit more than your M10 ones...?

[ARHS]

Quite staggering regarding Koroi, considering our issues in replacing him in recent events. I would have thought this would be a pinnacle event for him. Did he attend all the sevens training camps outside what he had to miss due to NZ Under 20's?

The way the article was altered the next day makes one wonder if he made himself unavailable because he knew he would not be selected for some reason. I just couldn't believe that his non-selection was left completely out of the article.

[KiwiMurph]

Koroi did get pulled from the final couple of Sevens tournaments in 2017 due to commitments for the Otago Mitre 10 Cup team.

[mikedogz]

[Bones]

So I now find out that this isn't being shown live in UK, with just an hour long highlights package for each day. Hoping they show a few games live on the WR website. Anyone know where it is being shown free-to-air that I could try a vpn for?

[Daffy Jaffy]

@bones It is free to air in NZ on TVNZ's 'Duke' channel if that helps

[Stargazer]

@bones In NZ, on Duke: https://www.tvnz.co.nz/livetv/tvnz-duke