2016-2017 World Sevens Series
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I think ultimately these events have a shelf life. Dubai and Hong Kong are obvious exceptions - large expat populations starved of rugby for 99% of the year. Vegas and Vancouver are doing well too for similar reasons.
There are a bunch of reasons why Wellington has gone downhill. The fun police, the drunks, the lack of stars, the ticketing policies, negative media coverage, the lack of atmosphere, etc etc. All have played their part.
The truth is it's really hard to keep an annual event like this rolling in the same location. Sydney has started with a bang (will be sold out again this year) but I imagine support will start to ebb away over the next few years as more people tick it off their list and decide not to return.
Sydney will hit its used by date in about 3-4 years IMO. The fact that Wellington has been going for 10+ is a testament to its early success, but it's also clearly reached it's end.
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I think my point is well shown by a google search. We just had the Wellington Sevens but almost all the articles are about the crowd and nothing about the actual rugby itself.
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@barbarian Hong Kong is successful as it's the one which people from all over the world want, and do, come to. Every year thousands of people flock in from all over the world - you start to see them wandering the streets from about the Tuesday beforehand. Loads of tour groups, rugby teams etc - you just don't get that for the just about everywhere else.
On the Saturday, the south stand is just one MASSIVE piss up, the concourses behind the east and west stands are jammed chockers with people on the beers, the corporate boxes are competitions to see who can have the most elaborate setup of people getting fucked up, and then you have the north stand, where you can enjoy a couple of relaxing beers in sun. The corporate areas (lower tiers of north, east stand) are a bit more child friendly and relaxed. The Sunday, is a bit more relaxed around the stadium, but the south stand is still 100% party mode - abeilt with a slightly slower start. The corporate boxes / areas move to a much more child friendly atmostphere at this point.
So the whole tournament is a really good mix, but if you ask 99% of the people that go of their over riding memory ... they'll talk about the piss-up and the party, not the rugby.
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@barbarian said in 2016-2017 World Sevens Series:
I think ultimately these events have a shelf life.
More or less right.
@Siam asked for someone to name an ongoing tournament that succeeds without stars.
Melbourne Cup Day - I bet 90% of the people who were at the last one couldn't today name two horses that were in the field.
Wearable Arts is another - sells out in minutes and you've got absolutely no idea what you're going to see.
Wellington used to sell out in minutes because it was cool to go and the place to be. Now its not - it's like how for a while a particular bar will be all the rage to go to on Saturday night - and suddenly its not.
NZR let its finger slip off the Wellington pulse and now they've got a problem. They should have put the Sevens on a multi-city rotation two or three seasons ago, so that it was only in Wellington once every three years - and in Auckland/ChCh the other two.
Now they've got a perception problem, because people in Auckland and ChCh will potentially think an uncool tournament is being foisted on them.
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@Chris-B. and why do people go to the Melbourne Cup? To get dressed up and get blind, along with 10s of thousands of others who are doing the same thing. Apparently the best area at the joint now you can't even see the track. You will go to the races, and literally not see a horse all day. And have a fucking amazing time.
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@mariner4life yep, a mate of mine here is a public school boy from Melbourne who goes to the boxing day test on Boxing day every single year, never misses it.
Reckons on average he sees 2 approximately balls bowled live, spend the entire day in the members bar on the sauce.
It's crazy to think that the majority of people go along to these multi-day events to sit in the sun and watch sport the entire time.
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@mariner4life said in 2016-2017 World Sevens Series:
@Chris-B. and why do people go to the Melbourne Cup? To get dressed up and get blind, along with 10s of thousands of others who are doing the same thing. Apparently the best area at the joint now you can't even see the track. You will go to the races, and literally not see a horse all day. And have a fucking amazing time.
Exactly.
People in Melbourne are actually in fancy dress like Wellington (though they don't realize it ).
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@MajorRage yep, a mate of mine goes to the Adelaide test every year with the same bunch of blokes. They spend half the day out the back of the oval at some area they have set up he reckons is awesome. You pop back in every so often for a gander, or if someone is approaching a milestone, otherwise it's a social event.
People can wank on about going to sport for the sport all they want, but that is a limited crowd. The event and the social aspect is why people pay money to attend something they could watch better on TV.
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Okay first. If anyone wants a good go at $8, back Fiji to win the 7s World Series.
South Africa won't be nearly the team they are now without the best finisher in the game Senatla, and the best forward Kwagga Smith. They don't have ready made replacements for them either. Shakes is just a regular footballer - nothing special in terms of speed and I've never seen him pounce early on counter-attacks the way Senatla does. Kwagga brought a brilliant fetching game to 7's which was gold. They haven't got that with anyone else.
$8 for next best Fiji is crazy good money considering how early in the season it is and the players they'll be losing. Could get a lot more if you think someone else will come good (but I doubt it).
Second. My old login stopped working 🤔 which is fine because bbarcs was just random letters I punched into my keyboard but would be cool if admin could merge my post total! Thanks
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Good points about shelf life, Wellington's longevity and the desire for people to have a piss up - Adelaide night tests reports seem to be all about the concourse.
Not sure about the Wearable arts being synonomous with sporting occasions though
- election turn outs don't rely on stars either (except yank ones)Still subscribe undeniability that stars bring the people however. Decent example being MLS, the most popular sport in America uses Beckhams, Peles and Gerrards to fill the stadiums.
Barrett, Saveas and Smiths would double attendance but like piss up atmosphere again, that won't happen
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@Siam said in 2016-2017 World Sevens Series:
Good points about shelf life, Wellington's longevity and the desire for people to have a piss up - Adelaide night tests reports seem to be all about the concourse.
Not sure about the Wearable arts being synonomous with sporting occasions though
- election turn outs don't rely on stars either (except yank ones)Still subscribe undeniability that stars bring the people however. Decent example being MLS, the most popular sport in America uses Beckhams, Peles and Gerrards to fill the stadiums.
Barrett, Saveas and Smiths would double attendance but like piss up atmosphere again, that won't happen
Those guys all turned down a shot at an Olympic medal. I somehow doubt a weekend of shits'n'giggle rugby in a tournament no one goes to with a risk of injury that could fuck their whole AB seasons will hold much appeal.
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@MN5 said in 2016-2017 World Sevens Series:
@Siam said in 2016-2017 World Sevens Series:
Barrett, Saveas and Smiths would double attendance but like piss up atmosphere again, that won't happen
Those guys all turned down a shot at an Olympic medal. I somehow doubt a weekend of shits'n'giggle rugby in a tournament no one goes to with a risk of injury that could fuck their whole AB seasons will hold much appeal.
Yes Yes MN5 - one might even say "that won't happen"
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@Siam said in 2016-2017 World Sevens Series:
@MN5 said in 2016-2017 World Sevens Series:
@Siam said in 2016-2017 World Sevens Series:
Barrett, Saveas and Smiths would double attendance but like piss up atmosphere again, that won't happen
Those guys all turned down a shot at an Olympic medal. I somehow doubt a weekend of shits'n'giggle rugby in a tournament no one goes to with a risk of injury that could fuck their whole AB seasons will hold much appeal.
Yes Yes MN5 - one might even say "that won't happen"
Even last year I thought some of the ABs may have had a crack at an Olympic medal and gone for it like they did in 98 for the Commonwealth games but obviously it didn't happen.
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@MN5 said in 2016-2017 World Sevens Series:
You know? That pisses me off? It was killed by the swine that lived in the pig sty that was "let's go beyond having fun and get wasted and throw body waste on everyone and fuck up what was fun and good natured drunkedness and turn it into bottom dwelling depravity so that there is a backlash".
Fun Police... bullshit.
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@booboo Agree 100%. Also, the people who are saying this bullshit often blame "Wellington", while the restrictions on the sale of alcohol to intoxicated persons (among other things) are the result of a change to the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act, not a change in local (Council) policy or law enforcement by the local police. So even if you'd move it to another NZ city, they'd still be bound by that same legislation.
I also fully agree with this tweet:
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Comments from the organisers that the Sevens was perhaps unfairly held out as the poster boy for the tougher legislation are a smokescreen as well. The event was by far the biggest single example of the existing laws and controls not working well enough so of course it would also be the biggest example of whether the new legislation was working.
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@booboo said in 2016-2017 World Sevens Series:
@MN5 said in 2016-2017 World Sevens Series:
You know? That pisses me off? It was killed by the swine that lived in the pig sty that was "let's go beyond having fun and get wasted and throw body waste on everyone and fuck up what was fun and good natured drunkedness and turn it into bottom dwelling depravity so that there is a backlash".
Fun Police... bullshit.
Hammer. Nail-head.
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Sydney 7s
Women's tournament (Fri 3 - Sat 4 February)
Black Ferns 7s
Sarah Goss (captain), Michaela Blyde, Kelly Brazier, Theresa Fitzpatrick, Tyla Nathan-Wong, Alena Saili*, Terina Te Tamaki, Ruby Tui, Kat Whata-Simpkins, Renee Wickliffe, Niall Williams, Portia WoodmanTravelling reserves:
Tenika Willison*, Cheyelle Robins-Reti*(* new caps)
Pool games:
Friday 3 February
4.20pm NZT: New Zealand v Papua New Guinea
7.02pm NZT: New Zealand v France
9.44pm NZT: New Zealand v CanadaAgain, Kiwis have to resort to illegal viewing if they want to watch our women's team play from NZ as those fuckwits from Sky can't be bothered to broadcast their pool games and the stream on the World Rugby website is geo-blocked (you guessed it, because Sky has the rights).
I'll post the link to the videostream on the WR site as soon as it is available.
