Latest news with #sevens
Telegraph
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Telegraph
International sevens future in doubt as GB scrap full-time team programme
The future of international sevens has been plunged into doubt after it was confirmed that the Great Britain men's and women's full-time teams programme will be scrapped in July. Both the men's and women's teams will continue to compete but with the players being selected from 'camp and competition model' with non-contracted players coming together to train and play series. The news comes just a week after the Irish Rugby Football Union confirmed it was axing its men's sevens team less than a year after it was in strong contention for a medal at the Olympic Games in Paris. The Great Britain sides were formed to compete for the Rio Games in 2016 when sevens made its Olympic bow, and the men's side won the silver medal, but failed to qualify for Paris 2024. The women's side have yet to win a medal, finishing fourth at Rio and Tokyo and losing in the quarter-finals in Paris. Olympic recognition was seen as key to attracting new financial support for rugby, particularly in countries where the sport was not traditionally played. The sevens programmes were also seen to play important roles in player skill development for the 15-a-side game. The increasingly tough financial outlook however appears to be leading to the slow death of the sevens game as a professional sport. World Rugby has been suffering heavy losses funding the World SVNS Series and the decision to no longer use London as a host city last year had a detrimental impact on funding for the Great Britain team. The Rugby Football Union axed England's men's and women's sides as part of cuts in 2020. There are currently 27 full-time players across the men's and women's games in England, six in Wales and three in Scotland. 'With an increasingly congested sevens calendar and crossover opportunities with the 15s game reducing, we are taking time to review how best the format can work both from a player development and financial perspective,' said Conor O'Shea, the RFU's performance director. 'The intended new format will look at ways where crossover can happen more effectively in the men's and women's games while reducing some of the rising costs associated with competing on a global circuit. 'GB7s does not receive central Olympic funding, unlike many other unions it is competing with, and we believe the model the series is run under could be more financially effective for individual unions. This is something we are continuing to talk to World Rugby about. 'We understand the way in which player and coach contracts will change will be disappointing to many involved, and we will work closely with the Rugby Players Association to ensure that each of our players continues to be well supported and understands all the options available to them.'
BBC News
23-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
GB sevens programme to be scrapped in July
The Great Britain men and women's full-time sevens programme will be scrapped at the end of will be no more permanent contracts, with players instead coming together to train and play on the World SVNS unions say the decision has been driven by financial pressures and a bid to improve the crossover with the 15-a-side restructuring comes just days after Irish rugby ended its men's sevens programme."The financial structure of the World Series over the past few years has become increasingly challenging and placed strain on the GB7s approach, which we must remodel," Scottish Rugby performance director David Nucifora said."With an increasingly congested sevens calendar and crossover opportunities with the 15s game reducing, we are taking time to review how best the format can work both from a player development and financial perspective," added RFU performance director Conor O' it stands, England has 27 contracted players across the men and women's game, Wales six and Scotland three, although not all are GB sevens teams have competed at three Olympics since the sport was added to the Games in 2016, with the men winning silver in Rio 2016 but failing to qualify for Paris women have yet to win a medal, finishing fourth at Rio and Tokyo."GB7s does not receive central Olympic funding, unlike many other unions it is competing with, and we believe the model the series is run under could be more financially effective for individual unions," added O'Shea."This is something we are continuing to talk to World Rugby about." The RFU has also cited the loss of the London leg of the World Series as another reason for the financial the past decade or so, the men's 7s and 15s forms of the game have been kept separate, with very few players in the UK and Ireland switching between the in the 1990s and 2000s a host of senior England 15-a-side internationals played sevens at the start of their careers, with Ugo Monye and Danny Care telling the Rugby Union Weekly podcast this week it helped them develop as players in the longer form of the there are concerns a part-time programme will mean GB will struggle to compete on the world stage."We believe the camp-based approach we are taking will provide the best development opportunities for players from the men's and women's game given current financial constraints and the congested schedule," added Welsh Rugby Union interim performance director Huw Bevan."We will continue to work with the other unions and World Rugby to explore the on-going role sevens plays within our development pathway."
RNZ News
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- RNZ News
Why US rugby star Ilona Maher is unafraid to take up space
Before each game on the World Rugby Sevens circuit, the same choreographed pre-match routine is rolled out. A key component of the pomp and pageantry is what is known to those in the business as "the tunnel shot". It's when the two teams line up side by side at the end of the tunnel and do their best to ignore one another as they stare out at the field before them with grim-faced determination. Then, when the signal is given, the players charge out onto the pitch to a fate unknown. Sports broadcaster Rikki Swannell still remembers the day when world rugby's leading light first appeared at the end of the tunnel. It was the Paris round of 2018-19 season, and a young player by the name of Ilona Maher was making her debut for the US women's team. "I just remember seeing this big, strong woman... she was built like a brick shithouse basically - I don't think she'd mind me saying that - and she had this bright red lipstick on. We were all just like 'woah who is this woman?'" What Swannell, the indefatigable voice of sevens rugby, now knows is the way Maher chose to present herself to the world is no accident. "That whole beast, beauty, brains tagline - that's been her mantra from day one," Swannell said. "Ilona's not the captain of the team, she's filled in here and there, but she's never been the fulltime captain, but she's always the one to stand at the front and run out first onto the field. That's because, and I think this is relatively common knowledge, she just asked if it would be ok if she went out first and the others were happy to let her do it." Ilona Maher in action on the World Series circuit in 2019. Photo: Photosport Since her debut in Paris - the city where she would six years later become the breakout star of the US Olympic team - Maher has remained unafraid to take up space. An intimidating figure on the field, the 28-year-old is equally known for her presence off the field. With more than eight million combined followers on Instagram and TikTok, Maher has become not only rugby's most followed player, but one of the most influential figures in women's sport. A power athlete deploying her image to inspire future generations. Her impressive social media following has seen Maher take her unique brand of body positivity activism and irreverent humour mainstream. She's graced the cover of Sports Illustrated's swimsuit edition, appeared on late night talk shows, competed on Dancing with the Stars in the US, and signed brand endorsement deals with L'Oreal and Adidas. This week, the Ilona Maher juggernaut careened into Auckland ahead of her side's clash with the Black Ferns in the Pacific Four series. Since last year's Olympics, where the US women's team claimed a historic bronze medal, Maher has made the switch to the XVs game, with an eye on making the USA Eagles team for the World Cup in August. Ilona Maher pictured alongside newly unretired Black Ferns star Portia Woodman-Wickliffe in Auckland. Photo: Andrew Cornaga / Photosport And so on Thursday, on a bluebird autumn day in the city, Maher was taking up space at the end of a wharf at the end of the world doing what she does best - spruiking women's rugby and what the game has done for her. Maher fronted local media alongside Black Ferns star Portia Woodman-Wickliffe - widely regarded as the best women's player in the game - as part of a joint media session ahead of Saturday's match at North Harbour Stadium. But it was clear most of the crowd assembled were there for one person. "I've not seen a crowd like this at a rugby media stand-up for a long time," observed one seasoned rugby journo. You could sense the hackles rise among the sports scribes in attendance when a pair of high profile radio hosts kicked the proceedings by challenging Maher and Woodman-Wickliffe to an arm wrestle, and took bets among themselves over who would win. The pair gamely played along, turning what could have been a cringey gag into social media gold. After Woodman-Wickliffe was the declared the winner of the mock arm wrestle, she was handed the $20. "I don't think that's how betting works," joked Maher. "I wouldn't know. We don't bet around here because we're pro athletes." A large contingent of media swarm around Ilona Maher at a press call in Aucklad this week. Photo: Andrew Cornaga / Photosport But it was after the arm wrestle that Maher really got stuck into her work. The questions followed rapidfire, ranging from eccentric to earnest - for each the affable star had a pitch perfect answer. Asked whether given her profile she felt pressure to perform on the field, Maher responded: "Being female athletes, we need something for the fans to believe in and want to keep buying tickets for, so it's our job to consistently put out something that people are going to buy a ticket and come and watch. I think for women's rugby to flourish we need that. "It's been my purpose to try to get people to tune into the games and to buy tickets. "We know the power of rugby and how much it has changed our lives and how much it can change other girls' lives." Swannell, who has watched in awe of Maher's trajectory from having a small niche following to being a global superstar, said through it all, the blockbusting player had remained steadfast to her message. "It's steadily built, steadily built, and then it got to Paris and beyond, where it has just exploded into something I've never seen before in rugby," Swannell said. "But she's built it all herself. She's been open about the body image issues she had when she was younger, but rugby has taught her that her size and her power is an asset, and so she promotes this message of 'yes I am big, yes I have massive shoulders, but look at what my big, strong body can do'," Swannell said. Sports broadcaster Rikki Swannell is the voice of rugby sevens. Photo: Supplied Maher's message of female empowerment extended beyond body positivity. In an interview with CNN earlier this year, the rugby megastar was asked how she deals with imposter syndrome - a malady that often afflicts successful women. Maher initially appeared puzzled by the question. "I don't have that. I don't know what that is? What it's where you feel like you don't deserve it?" she asks. "Yeah," the interviewer responds. "Nope, I don't think I have that. I feel like I deserve what I've gotten… people are told sometimes that they should have that imposter syndrome. But it's okay to be proud of what you've done, it's okay to believe you deserve something because you've put in the work for it." As tends to be standard for anything Maher touches, the clip quickly went viral, garnering millions of views and reposts. To many women, there was something about Maher's unabashed pride in her achievements that felt revolutionary. "Ilona Maher admitting she doesn't experience imposter syndrome has completely altered my brain chemistry," one poster commented. Ilona Maher (R) poses for a selfie alongside US teammates Olivia Ortiz and Erica Jarrell (L) at a media session in Auckland. Photo: Andrew Cornaga / Photosport It's little wonder, given her unique ability to connect with a generation of women, that the sport's leaders are clambering over one another to hitch themselves to the Maher juggernaut. "You hear it ad nauseum wherever she goes, the various people wanting to attach themselves to Ilona or 'how can we get Ilona to promote XYZ'. And to me, the game should be asking itself how can we create more Ilonas with their own unique message and their own profile," Swannell said. But the idea of promoting individual stars of the sport is almost an antithesis of the "NZ Rugby way". Swannell believed the sport here was being held back by a longstanding ethos that no one person was bigger than the game. "Rugby in general has never been about the individuals, it's all about the team, the jersey, all that kind of stuff. But every fan survey will tell you that young people in particular are following individuals and it's star power that's taking over sport. "How many people started following Inter Miami because of Lionel Messi, are they day one Inter Miami fans? Like, please. "I think Ilona is really demonstrating how that star power can grow the sport." Long time rivals on the sevens field, Portia Woodman-Wickliffe will square off against Ilona Maher in the XVs game this weekend. Photo: Andrew Cornaga / Photosport Portia Woodman-Wickliffe agreed the key to growing the women's game laid in the players showcasing the personalities of the players. "We've seen the impact of what social media and big characters can do to draw people in, and when they finally see how amazing the teams are, they're going to be drawn in even more. "If we can create more stories around every team, to understand the characters, their stories, then more people will relate to it and they will want to see more," the newly un-retired international said. "Yes, we need more, I'm tired," Maher chimed in. There is space for all in Maher's world. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday .
RNZ News
20-05-2025
- Sport
- RNZ News
Midday Sports News for 20 May 2025
Some of our Olympic champion sevens players may run out for the Black Ferns this weekend. Tags: To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
Irish Times
18-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Sevens cull shows rugby blazers no longer agree with players. Who is right?
Sports fans often bemoan a lack of honesty from those in charge. Wednesday's announcement of the culling of the Irish men's sevens programme, while controversial in many quarters, cannot be accused of lacking honest reasoning. There, written in ink, was an explanation for the decision. Sevens 'does not contribute as a development pathway for the 15s game, with current academy structures in place within the provinces offering greater development opportunities for men's rugby'. Countless players disagreed. Former captain Harry McNulty described the IRFU's justification as 'fabricated'. 'From the inception in 2015, there have been players in our programme who have gone back to 15s every single year,' he said. READ MORE Who is right? [ IRFU to axe men's sevens programme following review Opens in new window ] In a way, McNulty has a point. Since the first squad of this generation of sevens was picked back in 2015, each season has featured names who subsequently went on to feature in provincial rugby. That very first squad included Tadhg Beirne, Adam Byrne, Tom Daly and Alex Wooton. In 2016, Byrne, Daly and Wooton were joined by Barry Daly. At the time, the UCD wing was not affiliated with a province. He signed with Leinster later that year, going on to score 19 tries in 36 appearances. In 2017 Nick Timoney and Jimmy O'Brien featured in Sevens while in provincial academies. The 2018 list includes O'Brien, Rob Baloucoune, Will Connors, Shane Daly and Hugo Keenan. Hugo Keenan scores a try against Italy that was later disallowed in Rome in January. Photograph: Billy Stickland/Inpho In 2019, Jack Daly, Shane Daly, Cormac Izuchukwu and Peter Sullivan were all named in sevens squads. During the 2019/20 season, Leinster's Liam Turner also featured. The 2021/22 campaign featured the highest number of future full-time 15s players: Chris Cosgrave (Leinster), Shane Jennings (Connacht), Liam Turner (Leinster), Ben Moxham (Ulster), Zac Ward (Ulster), Jude Postlethwaite (Ulster), Chay Mullins (Connacht) and Andrew Smith (Connacht/Munster) were all involved. From the 2022/23 season onwards, the sevens programme selected less from provincial academies, instead relying largely on club players. One province described sevens as an 'issue', particularly when final-year academy players fighting to earn a senior contract were taken away from 15s. In internal meetings, the same province disagreed with the IRFU's then position, when David Nucifora was in situ, that sevens helped develop skillsets relevant to 15s. From 2023-2024, Andrew Smith, originally on Leinster's books before moving to Connacht, was one of the only provincial players involved in the sevens programme. Chay Mullins, initially listed as an IQ Rugby player, started to be listed as a Connacht affiliate in squad announcements. He signed his first pro contract with the province in 2024. Munster's Andrew Smith and Harold Vorster of Bulls at Thomond Park last month. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho The 2023/24 season saw Connacht's Shane Jennings involved at times, alongside Mullins. Smith returned from his first season out west to play in the Olympics alongside Mullins, Zac Ward and Hugo Keenan. In the most recent sevens campaign, only Daniel Hawkshaw provided provincial representation. The 23-year-old is in Connacht's academy. What, then, to make of it all? Is McNulty right in his assessment that sevens helped players move back into 15s? Most of those listed above were in provincial academies while on the sevens circuit. It is difficult, if not impossible, to say if these academy players would have gone on to similar careers with or without sevens. In terms of finding late bloomers outside of academies, success is equally difficult to quantify. Barry Daly and Peter Sullivan played sevens before making provincial debuts, albeit not extensively. Both wingers, they displayed prolific try-scoring form in the AIL prior to becoming pros. Cormac Izuchukwu was not with a province when he featured, but was it sevens, a stint in Scottish club rugby or both which convinced Ulster to sign him in 2020? If anything, the non-provincial success stories have come in the years leading up to the programme's demise. While Andrew Smith was on Leinster's books, he only featured in two provincial games. He played Sevens for the guts of three years, earning a Connacht contract that didn't work out before arriving at Munster, starting on the wing during their recent Champions Cup run. Bristol native Chay Mullins could turn into a success story. The World Series offered playing time between under-20s and professional rugby, bridging a gap which led to a Connacht debut this season. Were it not for injury, he figured to be in contention for the recent Ireland A squad. The opportunity to use sevens to assess foreign-born players has now disappeared. Chay Mullins in action for Connacht against Lyon at Dexcom Stadium in January. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho Like Mullins, Zac Ward wasn't involved in senior rugby prior to Sevens. Ulster offered him a trial after the Olympics. Ward himself is definitive on the value of the format: 'I wouldn't be where I am now without sevens.' Others who did go down the provincial academy route have also pointed to sevens' influence. Keenan, one of the academy players, has also praised the role of the short format in his development, saying his recent Olympics stint would be a 'jump start' to 'improve different areas.' As recently as 12 months ago, the IRFU agreed with these players. Now, with Nucifora gone and David Humphreys in charge, the rugby ideology has changed. The thinking on the academy players appears to be that they would have become just as good without sevens. The handful of external gems polished into pros, while heart-warming stories, don't appear to represent a satisfactory return on investment. Yet as another Olympic cycle kicks into gear, with settled squads given time to grow, would we have seen more stories like Ward's? After Wednesday's announcement, we'll never know the answer. The power has shifted to the opposite side of the sevens debate. The blazers no longer agree with the players.
