China getting ready for Gold

I'm sure it won't be in Rio but China is starting to make an effort. And like many developing rugby nations getting NZ to help them.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/provincial/7471586/Taranaki-lands-China-sevens-coaching-contract

I'm sure being in the 'Naki will be a pretty fantastic experience for the Chinese players.

I'd love for the game to expand, but i think China is only looking at this for the Olympics. If it takes off and they aim to compete on the world stage outside of the Olympics, then all the better.

Think there would be some nice rivalry between them & Japan.

There could well be fireworks.

It'll be interesting to see how big countries like Russia, Brazil, USA, China etc look at sevens and then if they do put money towards it, will there be any spin offs for 15s. I certainly hope so.

I don't have a huge knowledge of these developing rugby nations. But I've noticed something from RWC's. Apart from Georgia, they all have very very weak packs. In fact some of them have some fairly good looking backs. Russia had some decent looking ones in Ireland's group. But their pack was dreadful and they were blown away.

Sevens actually won't really help any nation build a pack that can do the basics of scrummaging, lineouts and the breakdown to a high enough standard. And without this they don't stand much of a chance in the 15 man game.

Of course it's a good thing that more countries take 7's seriously. But it won't necessarily make them any good at 15's unless they take that just as seriously.

Good point FR.

However, getting more competitive interest in sevens also opens up a television audience previously uninterested in any rugby format. As a way of introduction to rugby, sevens is a great spectacle. I wonder how much volleyball audiences have lifted because of beach volleyball for instance.

I just hope the extra exposure to the sevens because of the olympics is not to the detriment of the full game. These extra countries chasing gold only need a handful of players plying their trade around the sevens circuit, to have a fully competitive full side they will need league structures in place with a healthy production line of players, sevens is a cheaper, quicker and easier way to get recognition. Lets not forget that sevens rugby is an entity in it's own right, like rugby league. The only sport who's profile will go up in this is the sevens itself, there will be more interest in the Hong Kong sevens and Dubai sevens and all the other tournaments in the series and this extra interest could be taken away from the full fifteen aside that we all watch . I hope I am wrong on this by the way, but just because sevens rugby is now an olympic sport, it does not mean that the countries investing in it are looking at putting a competitive structure to challenge the top table together, what they probably will do is invest in some seven aside players and put them through the sevens circuit until they are good enough to win gold at the olympics.

LD - I can't see the Rio 7s having a different structure to the IRB 7s other than you won't have Bowl , Plate and Shield competitions. Isn't there a Brazil leg in this season's IRB 7s?

It will be interesting to know what the qualification criteria is.

Actually what some of you will not be aware of is that the Chinese army has long been a fan of rugby as it "makes people tough". (actually that's just a paraphrase). I first heard about China looking for kiwi coaches about 15 years ago. The fact that they have not been succesful yet doesn't mean they wont be in the future. Who knew China played basketball until Yao Ming came along?

Hound_of_Harrow wrote:LD - I can't see the Rio 7s having a different structure to the IRB 7s other than you won't have Bowl , Plate and Shield competitions. Isn't there a Brazil leg in this season's IRB 7s?

It will be interesting to know what the qualification criteria is.

Yes, but it does not matter which structure they use, all these other countries who are going to be putting forward rugby sevens teams together for the Brazil olympics will not then put together a viable fifteen aside structure just because the olympics now has the sevens. What it will most likely do is though encourage the countries with olympic ambitions to start putting together a viable sevens structure thus enhancing the sevens brand rather than the full fifteen aside brand.

nganboy wrote:Actually what some of you will not be aware of is that the Chinese army has long been a fan of rugby as it "makes people tough". (actually that's just a paraphrase). I first heard about China looking for kiwi coaches about 15 years ago. The fact that they have not been succesful yet doesn't mean they wont be in the future. Who knew China played basketball until Yao Ming came along?

I had heard about the Chinese army using rugby in training. They also value lessons rugby teaches in terms of different players having a clear and distinct role to play, but all required to succeed (well all from 1 to 10 anyway). However, there is a big difference in development terms between people learning a bit or rugby as an adult as part of their training and playing regularly from a young age. The main benefit is that there will be plenty of current/ex army that have an understanding of and interest in the game. It may also help in terms of having people available to coach and ref if they want to develop the game at grass roots level.

I'm showing my ignorance here, but is 7s going to be a permanent fixture in the Olympics now or is it a trial event in Rio?