With Christmas and New Year done and dusted, pre-season training well underway for some and Internet surfing for highlights ongoing for others, global Rugby fans delighted in the prospect of the return of international Rugby in the form of the Sydney Rugby Sevens held last weekend. With both the HSBC Men’s and Women’s series being competed during the 26 th through the 28 th of January, Rugby fans were overjoyed to see the world’s best teams in Sydney vying for points for what was the first series of 2018.
With consistently strong teams such as New Zealand, Fiji and Australia in the Men’s and Women’s competition, it was also fantastic to see the Papua New Guinea and Spanish Men along with the Russian and Japanese Women’s teams out for a run with the Big Teams. As ever, the speed, agility and overall tactical emphasis of the Sevens Game “oohed and aahed” the crowd in the Allianz Stadium and those watching at home but even the newer teams to the big stage showed tenacity and resilience along with touches of brilliance that were simply jaw-dropping. Perry Baker interception and 60 meter run and try, check; Shemchuk Zdrakova’s sprint five points from behind her own try line, check; Maurice Longbottom full bore sprint and wicked side-step to score brilliant try, check, check and check!
But all the mouthwatering action did draw some criticism from Australia Women’s own Charlotte Caslick who despite winning Player of The Final, thought that although the organizers did a swell job of getting the Men’s and Women’s series on at the same dates, the Women’s Competition having to play in the morning sessions meant that women’s teams competed in a close to empty stadium. “I think we can still probably improve it,” Caslick said.
Australia’s Women’s team made Rugby history with six games, six wins, 35 tries and no points conceded with a Cup Final victory over longstanding rivals New Zealand. The Aussie Men’s Team were not to be outdone with a convincing 29-0 win in the Cup Final against the Blitzbokke.
Which leads us to the action of the XVs kind in the North, with only days to go before the NatWest Six Nations kick off with Wales going up against Scotland on the 3 rd of February. With the inclusion of debutant Josh Adams on the Wales wing and playing in Cardiff to boot, the boys in Red look the favorite to take the first win of the Championship. Gregor Townsend’s Scotland side however, boosted with confidence in the forwards headed by young lock Jonny Gray is looking to steal the win in Cardiff despite six previous disappointments.
France face Ireland in front of a home crowd at the Stade de France also on Saturday, while Rome’s Stadio Olimpico sees Italy go up against Eddie Jones’ powerful England team on Sunday. With the next HSBC Sevens Series scheduled for Hamilton, New Zealand along with weeks and weeks of Rugby XVs coming from the NatWest Six Nations, Rugby fans of both variants can look forward to a spectacular start to Rugby in 2018.
Did someone say Super Rugby? Oh heavens… We can all hardly wait! What will you be watching over the next few weeks?
Sevens For SURE!
Six Nations Spectacular, of course!
Hmmmm… Why not both?!
