Finally! Women's 7s set to feature in Commonwealth Games!

[Ser Podrick of Payne Profile]

The International Rugby Board believes that Women’s Rugby Sevens will be a hit when it debuts at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in 2018.

Confirmation by the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Corporation, the Games organising committee, follows earlier approval by the Commonwealth Games Federation and fulfils the IRB’s objective to see Women’s Sevens showcased at the Games.

The women’s event will be run alongside the men’s at the Robina Stadium and plans are already underway to ensure a successful and thrilling debut.


Please read more at the source: http://www.irb.com/newsmedia/mediazone/ ... comm+games

[NedRugby Profile]

I suppose there will be 8 teams. Top 4 will be Nz, Aus, Can and Eng, then S.A and Fiji also from WSWS. Who will be the other 2? Wales? Is Hongkong a commonwealt country?

[Ser Podrick of Payne Profile]

I suppose there will be 8 teams. Top 4 will be Nz, Aus, Can and Eng, then S.A and Fiji also from WSWS. Who will be the other 2? Wales? Is Hongkong a commonwealt country?

My guess would be they would want an Asian team, HK not in the Commonwealth, so Malaysia or Singapore. They could stretch to 12 or 16 which would be better but it depends as much on whether the nations would want to send a squad.

I suppose regional competitions will act as qualifiers as per the men's, so teams like India, Guyana, Kenya, Uganda, PNG, Samoa etc would also have a shot.

[YamahaKiwi Profile]

Great news! I saw this on stuff.co.nz and was going to put it on here but you beat me to it PoP! I actually emailed the 2018 organisers in August a couple of years ago saying that the PanAm games, Asian Games, CASCO, South Pacific Games and of course the Rio Olympics had womens 7s and it would be sad if the CWG having been the first multi-sport event to include rugby would be the last to include womens 7s. They replied that womens 7s was currently under review as to whether it would be included or not. Well the review took two years but they made the right decision in the end!

Brickbat to NZ Herald...not a single word. Nothing. Adam Thomson playing for the Reds in super rugby next year is more important.

[ugrugbychiclet Profile]

I suppose there will be 8 teams. Top 4 will be Nz, Aus, Can and Eng, then S.A and Fiji also from WSWS. Who will be the other 2? Wales? Is Hongkong a commonwealt country?

Why would there be just 8 teams? The men's competition has 16. I would have thought at least 12 teams if not 16 teams.

[ugrugbychiclet Profile]

Great news! I saw this on stuff.co.nz and was going to put it on here but you beat me to it PoP! I actually emailed the 2018 organisers in August a couple of years ago saying that the PanAm games, Asian Games, CASCO, South Pacific Games and of course the Rio Olympics had womens 7s and it would be sad if the CWG having been the first multi-sport event to include rugby would be the last to include womens 7s. They replied that womens 7s was currently under review as to whether it would be included or not. Well the review took two years but they made the right decision in the end!

Brickbat to NZ Herald...not a single word. Nothing. Adam Thomson playing for the Reds in super rugby next year is more important.

It is indeed great news and loooooooooong overdue. The Gold Coast CWGs organisers actually confirmed on twitter a couple of months back that they had included women's 7s in 2018. I guess that they first had to go through the usual red tape before an official announcement with fireworks and champagne etc.

[Ser Podrick of Payne Profile]

We can assume safely I think that the WSWS will act as a qualifier and provide some CG finalists but the European situation is a bit of a conundrum. England should qualify but otherwise there is only Wales, Scotland, Malta and Cyprus in the Commonwealth in Europe and neither Wales nor Scotland currently would seem to merit automatic entry ( for an 8/12 team comp anyway ) though you'd expect them to be at a far higher level than Malta and Cyprus.

It would be very interesting to mix African and European teams up in a cross regional qualifier...perhaps after a regional African competition. It would at least help seeding and help give more experience to the African teams.

[ugrugbychiclet Profile]

We can assume safely I think that the WSWS will act as a qualifier and provide some CG finalists

Is that what happens with the men? I don't quite understand the CWG qualification process. From what I can tell, SA and Kenya seem to have automatic entry and then the top 2 countries in CAR get 2 slots. At least since 2006, there have been 4 African countries at the CWG - I'm not sure about before that. Uganda has been to 3 editions and each time benefited from Zimbabwe's suspension and subsequent withdrawal from the Commonwealth.
*Namibia qualified in 2010 but withdrew and was replaced by Malaysia while Nigeria qualified in 2014 but withdrew as well and was replaced by Barbados.

It would be very interesting to mix African and European teams up in a cross regional qualifier...perhaps after a regional African competition. It would at least help seeding and help give more experience to the African teams.

Asian teams too

[Ser Podrick of Payne Profile]

We can assume safely I think that the WSWS will act as a qualifier and provide some CG finalists

Is that what happens with the men? I don't quite understand the CWG qualification process. From what I can tell, SA and Kenya seem to have automatic entry and then the top 2 countries in CAR get 2 slots. At least since 2006, there have been 4 African countries at the CWG - I'm not sure about before that. Uganda has been to 3 editions and each time benefited from Zimbabwe's suspension and subsequent withdrawal from the Commonwealth.
*Namibia qualified in 2010 but withdrew and was replaced by Malaysia while Nigeria qualified in 2014 but withdrew as well and was replaced by Barbados.

It would be very interesting to mix African and European teams up in a cross regional qualifier...perhaps after a regional African competition. It would at least help seeding and help give more experience to the African teams.

Asian teams too

I think in the men's some teams automatically qualify from the standings in the previous CWG but obviously for an inaugural event that can't happen. It could just be that they go for regional qualifiers with no direct automatic qualifiers from the WSWS.

For the men's CWG Asian teams qualify through final standings the ARFU 7s, would be good to have them in a Europe/Africa/Asia qualifier but it starts to get very expensive for amateur teams. which is why I think a Euro/Africa X-region qualifier could be more feasible - hold it in Nairobi or Kampala so it's not too problematic for teams like Namibia, Zambia, Nigeria etc.

With 12 teams you could end up with a good global mix*: NZ, Aus, SA, Eng, Fiji, Canada, Wales and/or Scotland, PNG or Cooks or Samoa, Guyana or T&T, Uganda or Kenya, Singapore.

*Depending who is or isn't suspended or opts out of the CoN of course!

[ugrugbychiclet Profile]

We can assume safely I think that the WSWS will act as a qualifier and provide some CG finalists

Is that what happens with the men? I don't quite understand the CWG qualification process. From what I can tell, SA and Kenya seem to have automatic entry and then the top 2 countries in CAR get 2 slots. At least since 2006, there have been 4 African countries at the CWG - I'm not sure about before that. Uganda has been to 3 editions and each time benefited from Zimbabwe's suspension and subsequent withdrawal from the Commonwealth.
*Namibia qualified in 2010 but withdrew and was replaced by Malaysia while Nigeria qualified in 2014 but withdrew as well and was replaced by Barbados.

It would be very interesting to mix African and European teams up in a cross regional qualifier...perhaps after a regional African competition. It would at least help seeding and help give more experience to the African teams.

Asian teams too

I think in the men's some teams automatically qualify from the standings in the previous CWG but obviously for an inaugural event that can't happen. It could just be that they go for regional qualifiers with no direct automatic qualifiers from the WSWS.

For the men's CWG Asian teams qualify through final standings the ARFU 7s, would be good to have them in a Europe/Africa/Asia qualifier but it starts to get very expensive for amateur teams. which is why I think a Euro/Africa X-region qualifier could be more feasible - hold it in Nairobi or Kampala so it's not too problematic for teams like Namibia, Zambia, Nigeria etc.

With 12 teams you could end up with a good global mix*: NZ, Aus, SA, Eng, Fiji, Canada, Wales and/or Scotland, PNG or Cooks or Samoa, Guyana or T&T, Uganda or Kenya, Singapore.

*Depending who is or isn't suspended or opts out of the CoN of course!

I think in the men's some teams automatically qualify from the standings in the previous CWG but obviously for an inaugural event that can't happen. It could just be that they go for regional qualifiers with no direct automatic qualifiers from the WSWS.

Ah ok that's clearer now.

For the men's CWG Asian teams qualify through final standings the ARFU 7s, would be good to have them in a Europe/Africa/Asia qualifier but it starts to get very expensive for amateur teams. which is why I think a Euro/Africa X-region qualifier could be more feasible - hold it in Nairobi or Kampala so it's not too problematic for teams like Namibia, Zambia, Nigeria etc.

Unfortunately, that's very true

With 12 teams you could end up with a good global mix*: NZ, Aus, SA, Eng, Fiji, Canada, Wales and/or Scotland, PNG or Cooks or Samoa, Guyana or T&T, Uganda or Kenya, Singapore.

*Depending who is or isn't suspended or opts out of the CoN of course!

Otherwise, that is indeed a good looking possible global mix.

[YamahaKiwi Profile]

CWG requires at least one rep team from each part where there are commonwealth members so there should at least be one NACRA Caribbean team, and also at least one Asian team included. The teams you've listed, T&T and Singapore have probably been the best in those areas. Samoa and PNG were 4th and 5th at the FORU7s last weekend.

[NedRugby Profile]

I suppose there will be 8 teams. Top 4 will be Nz, Aus, Can and Eng, then S.A and Fiji also from WSWS. Who will be the other 2? Wales? Is Hongkong a commonwealt country?

Why would there be just 8 teams? The men's competition has 16. I would have thought at least 12 teams if not 16 teams.

I suppose I just did not use my imagination. I think there is a bigger gap between the strong and weak teams in womens rugby than mens. I think thats why they have 12 in the WSWS and 16 in the mens. But maybe you could have Uganda, Kenia, a couple more Pacific teams, Scotland. A 12 team competition could be possible.