Rugby sevens

Rugby sevens is a variant of rugby football in which only seven players per side feature. Although it was conceived as an event for rugby union, rugby league has also adopted the sevens format.

Rugby Union Sevens

Rugby union sevens is sanctioned by the International Rugby Board (IRB), and is played under substantially the same rules and on a field of the same dimensions as the 15-player game.

While a normal rugby union match lasts upwards of 80 minutes, a normal rugby sevens match lasts approximately 15 minutes (allowing for the one-minute halftime break, injury time and so forth). Competition finals last somewhat more than 20 minutes; each half in a competition final is ten minutes instead of the normal seven minutes. This allows rugby tournaments to be completed in a day or a weekend. However, sevens scores are generally comparable to union scores; scoring occurs with much greater regularity in sevens, since the defenders are more spaced out than in rugby union.

Scrums still exist within sevens, composed of just three men from each team. Given the speedy nature of the game, players are usually either from the backline or loose trio of forwards in 15 man rugby.

Rugby sevens was initially conceived by Ned Haig, a butcher from Melrose, Scotland as a fundraising event for his local club in 1883. The first ever sevens match was played at the Greenyards, where it was well received. The largest sevens tournament in the world is the Rosslyn Park Schools tournament, with an attendance of over 3,000 schoolchildren from around the world. Rugby Sevens specialists Wellington College have dominated the rugby sevens festival winning 6 times out of the last 9 years with a five year unbeaten spell between 1998-2003. Results from the tournament can be seen on The Schools' Rugby Website. The first ever officially sanctioned international tournament occurred at Murrayfield as part of the "Scottish Rugby Union's celebration of rugby" centenary celebrations in 1973. Due to the success of the format, the ongoing Hong Kong Sevens was launched three years later. In 1993, the Rugby World Cup Sevens, in which the Melrose Cup is contested, was launched.

Owing to the speed by which matches are resolved and the minimal personnel requirements, there is hope that sevens will be accepted for Olympic competition (it has been in the Commonwealth Games since 1998). The IRB pointed towards sellout crowds at Commonwealth Games and World Cup sevens as proof of the sport's popularity. In addition, it would provide a competition in which sporting minnows from regions such as the Pacific, who are able to field competitive rugby teams, could genuinely compete in. However, the International Olympic Committee turned down the bid for the purposes of the 2012 Olympics to be held in London. One IOC official from Switzerland, Dennis Oswald, dismissed the bid declaring: “When it comes to rugby, I am not a specialist, but people within the sport tell me that rugby sevens is something of a joke.” Oswald later confirmed that he had never in fact watched a game of sevens, or indeed, 15 man rugby. Although disappointed, the IRB responded by pointing out that in terms of the Olympic motto: Citius, Altius, Fortius (faster, higher, stronger), a rugby player was more likely to possess all of these attributes than competitors within other questionable Olympic events, such as rhythmic gymnastics. The IRB has recently moved to counter criticisms that it only proposed for a male Olympic tournament, establishing a series of Sevens events for Women.

Two of the best known sevens competitions are the Hong Kong Sevens and Wellington Sevens, which now make up parts of the IRB World Sevens Series.

Major tournaments

Hong Kong Sevens
Middlesex Sevens
Wellington Sevens
The National Schools 7's, (Rosslyn Park, London)
Melrose Sevens
Rugby World Cup Sevens
World Sevens Series
Commonwealth Games
Dubai Sevens
Safari Sevens

Rugby league sevens

Rugby league may also be played under seven-a-side rules, though this is less common as an alternative when compared with Rugby league nines (played on a nine-a-side basis). The game is substantially the same as full rugby league, however scrums involve only three players per team, and all kicks at goal must be made by drop-kicks. The major tournament was the World Sevens played prior to the start of the National Rugby League season in Sydney, but the tournament has been cancelled.

Rugby league sevens is particularly popular with pub teams — formed from the regulars at a particular public house, the reason for this is that it is often difficult for a single Pub (particularly in the north of England where rugby league is popular, as are pubs) to form a full squad of 13 players and four substitutes of willing players.

FIRA European Sevens

2005 FIRA European Sevens

Portugal defeated Russia 28-26 in a pulsating climax to the Grand Final of the 2005 FIRA European Sevens in Moscow to retain the trophy they have won for the last three years. Spain won the Plate with a 25-14 win over Germany, whilst Lithuania claimed the Bowl. Portugal topped their group on day one, recording four victories and a 7-7 draw, against Italy. In Pool B, Russia delighted the home fans with five wins out of five, including a 33-7 victory over France. They followed that up on day two by defeating Italy 17-0 in the Cup semi finals, whilst Portugal beat France 22-7.

Great Sevens Players

Waisale Serevi, Christian Cullen, Ben Gollings, Andrew Turnbull, Jonah Lomu, William Ryder, Simon Amor, Brian Lima, Eric Rush, Amasio Valence, Karl TeNana, Oreni Ai'i,

External links

Commonwealth Games sports | Rugby league | Rugby union | Rugby

Rugby à sept | Rugby a 7 | შვიდკაცა რაგბი | 7人制ラグビー | Sjumanna Rugby

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