IRB Chairman Hails Another Record-Breaking Season for Rugby Sevens

Posted on May 16, 2012 in IRB, Sevens

IRB Chairman Bernard Lapasset has hailed the global success of another record-breaking HSBC Sevens World Series.

Once again the Series as a whole set a new attendance record with just over 547,500 fans supporting the nine events played across five continents, outstripping the previous best of 500,100.

As well as expanding to nine events with the addition of Japan, there were four new venues in total on the 2011/12 Series, all of which proved an instant hit with supporters.

Australia’s move to the Gold Coast was well supported at the start of the season; Port Elizabeth’s Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium provided a cauldron of atmosphere in South Africa; Scotland’s switch from Edinburgh to Glasgow attracted new fans to the game and a return to Tokyo was significant for Asian Rugby as Japan prepares to host Rugby World Cup 2019.

At three of the nine venues spectators were also treated to top women’s action, with the IRB Women’s Sevens Challenge Cup underscoring the global and competitive nature of the Women’s Game, acting as a pre-cursor to a new IRB Women’s Sevens Series, to be announced in due course.

"This has been a magnificent season of achievement for Rugby Sevens both on and off the field," said IRB Chairman, Bernard Lapasset.

"The action has been more competitive than ever before in the HSBC Sevens World Series, with five different Cup winners and no fewer than thirteen teams reaching the Cup quarter finals, including the likes of Spain, Canada, Tonga and Kenya, while our Women’s and Regional events are going from strength to strength."

"In the stands and around the venues the carnival atmosphere of a Sevens tournament continues to provide a unique appeal to Rugby fans all around the world. Together these factors combine to make the sport an incredibly enticing prospect as we move ever closer to Sevens’ Olympic Games debut in 2016."

(more…)

Nottingham pay tribute to “Captain Fantastic”

Posted on May 11, 2012 in Championship, Nottingham

Nottingham Rugby’s most decorated captain is leaving the club for the opportunity of a life-time in Hong Kong.

After a decade-long career with the Green and Whites, skippering the side a record 227 times, Craig Hammond has accepted a job as player-coach of Hong Kong Scottish.

Until the 33-year-old lock got a phone call out of the blue from the Oriental rugby hot-bed, he was considering a contract extension to stay with Nottingham and was busy planning his testimonial year with the RFU Championship club.

But when invited to tour the facilities of the Premiership club in the City-State last week, Hammond simply couldn’t resists taking the bold step into management and penned a two-year deal with the outfit.

Having recently guided Midlands One East club Ilkeston to Derbyshire Cup glory, the New Zealander clearly indicated that he was thinking hard about life after playing.

“It’s been an emotional decision to come to, leaving a club, a city and people that have been so good to me for so long for an exciting chance to further my career in an amazing place like Hong Kong,” said Hammond, who will be relocating with his wife and three children in June.

“Sure, I could see myself playing at Nottingham for a few more seasons, but this opportunity is just too good to knock back.

“I’ll be mentored in coaching at a high level, working with both the Hong Kong Rugby Union and an ambitious side like Scottish.

I’ve just turned 33 so it’s a perfect time to transition from playing to coaching, which is what I’ve always wanted.”

(more…)

Paul James bolsters front row for Bath Rugby

Posted on May 10, 2012 in Latest Rugby News

34 times Welsh capped front row Paul James will be joining Bath Rugby next season, the Club confirmed today.

A very solid and technically sound scrummager, Paul made his debut for Wales in 2003 and most recently appeared for them during their 2012 Grand Slam, winning the RBS 6 Nations campaign.

The athletic loosehead prop, who can also play on the tighthead side of the scrum, has made 177 appearances to date for the Ospreys, a record for the region, and has scored seven tries. He also captained the side who beat Australia in 2006.

Speaking about the move, Paul said “I’ve been with the Ospreys since 2003 and feel that I need a new challenge to keep developing my career. Bath is a very ambitious Club and I’m excited by the prospect of being a part of that. The Aviva Premiership is one of the toughest leagues and I can’t wait to get started.”

Bath Rugby Chief Executive, Nick Blofeld, added “Paul is a very experienced prop with a lot to offer us, both in the scrum and around the field. He has a great attitude and is a tough customer who will add considerably to our team. We are very much looking forward to him joining us”.

Ryan ‘very proud’ of England sevens after impressive weekend

Posted on May 8, 2012 in England Sevens

England Sevens head coach Ben Ryan believes his side can open a new chapter of success despite falling at the final hurdle in the Glasgow Sevens.

England beat Tokyo champions Australia 19-14, third-placed side South Africa 19-14 and second-placed Fiji 26-21 – in an extra-time thriller – before falling 29-14 against HSBC Sevens World Series leaders New Zealand.

Winning five games out of six – with a patient, fluid style – left Ryan “very proud” and the team heads for next weekend’s Marriott London Sevens at Twickenham determined to take another step forward.

The overall result moves England ahead of South Africa to third place in the series table with pace men Dan Norton (35 tries) and Mat Turner (33) at No.1 and No.2 in the try charts.

“There was very little difference between the two teams,” said Ryan after late tries from Lote Raikabula and DJ Forbes secured victory for New Zealand that takes them to the brink of another world title.

“It was an even contest, finals always are, and we’ve not quite got to grips with beating New Zealand on a regular basis this year.

“We’ve probably given them the hardest run any team has but we won’t settle for anything other than dominating this series and I was pleased with the direction of travel we’ve been on in the last two days.

“It’s the first time probably that we’ve really seen what we’re putting into effect in training come out in our attacking play and we played some sensational stuff in the style I want England to play for a long time to come. It’s a disappointed group and they’re determined to go out to the Marriott London Sevens and win the tournament.

“I’m very proud of this group and they are all going to be around together for a long time to come. We’re going to hit lots of finals, we’re going to win lots of tournaments and perhaps this is the start of what’s going to be a great chapter.”

Former Bristol and Gloucester wing Norton, who scored tries against South Africa and New Zealand on day two, wants to set the record straight in front of another record 100,000-plus crowd at Twickenham.

He said: “We played some good rugby this weekend, some positive rugby, but obviously it’s a shame to lose out in the final. Credit to New Zealand, they capitalised on our mistakes and played well.

“We’ve been trying to spread the ball more and stretch teams a little bit more and keep our fast guys on the end – and we’ve been able to capitalise on over-working teams and been getting a reward from it.

“I feel it’s going to be a good end to the season, hopefully another record crowd again at Twickenham and I hope we can get more momentum and hit another final at least and take another step forward.”

Turner finished as the tournament’s joint leading scorer with eight tries from six games and was enthused with the change of direction that saw England beat Fiji at their own game.

He said: “It’s a very exciting programme to be involved in and this weekend we’ve brought in this new way of playing.

“We’re finally realising how each person plays and playing to each other’s strengths, and it seems to work. Next week’s another whole week to train with it and then we’ve got a home crowd to play in front of.

“We’re buying into the whole idea of not wanting to set up a breakdown. We want to run teams left and right and offload and, it sounds funny to say it, but we beat Fiji playing the way Fiji play sevens.

“They’re willing to go backwards to go forwards and we’ve all bought into that style and that’s what we’re going to stick with.”

(more…)

Rodwell extends record run for England Sevens

Posted on May 2, 2012 in England Sevens

England’s James Rodwell goes into his 33rd consecutive HSBC Sevens World Series tournament intent on finishing the season on a high.

The 27 year-old forward from Birmingham is now fourth on the list of England’s most experienced sevens experts, having overtaken Richard Haughton (31) last month in Tokyo with three more backs – Rob Thirlby (35), Simon Amor (43) and Ben Gollings (70) – ahead of him on the all-time rankings.

England’s campaign has had its peaks and troughs this season, with a title triumph in Dubai followed by agonising exits at the hands of New Zealand in Wellington and Las Vegas, when wins would have put them on top of the table in the nine-event series.

So the former Worcester Warriors and Moseley forward heads to the Glasgow Sevens eager for England to lay down a marker for next season and prove they will be title contenders in the HSBC Sevens World Series as well as for the World Cup Sevens tournament in Moscow next summer.

“We’ve had an okay year. It’s not what we set out to do because we had the goal of winning the series but a couple of close games have got in the way,” said Rodwell.

“In all the tournaments bar one we’ve been knocked out by a score or less which shows how close the games are and how close we could have been this season but unfortunately we’re now sitting in fourth place.

“We want to finish the season on a high to show we haven’t set that unrealistic a target of winning the series. We can show we’re there or thereabouts so we can get some momentum going into next season.

“That starts in Glasgow and then we go into London and the Marriott London Sevens where it’ll be incredible to finish on a high at our home venue.”

Rodwell’s first sighting in England colours was in Edinburgh in 2008 but he didn’t get onto the pitch until the Dubai tournament later that year. Since then he has appeared in all bar a handful of around 150 games England have played in that time – all the more remarkable given his position as a forward who is England’s lineout and restart specialist.

(more…)