Invitational, provincial, local & school sevens tournaments

Crucial

Actually I have just had a look at who actually runs this thing. It is the same company that organises Condor so I assume that their framework for selections is laid down at that tournament.
Their website is quite amateur and they look to have a vested interested in identifying players to sign as an agent.

Fair go to them, they have invested in a product and tapped into NZSSS to provide players. No doubt those within NZSSS will have their own politics and agendas.
NZRU are using Ignite as their 'official' talent ID and testing along with the Super Franchise age group programmes.

Stargazer

@Crucial It's a pity that it works this way. A lot of people, most importantly the players, won't know who organises this. I've noticed that a lot of players think that the NZ Condor 7s team is an official NZ representative team and that they're playing at a schools world championship (at least, in normal years). They get to play in their first (and possibly only) "black jersey". It's sad to see players getting disappointed because of the organiser's "politics" and "agendas". I hope they are told that the real pathway to a rugby career and higher honours is via the Ignite7s, not the Condor 7s or World Schools 7s.

Crucial

@Stargazer said in Invitational, provincial, local & school sevens tournaments:

@Crucial It's a pity that it works this way. A lot of people, most importantly the players, won't know who organises this. I've noticed that a lot of players think that the NZ Condor 7s team is an official NZ representative team and that they're playing at a schools world championship (at least, in normal years). They get to play in their first (and possibly only) "black jersey". It's sad to see players getting disappointed because of the organiser's "politics" and "agendas". I hope they are told that the real pathway to a rugby career and higher honours is via the Ignite7s, not the Condor 7s or World Schools 7s.

Credit where it’s due though, any comp arranged in a national or international basis is great for the kids. It is just these rare occasions when players haven’t come through the right schools that mean that they may not capture everybody.
I have seen firsthand how school sports loses the aim of being there for all players by administrators playing trades with each other. The “prestige “ factor of schools has a big influence on young players. Some have to move schools, some lose touch with friends etc and it’s all focused on the win for the ego of adults.
NZR have realized this and put systems in place to develop who they want slowly and encourage them to be wide ranging in their sports while still keeping in touch. They have ditched whole layers of rep teams.

Bovidae

Crucial

They seem to still be struggling for squad numbers especially in the girls if the non-announcements are anything to read into.
Ruby Tawa is another young player not selected yet.

Bovidae

Coached by Adelita and Waisake Sotutu.

Stargazer

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Stargazer

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Bovidae

You think they would include the player's school in the team list. They are calling the tournament the World School Sevens Aotearoa after all.

Are the Cavaliers the only team still to be named?

Stargazer

@Bovidae Yeah, I'd also like to know the schools they attend. Also waiting for Maori Boys team.

Bovidae

Bovidae

Stargazer

@Bovidae One more from Hastings Boys: Andrew Hayward. So only two in total. I hoped to see Hoera Stephenson in the NZ Maori team, too.

Bovidae

MacEwan and Hilton are both from Hamilton BHS. Cashmore is from Tauranga BC I think.

I am wondering if players from the upper NI are favoured purely due to the ease of getting them to Auckland. I did read that it is the coaches that choose their teams, not the organisers, who have been getting some criticism about team selection.

Crucial

@Bovidae said in Invitational, provincial, local & school sevens tournaments:

MacEwan and Hilton are both from Hamilton BHS. Cashmore is from Tauranga BC I think.

I am wondering if players from the upper NI are favoured purely due to the ease of getting them to Auckland. I did read that it is the coaches that choose their teams, not the organisers, who have been getting some criticism about team selection.

The timing of this being straight after Condor was possibly to keep some players up there. Even so the slow announcements seem to indicate that coaches and managers were struggling to complete squads in some cases and the longer it went on the harder it got. Some players may have had preferences of teams and had to wait for one before going to another.
Difficult situation I guess but they seem to have got something anyway so that’s good for the kids. Just wish that the organisers would stop trying to make out that these are totally merit based/representative selections.