Friday, February 10, 2012

HSBC 7s World Series: Samoa & Fiji Crowd Favorites in Vegas!


Round 5 on the HSBC Sevens World Series takes us to Sin City where thousands of rugby enthusiasts are flooding into Las Vegas for what promises to be three glorious days of non-stop action. As seen in previous years it will be the Fijian and Samoan fans that lead the chants – with the famous Kenyan section arriving late – but certainly making up for it in numbers! 

New Zealand were just too strong last weekend in Wellington, storming to their second title of the season, thanks to 24-7 win over Fiji. Tomasi Cama and Frank Halai were tournament standouts, and with them on form in Vegas, the Kiwi’s will be hard to stop. My prediction is that Samoa or England will be challenging the log leaders come Sunday. 

Las Vegas is a buzz with excitement, with well over 200 teams competing in the Las Vegas Invitational (LVI) tournament, which features various 7s and XVs sections for youth, college and club rugby just outside Sam Boyd Stadium. It is certainly the largest rugby event in the world, and with TV coverage on NBC Sports it’s doing wonders for bringing increased awareness of the game in the United States. In fact this year will see a record 17 international broadcasters and reach over 220 million homes in 110 countries. Below is the TV viewing schedule, or watch it online at Universal Sports.
For the home side, it has been an interesting few years. USA Eagles Head Coach, Al Caravelli, took over the reigns in 2006/2007 and saw instant success with his young squad recording impressive wins over Samoa, England, Australia, Argentina and Fiji in the first few years. The USA were then granted ‘core’ status in 2008/2009, taking over from neighbors Canada, and reached their first ever Cup final in Adelaide, Australia (2009/2010). Following that, the Eagles haven’t achieved the desired consistency, with a dip in form seen over the past two seasons. For the first time a squad of players (12 at the present moment) have signed full time contracts with USA Rugby and are living in San Diego, training at the wonderful Olympic Training Center (OTC) in Chula Vista. The goal is for the US to break into the top 10 teams in the world, occasionally knocking off the top 8 sides. There is plenty of potential, but I don’t see that happening this season as it will take time to develop the new wave of young breakout players. Canada are one of the teams challenging the Eagles, making the Cup quarterfinals last weekend (and improving in each tournament), moving ahead of the Eagles on the points table. The pool match between these two rivals in Las Vegas will be extremely intense, especially with talk of a coaching change bringing something different to the USA program… 

I am definitely a fan of the new IRB points system with a closer looking ladder. New Zealand are ahead by just 3 points, with Fiji, England and South Africa all challenging for the coveted World Series title. Don’t forget Las Vegas will see a new 3-day format with matches on Friday, Saturday and Sunday! 

Round 5: Pools – Las Vegas, USA
Pool B: Fiji, Canada, Argentina, USA

[Click on each team above to see what items are available from World Rugby Shop!]

Catch all the updates on www.irbsevens.com. If you’re in Las Vegas this weekend, post your fan photos on our Facebook page, and look out for columnist Dallen Stanford playing for the Tigers in the Elite 7s section! 


The 2011/2012 HSBC Sevens World Series
Round 1: Australia – Fiji 26 New Zealand 12
Round 2: Dubai – England 29 France 12
Round 3: South Africa – New Zealand 31 South Africa 26
Round 4: New Zealand – New Zealand 24 Fiji 7

Round 5: USA – 10/12 February 2012
Round 6: Hong Kong – 23/25 March 2012
Round 7: Japan – 31 March / 1 April 2012
Round 8: Scotland – 5/6 May 2012
Round 9: England – 12/13 May 2012

___________________________________________________________________________________ Columnist Dallen Stanford played 54 matches for the USA on the IRB World Sevens Series from 2006-2009, including 13 IRB Sevens tournaments and the 2009 Sevens World Cup in Dubai. Stanford was the USA Eagles Team Media Manager for the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand, and currently works for the Tackling Cancer Foundation and Play Rugby USA.

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

HSBC Sevens World Series: Fiji Top Opening Rounds

Already the HSBC Sevens World Series has taken us to the Gold Coast in Australia, the Dubai desert in the United Arab Emirates, and now Africa for the third Round of the 2011/2012 competition. Action on and off the field has been highly entertaining with record broadcast figures in the opening month of the exciting World Series.


In Round 1, Fiji recovered from a pool defeat against New Zealand to bounce back with a scintillating display on Day 2, defeating both South Africa and then New Zealand 26-12 to claim the Gold Coast title. It was amazing to see the difference 24 hours can make, with New Zealand looking rampant against Fiji on Day 1, winning 28-5. 
Wales has improved tremendously, winning the Plate 26-12 over Samoa, while Argentina just managed to defeat Scotland 17-14 in the Bowl final. Papua New Guinea stormed to the Shield title thanks to a well worked 31-19 win over Japan. 
The USA Eagles produced their best effort against South Africa in their opening match, losing out to a late score by 17-12. The Eagles then lost to Australia, but defeated Japan 21-0. On Day 2 they were knocked out in the Bowl semi final against Scotland.


The following week In Round 2, it was England who stopped Fiji in the semi finals with two superb tries from Isoa Damu seeing them home by 19-12. Matt Turner was sublime for England in the final, scoring a double, ensuring they claim the Dubai title 29-12 over France. The key was positional changes by England coach Ben Ryan moving Damu to the centers and Turner to scrumhalf. 
This was the first final France featured in since 2005, and looked like one of the most improved teams on the circuit with halfback Terry Bouhraoua bursting onto the scene. 
Australia extracted revenge on South Africa winning the Plate trophy 17-14, with Scotland shutting out the USA Eagles 26-0 in the Bowl final. Samoa – who should be featuring in the Cup rounds - were too strong for Kenya and claimed the Shield title. 


With the new points system in place it is looking very interesting with the top 7 teams all in striking distance. This weekend’s tournament in Port Elizabeth (moving away from George) will be vital for everyone. 

Round 3: Pools – Port Elizabeth, South Africa 
Pool A: England, Argentina, USA, Samoa 
Pool B: France, New Zealand, Scotland, Morocco 
Pool C: South Africa, Australia, Canada, Kenya 
Pool D: Fiji, Wales, Portugal, Zimbabwe 
[Click on each team above to see what items are available from World Rugby Shop!]

Sevens is almost impossible to predict, but I will take a stab in the dark with my favorites for the title. 
Cup Quarters: England vs Wales, South Africa vs France, Fiji vs Samoa, New Zealand vs Australia 
Cup Semis: England vs France, Fiji vs New Zealand 
Cup Final: England vs New Zealand 
Champion: New Zealand 

Catch all the updates on www.irbsevens.com



The 2011/2012 HSBC Sevens World Series 
Round 1: Australia – Fiji 26 New Zealand 12 
Round 2: Dubai – England 29 France 12 
Round 3: South Africa – 9/10 December 2011 
Round 4: New Zealand – 3/4 February 2012 
Round 5: USA – 10/12 February 2012 
Round 6: Hong Kong – 23/25 March 2012 
Round 7: Japan – 31 March / 1 April 2012 
Round 8: Scotland – 5/6 May 2012 
Round 9: England – 12/13 May 2012 __________________________________________________________________________________  
Columnist Dallen Stanford played 54 matches for the USA on the IRB World Sevens Series from 2006-2009, including 13 IRB Sevens tournaments and the 2009 Sevens World Cup in Dubai. Stanford was the USA Eagles Team Media Manager for the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand, and currently works for the Tackling Cancer Foundation and Play Rugby USA.

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

The start of the 2011/2012 HSBC 7s World Series!

After a super exciting Rugby World Cup, it’s now time to switch to sevens!

The 2011/2012 HSBC Sevens World Series starts this weekend in Queensland, Australia. Adelaide has been replaced by the Gold Coast, with the new venue hoping to attract thousands of fans over Friday 25 & Saturday 26 November. The success of the Sevens Circuit has seen one additional tournament added this year, that being Japan. The format now has three back-to-back tournaments to start the Series, then the usual double headers rounding out the year. 

"This is another massive year for Sevens and by the time this Series ends in London, we'll all be entering the four-year cycle leading to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, which is hugely exciting and promises to present a massive opportunity for the entire Rugby family.” - Beth Coalter, IRB Tournament Director. 

Based on last year’s finish, the top 5 teams include New Zealand, South Africa, England, Fiji, and Samoa. The interesting aspect in sevens is that anyone of the top teams can beat each other on any given day. South Africa and England have both named squads without any new-capped players, which bodes well with experience proving key at these major tournaments. Past winners in Australia include: Fiji (2007), South Africa (2008 & 2009), Samoa (2010) and last year, New Zealand. 

Round 1: Pools - Gold Coast, Australia 
Pool A: New Zealand, Fiji, Kenya, Niue 
Pool C: Samoa, Argentina, France, Papua New Guinea 
Pool D: England, Wales, Scotland, Tonga 
[Click on each team above to see what items are available from World Rugby Shop!]

As always, there will be some massive clashes on day 1 of the tournament, especially the top two seeds in each pool. Then on day 2, pool A collides with pool D, which could see a couple different quarterfinal scenarios: New Zealand take on Wales/Tonga and Fiji taking on England. In the other cross over, South Africa play Samoa, while Australia/USA are up against Argentina. Sliding through into the semi finals, I would guess it to be New Zealand vs. South Africa and England vs. Australia/USA. The finalists: England against South Africa… 

But remember, it’s sevens, so don’t take anyone’s word for it! 
For more information on the HSBC World Sevens Series visit the IRB website.


The 2011/2012 HSBC Sevens World Series 
Round 1: Australia – 25/26 November 2011 
Round 2: Dubai – 2/3 December 2011 
Round 3: South Africa – 9/10 December 2011 
Round 4: New Zealand – 3/4 February 2012 
Round 5: USA – 10/12 February 2012 
Round 6: Hong Kong – 23/25 March 2012 
Round 7: Japan – 31 March / 1 April 2012 
Round 8: Scotland – 5/6 May 2012 
Round 9: England – 12/13 May 2012 
__________________________________________________________________________________
Columnist Dallen Stanford played 54 matches for the USA on the IRB World Sevens Series from 2006-2009, including 13 IRB Sevens tournaments and the 2009 Sevens World Cup in Dubai. Stanford was the USA Eagles Team Media Manager for the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand, and currently works for the Tackling Cancer Foundation and Play Rugby USA.

Thursday, March 31, 2011

World Rugby Shop to Help Christchurch Recovery Efforts with Sales of New Zealand All Blacks Polo

On February 22, 2011, the world was shocked by news of the Christchurch, New Zealand earthquake. The timing of the 6.3-magnitude quake could not have come at a worse time. It struck at lunchtime in New Zealand when office buildings were full and streets were packed. As a result, hundreds were injured and the damage was estimated to be in billions of dollars.

With the combined efforts of the iRB, adidas and the New Zealand All Blacks, World Rugby Shop is raising funds for the rebuilding efforts with the sale of the All Blacks 2011 Rugby World Cup Christchurch Relief Polo. 100% of the proceeds will be donated directly to Christchurch Relief via The Red Cross and The American New Zealand Association, Inc. (ANZA), which is an organization that funds educational programs for youth and schools in New Zealand.

Purchasing this polo allows rugby fans around the world to help the people affected by the deadly earthquake and provides a substantial and meaningful way to support one another no matter where they live or where the need is.

Bernard Frei, CEO of World Rugby Shop, said “The Rugby family is a community. New Zealand has been a magnificent contributor to the Rugby family over the years and it is right that we all get involved to do our part to support Christchurch, now. America is a wonderful, giving nation and the level on interest in helping out has been incredible. I’m glad that the iRB, All Blacks, adidas and World Rugby Shop were able to help to get this initiative off the ground. I’d also like to thank our World Rugby Shop customers who have been unflinching in their support of the global rugby community over the years”.

In the past, through similar disaster relief fundraisers, World Rugby Shop has raised funds for Hurricane Katrina victims, Haitian citizens and the people of Chile and Japan, contributing a total of more than $450,000.

If you would like to purchase your All Blacks Rugby World Cup Christchurch Relief Polo, please visit www.WorldRugbyShop.com.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Time for the Hong Kong Sevens!

This weekend sees the 5th leg of the HSBC World Sevens Series – and is the most famous of them all - the Cathay Pacific/Credit Suisse Hong Kong Sevens.

The tournament will feature 24 teams instead of the usual 16, and will be played over three days, taking place Friday March 25th to Sunday March 27th. Due to the increased number of teams the points on offer also increases with the winner of the Hong Kong edition claiming 30 IRB points.

Things are definitely heating up in the Series with both England and New Zealand tried on 80 points. The Kiwis have won two tournaments, and despite England only winning in Dubai, they have been the most consistent team making three appearances in finals. England may have the edge this time round as have always enjoyed the largest fan base inside a sold out Hong Kong Stadium. The team that lifts this weekend’s title will have some serious momentum leading into the final three tournaments.

South Africa stunned both England and Fiji in Las Vegas last month storming to their first win of the season. If the Blitzbokke can get another sparkling performance from playmakers Cecil Africa and Branco Du Preez then they could narrow the gap on the point’s table. Meanwhile Fiji and Samoa are locked on 64 points each, both capable of winning any tournament. However, Samoan coach Stephen Betham has left out his countries all time top try scorer, Mikaele Pesamino. Hopefully that decision won’t come back to haunt his side.


The USA are also due for a big outing, with the return of veteran Todd Clever a major boost for his team. Head coach Al Caravelli has done a superb job with his core group of players and are ready to produce some major upsets. Last year the Americans reached their first ever Cup final at the Adelaide Sevens, and will want to finish within the top 10 teams again this year.

The pools for Hong Kong are:
Pool B: England, USA, Japan, China.
Pool D: Fiji, Kenya, Russia, Malaysia.
Pool F: Australia, Argentina, Canada, Zimbabwe.
[Click on each team above to see what items are available from World Rugby Shop!]

HSBC Sevens World Series Results
Dubai – England 29 Samoa 21
George – New Zealand 22 England 19
Wellington – New Zealand 29 England 14
Las Vegas – South Africa 24 Fiji 14


HSBC Sevens World Series Standings
TeamDUBRSANZLUSAHKGAUSENGSCOPts
1ENGLAND24202016000080

NEW ZEALAND16242416000080
3FIJI16161220000064

SAMOA20161612000064
5SOUTH AFRICA1212824000056
6AUSTRALIA86166000036
7ARGENTINA4866000024
8WALES6660000018
9KENYA0048000012
10SCOTLAND040400008
11UNITED STATES600000006

For more information on the HSBC World Sevens Series visit the IRB website.

This Saturday, don’t miss the Hong Kong Sevens World Series LIVE @ 9pm PST/Midnight EST on-air and online only on Universal Sports. Use code "HSBC7s" to get 50% off the full series and make sure to "Like" Facebook.com/UniversalSports.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Why You Should Visit Christchurch for Rugby World Cup 2011


As you certainly know, the city of Christchurch, New Zealand was devastated by a 6.3 earthquake on February 22 this year.

On March 15th, the IRB reluctantly decided to move the seven Rugby World Cup 2011 matches scheduled for Stadium Christchurch later this year to other venues in New Zealand.

Although the decision was understandable due to safety concerns and the need for extensive repairs to the stadium, the decision is still heart-breaking for a city that displayed tremendous enthusiasm for hosting the event and, more importantly, was relying on tourism to provide a substantial economic impact on the area.

However, despite matches no longer scheduled for the city, we're calling on Rugby fans around the world to support Christchurch and visit the city anyway this Rugby World Cup.

According to NewZealand.com,

"New Zealand is a country where tourism is the number one contributor to GDP, where the Minister of Tourism is the PM - that is how important tourism is. "This is the travel community saying hey go to NZ - if there is one place that should be on your travel list this year it is NZ," says Dan Roberts of Travel Generation.

"This is something that as the travel community we can do to support not only all the businesses in Christchurch but everyone in New Zealand."

Christchurch & Canterbury Tourism says the earthquake affected just 1% of the South Island and while part of the city's central district remains cordoned off, the wider region continues to welcome visitors.

Popular tourist destinations like Akaroa, Kaikoura, the Mackenzie Country and Hanmer Springs are operating normally. Within Christchurch city, 18 hotels and lodges, 105 motels, 14 holiday parks, six backpackers hostels and 12 B&Bs are open.

Many tourism activities are also operating including the Tranz-Alpine train, Willowbank Wildlife Reserve, the Air Force Museum, Black Cat Cruises as well as hiking, horse trekking, jet boating and other adventure and sightseeing tours.

The Christchurch airport is open and fully operational. Experience the genuine, laid back kiwi spirit in a land is a microcosm of the world.

As we say in Rugby, there is a brotherhood that connects players around the world. How about extending a hand to our brothers in Christchurch this Rugby World Cup and pay a visit to a wonderful city that needs our support in this desperate time?





Saturday, March 5, 2011

England aim for 6 Nations title

The Six Nations rugby competition – which features England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, France and Italy – has produced another exciting year of rivalry.

Thanks to BBC America, there has been some coverage of the tournament in the United States. The network has shown several of the matches live with British hosts Michael Davies and Roger Bennett. The show has also included an American football star guest who has done a fantastic job of decoding the sport for the local audience.

France lead the Six Nations titles with five wins; England have three; Wales have won it twice; with Ireland lifting the trophy once. Currently England are the only team unbeaten and if they can defeat Scotland and Ireland in their remaining fixtures they could take the 2011 edition. England produced a clinical 17-9 victory over last year’s champions France, as well as a narrow 26-19 victory over Wales. Italy almost caused one of the upsets of the tournament against Ireland, but just fell short, going down 13-11 in a thriller. Ireland then played France in another nail biter, almost scoring on fulltime to win the match, but a knock-on gave France a 25-22 victory. Ireland kept up the close finish trend by hanging on to beat Scotland 21-18 in their most recent match.


Only six matches remain until the winner will be crowned on March 19th. Interestingly England last won the competition back in 2003, the same year that they won the Rugby World Cup.

Team       Position
Won Draw Lost  For Against  PD T F      Points
1England33001024161116
2Wales320167481954
3France32016860854
4Ireland32015654274
5Scotland30034579-3430
6Italy30034096-5640

Six Nations 2011 Results
4 February Wales 19 England 26 (Cardiff)
5 February Italy 11 Ireland 13 (Rome)
5 February France 34 Scotland 21 (Paris)
12 February England 59 Italy 13 (London)
12 February Scotland 6 Wales 24 (Edinburgh)
13 February Ireland 22 France 25 (Dublin)
26 February Italy 16 Wales 24 (Rome)
26 February England 17 France 9 (London)
27 February Scotland 18 Ireland 21 (Edinburgh)

Six Nations 2011 Fixtures
12 March Italy vs. France (Rome)
12 March Wales vs. Ireland (Cardiff)
13 March England vs. Scotland (London)
19 March Scotland vs. Italy (Edinburgh)
19 March Ireland vs. England (Dublin)
19 March France vs. Wales (Paris)


For more information on watching the Six Nations in the USA visit BBC America.