Why do you think this article only has 20+ replies? No one cares. I’d have to question your mental state if you actually get excited for 7s.

I agree that Sevens is the smaller version of the game. I agree that the way it is set up, the guys playing it are not the premier 7 available to their country. But within the next 6 years, you will be able to pick the best 15s players from each country, and they will lose to the best 7s players, such is the degree of specialization in the game. It’s not there yet, but by the 2016 Olympics, it will be. So you need to see it as two games, specialists playing each. So if your opinion is that any sport (cricket, hockey, netball, swimming) is a joke, then fine, you’re one-dimensional. But if you’re saying it’s a joke because you’re comparing to 15s, then you’re ignorant. I’m back that second option.

It also happens to be growing magnitudes faster than 15s (for example, viewership of S14 in NZ is down 25%, and in SA, down 5% year-on-year, continuing to fall). It’s now at the same level world-wide as 15s because it’s viewed in more territories than 15s. So I’m afraid not “everyone knows it”, just you and your solar system, of which you’re the only star.

Historically, Sevens has been under-represented by the media and the authorities of the sport. In fact, just last week, I sat in an IRB meeting to discuss the future of the game, and it’s clear that there are two camps – those who adhere to your camp (though not as boorish), and those who recognize the unique entity of the game of sevens, which has a right to not be called a ‘joke’.

Besides, I reckon you’re so ignorant about the game you probably don’t know why you’re calling it a joke, other than the fact that 15s has always been marketed to you and you didn’t come across 7s until later, once you were ‘converted’. Your opinion is thus a consequence of what others have told you to believe, which means it’s of no consequence to me.

If you made it this far, well done.

As for SA, to the guy talking about flash-in-the-pan, yeah, it’s been a bad year for SA, but take Cama, Forbes, Lawrence and Raikabula out of the NZ team for reasons of injury and Super 14, and let’s see how they get on. Turnover of players is simply too high to sustain success when the union picks players OUT of Sevens. In that system, success, by definition, means future failure as the churn is so high. NZ, Samoa haven’t had this problem for the last 3 years, hence their success. Aus and England do. And apart from that, we haven’t had the quality, so we (SA) are where we deserve to be this year. Simple equation.

Shhh, lets not get aggressive. I like my rugby when tries actually mean something. 7s is a joke, everyone knows it.

what’s the deal???

Why can’t we have a thread NOW???

Good for you, I hope you enjoy watching your 7s. Me on the other hand, well I prefer watching proper rugby, like the Super 14 final for example.