In 2012 New Zealand returned to international women’s sevens for the first time since the last World Cup in 2009. The comeback proved successful as they capped off the 2012-2013 World Series by winning the Amsterdam 7s over the weekend, beating Canada in the final, 33-24. Not for the first time over the weekend, the [...]
Will Alafoti Fa’osiliva be the spark Samoa need?
Alafoti Fa’osiliva last played for Samoa at the London Sevens one year ago. The strong running flanker left to take up a professional contract in Bristol but is available to play this weekend in London. With the World Cup just 7 weeks away Samoa need to finish the World Sevens Series on a high after [...]
London 7s: Promotion-Relegation Qualifier for Core Team Status
The last 3 spots for the Core 15 for next year’s World Sevens Series will be determined by an 8-team Promotion-Relegation tournament played during the London 7s this weekend. They bottom 3 teams from this year’s Core 15 play off against the top 4 teams from the Hong Kong pre-qualifier and Asian Champions Hong Kong [...]
New Zealand win the Series but South Africa have the wood on the Kiwis
South Africa have beaten New Zealand in 3 of the last 4 World Series finals. For the second time in a row, Paul Treu’s South Africa 7s team have beaten New Zealand in a final of an IRB World Sevens Series event. The Kiwis were leading at half time – just like in Tokyo. However [...]
How does Promotion-Relegation look after Day#1 in Glasgow
USA are safe! Scotland will join Portugal and Spain in the Promotion-Relegation Playoff event in London next week Scotland dispatched Portugal 26-5 in their first match to set up an encounter with England. After being outplayed by New Zealand in their first match 31-5, Ben Ryan needed to rally his troops or this would be [...]
Are Spain resting players in Glasgow for the Promotion-Relegation Playoff next weekend?
Going into the Glasgow Sevens, Spain are the only team to be assured of a place in the Promotion-Relegation Playoff for Core Team status next season. Spain earned their Core status by making the final of the Qualifier event at the 2012 Hong Kong 7s when the Core Teams were increased from 12 to 15 [...]
2 things that make the Glasgow 7s hard to pick
There have been 5 different event winners this Series: Fiji, Samoa, New Zealand, England and South Africa. Each event has been extremely competitive. As if it’s not a tough enough task picking the winner of a World 7s Series event, there are 2 other elements that make Glasgow even tougher. 1. Preparations for the World Cup [...]
3 reasons to focus on the bottom half of the draw in Glasgow
1. The contest at the bottom of the World Series table is more exciting than the contest at the top And the contest at the bottom ends in Glasgow. After the Glasgow 7s the bottom 3 teams in the core 15 – the teams who play in every tournament in the World Sevens Series – [...]
Defending champions Australia will face a huge challenge just getting through their group in Tokyo
Australia will struggle for 3 reasons 1. They aren’t in the same form they were last year Last year Australia won the Japan Sevens somewhat out of the blue beating Samoa in a pulsating final that they clinched 28-26 with a last second conversion from out wide. It was the only final they made that season [...]
Will 2012-13 be known as The Year of the Upset?
In Dubai Portugal beat South Africa and England. England then lost to Argentina and Scotland beat Australia. Things have become very competitive across the board in the IRB World Sevens Series. Professional and sem-professional teams, improved training resources and other benefits of being part of Olympic programs have increased the standard of play. Gone are the days [...]