Sevens Rugby

JonnyF

Does anyone know of any other events on over the summer apart from Kinsale and Carrick? Wouldn't mind trying to play a few more.

NTC

I belive that OLBC RFC, in Galway, are planning a sevens in late august. Nothing on the website yet.

JonnyF

i think there's one down in new ross in july too, just trying to see what's out there and get a few more competitions in. Would be great to develop a bit of a circuit in Ireland for the summer

Depp

JFK Dunbrody Sevens in New Ross R.F.C. saturday 17th of July. Serious event, great competition every year. On at the same time as the Dunbrody fest aswell so great nightlife too. Vanilla Ice Playin a free gig in the park that night...Sick Joke. http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=643947309#!/dunbrody.sevens?ref=ts

$ausage$

Thee is a 10's/7's Fiddlers Green heald in Rostrevor Co Down. Think its the 24th of July this year.

Good mix of fun and quality last year. but i believe they are changing from 10's to 7's this year.

Midlandsevens

Buccaneers RFC are holding the 2nd Annual Midland 7s at Dubarry Park in Athlone on the 14th August 2010. There is a Junior, Senior and U21 competition and all clubs/teams and 'Invitational' teams are invited to enter. For more info see www.Buccaneersrfc.com

Amazotheamazing

Afaik, one of the biggest in Ireland is Old Crescent's Pig and Porter 7's?

http://www.pignporter.com/wordpress/

CatFromHue

it looks like there will a new tournament for sevens in ireland

http://www.rte.ie/sport/rugby/2010/1022/sevens.html

as someone who has been somewhat against the sevens game at the highest level i think this is a great move for the domestic game. it should increase numbers playing the full 15 man game too.

it could also mean a problem for rugby league in ireland as the irish domestic league is played around the same time. some of the players who play in this league would be union players during the full season, and are just looking to throw the ball about a bit during the summer. some...not all of course!

mikedragon32

There is a sevens tournament in the planning phase for Nice, May bank holiday weekend.

I was talking to one of the guys involved today, should have full details in a couple of weeks.

CatFromHue

more news from the branch about sevens or why we wont have a pro team

all good reasons if you ask me

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2010/1022/1224281716605.html

[Jackass]

Unless it's heavily subsidised, it's not an option.

How could you support funding for this anyway, when the sword of damocles still hangs over Connachts head as a professional outfit at the same time.

Until the main 15 man game is sorted, we just don't have the resources for this, as much as i would love to see it. Scotland somehow fund a 7's team however. I think we're the only home nation that doesn't afaik.

Blut2

I imagine the added messyness of having to have players declare for either the Republic of Ireland 7s team or the UK 7s team in the olympics is probably adding to the IRFU's financial reluctance to become heavily involved in the sport.

CIARAN_BOYLE

[Jackass] wrote: »

Scotland somehow fund a 7's team however. I think we're the only home nation that doesn't afaik.

For the Commonwealths they took 13 Glasgow and Edinburgh players to form the bulk of the squad. Not sure its the best approach to take.

Gopher7

Connemara RFC 7's tournament 1st, 2nd, 3rd july 2011. more details on www.connemararfc.ie

JustinDee

The IRFU Club Sevens will take place in May.
Details on www.irfusevens.ie with more news to follow.

ormond lad

from http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/we-need-sevens-involvement-far-more-than-they-will-ever-need-us-2598217.html
We need Sevens involvement far more than they will ever need us


By Tony Ward

Tuesday March 29 2011

Yesterday in Dublin saw the launch of the Shamrock Warriors as the first 'recognised' Sevens rugby club in Ireland
Former Ulster and Leinster coach Matt Williams will act as its technical director, while former St Mary's out-half Fergal Campion coaches the men's squad and ex-Ireland player Sarah Jane Belton takes charge of the women's team.
Former Ireland wing Denis Hickie has an honorary chairman role in the new initiative dedicated exclusively -- we are assured -- to the long overdue development of the abbreviated game in this country.
As someone who believes wholeheartedly in the truncated version of the game and cannot understand why we let IRB Sevens involvement pass us by, I am sceptical about the IRFU's commitment to the Sevens game.
In the words of IRFU director of rugby Eddie Wigglesworth: "The long-term goal is for the Shamrock Warriors to develop a body of experienced Sevens players which the IRFU may tap into depending on the decision regarding professional Sevens involvement in the Olympic Games and IRB circuit".
How long is a piece of string? How long the long-term goal? And doesn't the word "may" cover a multitude of possibilities?
Last weekend we had extensive coverage of the Hong Kong Sevens -- the festival that launched the game on a global scale back in the 1980s. Apart from the big southern hemisphere trio, you had four of the 6 Nations teams as well as Portugal, South Korea, USA, Japan, China, Samoa, Tonga, Mexico, Fiji, Kenya , Russia, Malaysia , Hong Kong, Spain, Argentina, Canada and Zimbabwe all taking part.
Only Ireland, Italy, Georgia and Romania of the top 20 IRB-ranked countries have chosen not to go the Sevens route.
The establishment of the Warriors is a worthwhile initiative, but I do worry greatly as to the level of back-up where it really matters. I suspect there is an element of people in high places covering their tails, given the introduction of Sevens as an Olympic sport looming on the horizon.
I hope I am wrong, but the laissez-faire attitude to getting involved in Sevens never ceases to amaze me. We all understand the economic times we are in, but even at the height of the financial boom, we were at best ambivalent about Sevens.
The motives of Campion, Belton and Co will be genuine, but my worry is seeing half-baked support for an initiative that should be a no-brainer.
There are many benefits to be had from our involvement on the professional Sevens circuit -- especially in technical terms, where the shortened game gives a spatial awareness the 15-man game cannot.
If the IRFU is sincere in wanting Irish representation by way of a specialist core Sevens group (and not just as a token for the 2016 Olympics) then "may" must become "will". Either we do it properly or we drop further behind the rest in not doing it at all.
For the 'newly formed' Warriors -- who have actually existed since 2008 -- the immediate aim is to run trials over the next six weeks to assemble a squad of 25 for both teams prior to the 2011 British and Irish Sevens season. The men's squad will participate in Kinsale, Omagh, Manchester, London, the West Country and Newquay, with the women competing in London and the West Country.
As things stand, it is the intention of the IRFU to make a decision in early 2013 as to any future involvement in both the Olympic and IRB Sevens circuit -- which beggars belief. Anything that helps narrow the gap between the domestic game and international rugby is worth pursuing ... period.
There is room for a Sevens event at a packed AVIVA Stadium with all the carnival atmosphere that Hong Kong and Wellington now create. One thing we're great at in this country is the craic -- punters will flock from all four corners to indulge.
In commercial terms for Dublin, the spin-off is obvious; the question is not can we afford to take part -- we cannot afford not to. The 2016 Olympic train has already left the station and in two years' time we might decide to catch up and grab the last carriage somewhere along the way.
With all due respect to the provincial academies -- and there is some great development work being done there -- what better way of learning the pro trade than in competing with top players in front of capacity crowds on a regular basis.
The fact that the IRFU will make a decision in early 2013 "as to our future engagement in the IRB professional Sevens circuit" tells you where the issue stands in the governing body's order of importance.
The only danger in setting up the Warriors is that clubs may perceive it as a new threat competing for their players. That could well happen. But if it provides a vehicle for launching some -- particularly players missing out on academy opportunities -- in the pro game, then isn't that a good thing?
Or as Hickie -- how good could he have been on the IRB Sevens circuit? -- rightly says: "We hope the rugby clubs throughout Ireland will see this new organisation as complementary, one that will keep their players involved in rugby of all types for as long as possible, with the goal of Olympic participation the ultimate for aspiring Sevens players, their clubs and this new dedicated seven-a-side team".
Accepted
For the record, Sevens became part of the 2016 and 2020 Olympic programmes on October 9, 2009.
IRB planning started almost immediately, with rugby now being taught as an Olympic sport in schools in China, the US and Russia (where the government has committed to building new rugby stadia as they move towards hosting the World Cup Sevens in Moscow 2013).
Sevens was once again a key element to the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games last year and will also be part of the Pan-American Games at Guadalajara this year.
In the meantime, we will make a decision on whether or not to bother to participate in 2013!
We'll leave the last word to the IRFU following yesterday's well-intentioned new dawn for Irish Sevens.
"We wish the Shamrock Warriors the best of luck in the coming seasons."
Make of that what you will but don't hold your breath. And the saddest irony is that we need IRB Sevens involvement far more than they will ever need us.
- Tony Ward
Irish Independent

CatFromHue

shamrock warriors??????

why not the didily I potatos? or the lepruchan paddys?

Stev_o

Why not do what everyone else does....and just call it after the country....

JustinDee

Stev_o wrote: »

Why not do what everyone else does....and just call it after the country....

Its a club side. Not a national side.

brianthebard

Lol wigglesworth!

guapos

If its a choice between Connacht or 7s I'd take Connacht every time. I think we've done just fine without 7s till now and I certainly havent seen a huge improvement in Englands skill levels from their 7s participation. If they can become self sufficent then I look forward to watching a 7s tournamant in Landsdowne.

hardCopy

guapos wrote: »

If its a choice between Connacht or 7s I'd take Connacht every time. I think we've done just fine without 7s till now and I certainly havent seen a huge improvement in Englands skill levels from their 7s participation. If they can become self sufficent then I look forward to watching a 7s tournamant in Landsdowne.

Lucey, Tate, Varndell and others made their name in 7's, I'd say they've done quite well out of it.

guapos

Yeah but we've produced better players without 7s. 7s is the equivalent of beach football (eurosport show it if youre interested) or 5 aside football.

JustinDee

Rugby sevens is nothing of a kind.
It is extremely tough as well as fast and in a good competitive game, those seven minutes in each half are the longest seven minutes you can imagine.
You're comparing a game that pacy on a full-size field involving multiple hits per game ... with beach soccer? Rugby sevens also has an actual purpose and is instrumental in bringing the game to much lower-tier participating countries where it is, in many instances, a minority sport.

Beach soccer is a fun-form of soccer much like Beach rugby is a fun-form of rugby union

guapos

Yeah I'd agree it does serve a purpose in allowing lower nations to compete at a higher level, I just don't think it would be of a real benefit to Irish rugby.

JustinDee

guapos wrote: »

Yeah I'd agree it does serve a purpose in allowing lower nations to compete at a higher level, I just don't think it would be of a real benefit to Irish rugby.

Here, the four IRFU events and All-Ireland will be run to provide a window for Rugby Sevens in domestic Irish rugby. This level of competition will expose more club players to high-competition of the form of the game.

Plenty of benefit to Irish rugby. It contributes to club rugby and bringing it up a notch for players outside professional contracts and academies.

Stev_o

Just look at the way NZ use their seven's program and you have to realise that it's a fantastic platform to develop players. Someone like Conway who wouldn't be seeing much game time each year due to the amount of people ahead of him would be able to go and compete in a very very tough environment where one mistake will cost you a match.