NZ Sevens 2024-25
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@Steven-Harris said in NZ Sevens 2024-25:
USA look good for such a young team
They are fast and aggressive. Good signs and they're clearly starting to get some athletes through with a bit more smarts for the game.
Oliver is a future star of 7s and was the difference against us.
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I just watched the semifinals tho, and feel like there was some very favourable refereeing the way of USA to get to that final.
About a minute to go, USA scrum near halfway. Aussies blow over them (happened several times in the game) and their half dived on the ball after it came out Australia's side.
Referee said Australia weren't pushing straight and penalises Australia. Omfg we could not have pushed straighter if we tried.
OliverToliver breaks the tackles off the subsequent scrum and takes the win. -
This series is a bit of a disappointment compared to those of years ago. So hard to easily watch the games you want, with regular long fill ins nothing to do with sevens. Why were NZ and SA playing in alternate colours? Why so slow in recording points for conversions? And why so few matches in a tournament now. I hope they never repeat this format!
I liked seeing the new stars, Toliver from USA and the French kicker for two. Shilton van wyk was electric too.
Perhaps the weakest men's squad NZ has ever fielded in the series. The illness and injuries have been devastating. But something seems wrong in the coaching. Vai is lackadaisacal too often. Maka has no idea in contact. Mathis gets pushed to touch too often. No speedy sweeper mopping up. The only real spark comes from MGB. Molia and NG Shiu went well too. Did they win their playoff? My feed cut off at the critical time. -
@ARHS said in NZ Sevens 2024-25:
And why so few matches in a tournament now. I hope they never repeat this format!
Singapore will be the same as they've decided that if a tournament is a week later from another they will use 4 groups of 3 for player welfare reasons. So, 2 fewer games per team over the weekend.
NZ lost 17-12 to Argentina in the 5th/6th playoff game.
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@Nepia said in NZ Sevens 2024-25:
@Bovidae said in NZ Sevens 2024-25:
Michaela Blyde has signed to play for the Warriors in the NRLW. A big loss for the BF7s.
I've alway wondered why she hasn't given proper rugby a go? Surely a WC should be a goal of some of the 7s stars?
Yeah, Blyde is one of the few veteran players that has never even played FPC. She will be returning to sevens.
A lot of the Aussie sevens women intend to play in the Super W so the SVNS series will look a little different next year.
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I'll put this here, the bit about WR staff flying around the world 1st class sticks in the throat!
EDIT" Didn't realise Premium, I'd seen the same article (bascially) on the Torygraph
Since World Rugby assumed ownership to operate a centralised World Series model in 2023, insiders estimate the sevens circuit has lost between £15-£25 million ($33-55m).
Those attending events cite excessive World Rugby staff, all of whom travel first class and stay in five-star accommodation, as a major contributing factor in those deficits, whereas locals used to largely run the events.
Sevens facing fraught future as World Series suffers multi-million dollar losses
Something must change to stop the Sevens World Series suffering massive financial losses.
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@Machpants said in NZ Sevens 2024-25:
I'll put this here, the bit about WR staff flying around the world 1st class sticks in the throat!
EDIT" Didn't realise Premium, I'd seen the same article (bascially) on the Torygraph
Since World Rugby assumed ownership to operate a centralised World Series model in 2023, insiders estimate the sevens circuit has lost between £15-£25 million ($33-55m).
Those attending events cite excessive World Rugby staff, all of whom travel first class and stay in five-star accommodation, as a major contributing factor in those deficits, whereas locals used to largely run the events.
Sevens facing fraught future as World Series suffers multi-million dollar losses
Something must change to stop the Sevens World Series suffering massive financial losses.
That is depressing news.
I just don't know how 30 years after going pro rugby has not figured out sustainable financial practices. It seems like every second rugby entity haemorrhages money.
The Welsh regions, English clubs, now 7s.......
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Two NZ Men's teams and NZ Women's Development team are currently playing in the Coral Coast 7s in Fiji.
Here are the squads. It's interesting to see who the Men's teams include to make up the numbers.
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Mixed results for the three NZ teams. The Men's 1 team won their pool (3-0) but then lost 21-12 to Manu Samoa in the QF. The Men's 2 team lost all three of their pool games, including to the eventual winners Fiji. The Men's 2 team did beat an Aust Select team 24-5 in the Bowl QF and also won their SF and final. The Men's 1 team then lost 24-22 to a Fijian Brothers team in the Plate SF.
The Women's Development team won all of their matches until the final where they lost to Mount Masada 24-7, which looks to have a number of Fijiana players.
A useful warmup tournament before Perth next weekend.
