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SEVENS IS WEIRD!

Rugby sevens being played at the 2006 Commonwealth Games, which was held at Melbourne's Telstra Dome.

Rugby sevens is a variant of rugby union in which only seven players per side feature, instead of the full 15. The version of rugby union is very popular, with notable competitions including the IRB Sevens World Series and the Rugby World Cup Sevens. Rugby sevens is also played at events such as the Commonwealth Games. Although it was conceived as an event for rugby union, rugby league has also adopted the sevens format. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2048 × 1536 pixel, file size: 400 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Other versions See http://flickr. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2048 × 1536 pixel, file size: 400 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Other versions See http://flickr. ... The 2006 Commonwealth Games were held in Melbourne, Australia between March 15 and March 26, 2006. ... Melbournes CBD has grown to straddle the Yarra River in three major precincts. ... {{Infobox_Stadium | stadium_name = Telstra Dome | nickname = The Dome, Docklands Stadium| image = | location = Docklands, Melbourne | broke_ground = 1996| opened = 2000| closed = N/A| demolished = N/A| owner = James Fielding Funds Management| operator = Melbourne Stadiums LimitedAccess One| surface = Grass| construction_cost = $250 million AUD|lbourne. ... A rugby union scrum. ... The IRB Sevens World Series, known officially as the IRB Sevens before the 2006-07 season and also sometimes called the World Sevens Series, is a series of international rugby union sevens tournaments organised for the first time in the 1999-2000 season. ... The Rugby World Cup Sevens is the worlds premier international contest in the Sevens version of rugby union, first held in Scotland in 1993 and held every four years. ... Current flag of the Commonwealth Games Federation Locations of the games, and participating countries British Commonwealth Games seal Commonwealth Games Federation seal, adopted in 2001 The Commonwealth Games is a multinational, multi-sport event. ... Rugby league football (often shortened to rugby league) is a full-contact team sport played with a prolate spheroid-shaped ball by two teams of thirteen on a rectangular grass field. ...

Overview

Rugby 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. (In the IRB Sevens World Series, only the Cup final, which determines the overall winner of an event, is played with 10-minute halves; all finals for lower-level trophies are played with normal 7-minute halves.^[1]) 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 the trio of loose forwards in 15 man rugby. The IRB logo. ... A rugby union scrum. ...

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. Two of the best known sevens competitions are the Hong Kong Sevens and Wellington Sevens, which now make up parts of the IRB Sevens World Series. Ned Haig (7th December 1858 - 28th March 1939) was the founder of Rugby sevens. ... Melrose(Am Maol Ros in Gaelic) is a small, historic town in the Scottish Borders. ... Motto (Latin) No one provokes me with impunity Cha togar mfhearg gun dioladh (Scottish Gaelic)1 Wha daur meddle wi me?(Scots)1 Anthem (Multiple unofficial anthems) Scotlands location in Europe Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow Official languages English, Gaelic, Scots Government Constitutional monarchy  -  Queen Queen Elizabeth II... 1883 (MDCCCLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Wellington College, the national monument to the Duke of Wellington, is an English public school, located in the Berkshire village of Crowthorne. ... Murrayfield Stadium is a sports stadium in Scotlands capital, Edinburgh, and is the home of Scottish rugby union. ... The Hong Kong Sevens (香港七人欖球賽) is generally considered the premier tournament on the World Sevens Series in Rugby Union. ... The Rugby World Cup Sevens is the worlds premier international contest in the Sevens version of rugby union, first held in Scotland in 1993 and held every four years. ... The Wellington Sevens or The AXA New Zealand International Sevens (known in 2007, however, as the NZI Sevens) is an annual rugby sevens tournament held in Wellington, New Zealand. ... The IRB logo. ... The IRB Sevens World Series, known officially as the IRB Sevens before the 2006-07 season and also sometimes called the World Sevens Series, is a series of international rugby union sevens tournaments organised for the first time in the 1999-2000 season. ...

Variations to the Laws of the Game

There are several variations in laws which apply to Rugby Sevens,^[2] primarily to speed up the game and to account for the reduced number of players. The main changes can be summarised as follows:

• Only 7 players are allowed per team.
• Up to 5 substitutes can be named and 3 used.
• A match lasts 14 minutes plus added time with the exception of tournament finals which may last 20 minutes.
• The half time change of ends must not last more than 1 minute.
• If a match is drawn, extra time is played in periods of 5 minutes, with a change of ends between each one and no interval in play. Play ends with the first score in extra time.
• Conversion attempts must be drop kicks, and must be attempted within 40 seconds of the try being scored.
• Suspended players are only sin-binned for 2 minutes.
  • This is a somewhat more serious penalty than a sin-binning in the 15-man game. In terms of time, 2 minutes out of 14 (in a normal match) is a higher percentage of the overall time than 10 minutes out of 80. More importantly, the loss of one player is more damaging to a 7-man team than in the 15-man game, especially when one realizes that a sevens team must cover the same area as a team in the 15-man game.
• After a score, it is the scoring team that kicks to the opposition from the central spot.
• Scrums consist of three players per team.

At the Summer Olympics

For more information, see the article about Rugby union at the Summer Olympics .

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 contend for medals.^[3] 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 debatable 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. A postcard of the rugby event at the 1924 Olympics. ... The five Olympic rings were designed in 1913, adopted in 1914 and debuted at the Games at Antwerp, 1920. ... Current flag of the Commonwealth Games Federation Locations of the games, and participating countries British Commonwealth Games seal Commonwealth Games Federation seal, adopted in 2001 The Commonwealth Games is a multinational, multi-sport event. ... 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean [1]. // Coated in ice, power and telephone lines sag and often break, resulting in power outages. ... Stamp The International Olympic Committee is an organization based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin and Demetrios Vikelas on June 23, 1894 to reinstate the Ancient Olympic Games held in Greece between 776 BC to 396 AD. Its membership is 203 National Olympic Committees. ... The 2012 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXX Olympiad, will be held in London, United Kingdom from 27 July to 12 August 2012. ... The Olympic motto is Citius, Altius, Fortius, which is Latin for Faster, Higher, Stronger. ... Rhythmic gymnasts from Greece in the 2000 Sydney Olympics Rhythmic gymnastics is a sport in which single competitors or groups of two or more manipulate five types of apparatus: Ball, Clubs, Hoop, Ribbon, and Rope. ...

Major tournaments

• Rugby World Cup Sevens
• IRB Sevens World Series, which currently includes:
  • Adelaide Sevens
  • Dubai Sevens
  • Hong Kong Sevens
  • London Sevens
  • Scotland Sevens
  • South Africa Sevens
  • USA Sevens
  • Wellington Sevens
• Middlesex Sevens
• The National Schools 7's, (Rosslyn Park, London)
• Melrose Sevens
• Commonwealth Games
• Safari Sevens

Image File history File links Current_sport. ... The 2005-06 IRB Sevens World Series will be the eighth of an annual series of rugby union sevens tournaments run by the International Rugby Board since 1999-2000. ... The Rugby World Cup Sevens is the worlds premier international contest in the Sevens version of rugby union, first held in Scotland in 1993 and held every four years. ... The IRB Sevens World Series, known officially as the IRB Sevens before the 2006-07 season and also sometimes called the World Sevens Series, is a series of international rugby union sevens tournaments organised for the first time in the 1999-2000 season. ... The Adelaide Sevens (also known as Australia Sevens) is a rugby union sevens tournament, part of the IRB Sevens World Series. ... An annual rugby union sevens tournament held in Dubai each year at the Dubai Exiles Rugby Ground. ... The Hong Kong Sevens (香港七人欖球賽) is generally considered the premier tournament on the World Sevens Series in Rugby Union. ... An annual rugby union sevens tournament held in London each year. ... The Emirates Airline Edinburgh 7s, also known as the Scotland Sevens, is a rugby union sevens tournament, part of the IRB Sevens World Series, held at Murrayfield in Edinburgh, Scotland. ... An annual rugby union sevens tournament held in South Africa each year. ... The USA Sevens is an annual rugby union sevens tournament held in the United States at 44,500 capacity PETCO Park in San Diego, California. ... The Wellington Sevens or The AXA New Zealand International Sevens (known in 2007, however, as the NZI Sevens) is an annual rugby sevens tournament held in Wellington, New Zealand. ... The Middlesex Sevens is an invitation rugby union sevens tournament held annually during the summer at Twickenham stadium in London, England. ... The National Schools Sevens is a rugby union sevens tournament held in association with Rosslyn Park F.C. has evolved into the worlds largest rugby tournament with some 7,000 boys aged 13 - 19 competing annually. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Current flag of the Commonwealth Games Federation Locations of the games, and participating countries British Commonwealth Games seal Commonwealth Games Federation seal, adopted in 2001 The Commonwealth Games is a multinational, multi-sport event. ... The 2006 Safari Sevens logo. ...

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.

Notable Sevens Players

• Waisale Serevi (Fiji)
• Fabian Julies (South Africa)
• Christian Cullen (New Zealand)
• Ben Gollings (England)
• Andrew Turnbull (Scotland)
• Jonah Lomu (New Zealand)
• William Ryder (Fiji)
• Marika Vunibaka (Fiji)
• Vilimoni Delasau (Fiji)
• Simon Amor (England)
• Brian Lima (Samoa)
• Peter Miller (Australia)
• Eric Rush (New Zealand)
• Amasio Raoma Valence (New Zealand)
• Karl TeNana (New Zealand)
• Oreni Ai'i (New Zealand)
• Santiago Gómez Cora (Argentina) — all-time leading try scorer in the IRB Sevens World Series
• David Lemi (Samoa)

Waisale Tikoisolomoni Serevi (born 20 May 1968 in Qarani on the island of Gau, Fiji) is a Fijian rugby union footballer. ... Christian Mathias Cullen (born February 12, 1976 in Paraparaumu) is a New Zealand rugby player. ... Ben Gollings (born 13 May 1980 in Launceston, Cornwall) is a rugby union footballer who plays fullback for Tasman and England Sevens. ... Andrew Turnbull (b. ... Jonah Tali Lomu (born May 12, 1975) is a New Zealand rugby union footballer who has played 73 times (63 caps) as an All Black after debuting in 1994. ... William Ryder born 6 June 1982. ... Marika Vunibaka (born 3 November 1974) is a Fijian rugby union footballer. ... Vilimoni Delasau (born 12 July 1977 in Sorokaba, Ba Fiji is a Fijian rugby union footballer. ... Simon Amor (born 25 April 1979 in Kingston upon Thames) is an English rugby union footballer who plays at fly-half for Gloucester and is the captain of the England Sevens squad. ... Brian Lima (born 25 January 1972 in Apia, Samoa) is a Samoan rugby union footballer. ... Peter Miller (born April 6, 1969) is an Australian rules footballer who played for the Fremantle Dockers in 1995. ... Eric Rush is a New Zealand rugby union footballer and a Rugby Sevens legend, arguably one of the greatest Sevens players to grace the game. ... David Lemi (born 10 February 1982) is a professional rugby player who plays for on the wing Bristol Rugby in the Guinness Premiership. ...

Sevens Top Try-Scorers

Image File history File links Current_event_marker. ... Ben Gollings (born 13 May 1980 in Launceston, Cornwall) is a rugby union footballer who plays fullback for Tasman and England Sevens. ... Peter Miller (born April 6, 1969) is an Australian rules footballer who played for the Fremantle Dockers in 1995. ... Richard Haughton (born 8 November 1980) is a rugby union footballer who plays on the wing for Saracens, England Saxons and England Sevens. ... Rob Thirlby (born 2 March 1979)in Penzance, Cornwall is a rugby union footballer who plays on the wing or full back for Gloucester and England Sevens. ... Nasoni Rokobiau, born 29 November 1979, in Vunidawa, Fiji is a rugby union player. ... Vilimoni Delasau (born 12 July 1977 in Sorokaba, Ba Fiji is a Fijian rugby union footballer. ... Uale Vala Mai is a samoan sevens player. ... Justin Wilson (born 31 July 1978, Sheffield, England) is a former Formula One driver who is now racing in the Champ Car series. ... Waisale Tikoisolomoni Serevi (born 20 May 1968 in Qarani on the island of Gau, Fiji) is a Fijian rugby union footballer. ... William Ryder born 6 June 1982. ... David Lemi (born 10 February 1982) is a professional rugby player who plays for on the wing Bristol Rugby in the Guinness Premiership. ...

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 a variation of the sport rugby league, though it is less commonly played as an alternative when compared with Rugby league nines (played on a nine-a-side basis). ... Rugby league nines is a version of rugby league played with 9 players on each side. ... Rugby league football (often shortened to rugby league) is a full-contact team sport played with a prolate spheroid-shaped ball by two teams of thirteen on a rectangular grass field. ... The Rugby League World Sevens were a pre-season Rugby League Sevens tournament made up of the NSWRL, ARL and NRL teams, along with teams representing NSW Country, Tonga, France, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Russia, Fiji, the USA and England. ... The National Rugby League (NRL) is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. ... The Sydney Opera House on Sydney Harbour Sydney (pronounced ) is the most populous city in Australia, with a metropolitan area population of over 4,200,000 people, and 151,920, in the city limits. ...

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. An amusingly named pub (the Old New Inn) at Bourton-on-the-Water, in the Cotswold Hills of South West England A pub in the Haymarket area of Edinburgh, Scotland A public house, usually known as a pub, is a drinking establishment found mainly in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada...

Women's Rugby sevens

Women's rugby 7s is dominated by New Zealand, with either the New Zealand team (1999-2001) or Aotearoa Maori Women’s Rugby 7’s team (playing as New Zealand) winning all of the Hong Kong 7s to date (as of 2006) [1]. The inaugural Women’s Rugby World Cup Sevens tournament will be held in 2009 in conjunction with the men’s tournament. Other strong nations in Women's 7s are Australia and the USA. 2006 is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

References

Portable Document Format (PDF) is a file format created by Adobe Systems in 1993 for desktop publishing use. ... The IRB logo. ... February 10 is the 41st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the CE era. ... The 2005-06 IRB Sevens World Series will be the eighth of an annual series of rugby union sevens tournaments run by the International Rugby Board since 1999-2000. ... The Hong Kong Sevens (香港七人欖球賽) is generally considered the premier tournament on the World Sevens Series in Rugby Union. ...

See also

• Ned Haig - founder of sevens game
• Rugby Sevens at the 2006 Commonwealth Games

Ned Haig (7th December 1858 - 28th March 1939) was the founder of Rugby sevens. ... The 2006 Commonwealth Games were the third Games at which Rugby Sevens, the only male-only sports at the Commonwealth Games, was played. ...

External links

• IRB (union) Sevens official website
• The Schools' Rugby Website
• RugbyRugby.com world rugby news website
• New Zealand Sevens Site
• Middlesex Sevens Official Web Site
• British Army Rugby Union (ARU) Army Sevens
• Hong Kong Sevens Official Web Site
• Amsterdam Sevens
• New York 7s Tournament - Oldest and Largest 7s Tournament in the USA
• World Sevens - News from El Rugbier (Spanish)
• Sevens Specific Training - Training with USA Women Seven's Head Coach Julie McCoy