Brirish Olympics Sevens Team

[cables]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_u ... 982888.stm

One thing is fairly certain - there will be many differing views on this, one of which will be that NI should have it's own sevens team at the 2016 Olympics.

[Jockster]

NI isn't an Olympic team----would our boys play for Ireland or GB-- Or would the fact we have an all Ireland rugby team be a factor?

[Snipe Watson]

This is one of the issues that need to be ironed out. In other sports accommodation is made and rugby needs to get up to speed. A player should be free to play 7s for Ireland, Northern Ireland and the GB&NI teams, in the appropriate competitions, if he chooses to.
The home Football associations have been hamstrung by the allegedly corrupt gentlemen of FIFA, but rugby has, or should have, no such problems.

[mikerob]

One thing is fairly certain - there will be many differing views on this, one of which will be that NI should have it's own sevens team at the 2016 Olympics.

People may have this view but it definitely won't happen. National Olympic Associations send teams to the Olympics and there is no such thing as a Northern Ireland Olympic Association. In the past, athletes from NI have opted for either the British Olympic Association ("Team GB") or the Olympic Association of Ireland teams.

The IRFU's last annual report said: "[Sevens] poses many challenges for Ireland given the two limiting resources of players and finance, not to mention that there is no tradition of Sevens rugby in Ireland. There are other complications surrounding how to handle an Olympic team representing Great Britain and the attendant complications of eligibility. These are currently being addressed by a small group drawn from the RFU, SRU, WRU and IRFU."

[Snipe Watson]

I'm sure Calbes meant Commonwealth Games team

or possibly not.

[mikerob]

The home Football associations have been hamstrung by the allegedly corrupt gentlemen of FIFA, but rugby has, or should have, no such problems.

The English, Scottish, Welsh and NI football associations all have permanent seats on FIFA's board and I believe one of the reasons why a combined team for the Olympics was resisted was that it could increase the pressure within FIFA to remove this unique privilege. Obviously the blazers aren't going to do anything that would jeopardise their position.

[cables]

I'm sure Calbes meant Commonwealth Games team

or possibly not.

Actually no Snipe.

I was thinking more along the lines of a TV survey - of 100 NI residents asked, xx% felt that NI should have it's own Olympic Sevens Team.

[Snipe Watson]

Only a complete idiot would suggest that NI should have an olympic team in anything.

Unless the the British Ulster Dominion Party or the Ulster Independence Party is on the comeback trail. Last I heard, wee Willie Frazer is too busy trying to sue the Deputy First Minister to lead the charge and John McKeague is dead so unless Glenn Barr, who must be in his 80s, fancys giving it a rattle....they could struggle..........again.

[Rooster]

I'm sure Calbes meant Commonwealth Games team

or possibly not.

Actually no Snipe.

I was thinking more along the lines of a TV survey - of 100 NI residents asked, xx% felt that NI should have it's own Olympic Sevens Team.

Cables highest proportion of answers would be " what are you talking about mister ?"

[SparkyClarky]

IRFU rule out Ulster players for British team
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RUGBY: OLYMPIC SEVENS: ALL RUGBY players on the island of Ireland will play with an Ireland Sevens team in any future Olympic Games. The IRFU have said categorically all players under their auspices would play with an Ireland side and would not be part of a British team when rugby is introduced to the Olympic Games programme in Rio de Janeiro 2016.

That would rule out Ulster players opting to play for Britain, if they so wished. Speaking at the launch of the IRFU Rugby Sevens structure, IRFU director of rugby Eddie Wigglesworth made it clear any British side would comprise players from England, Scotland and Wales and that Team Britain could not cherry-pick players from Northern Ireland, if they were IRFU players.

“The understanding in relation to Team GB at the moment is that players will be selected for Team GB from the unions within their jurisdiction, which means players from Scotland, England and Wales will be representing GB. Players who play within the IRFU jurisdiction fall within the Irish Rugby Union. We do that with the agreement of the other unions,” explained Wigglesworth.

When asked if the IRFU would strongly resist any moves by Britain to entice players, Wigglesworth said they didn’t need to as the position was clearly defined. “We are not resisting anything,” he said. “We are just saying that is the de facto position. It’s not a question of flexibility or any thing like that. That’s the understanding.”

If Ireland do not qualify for the Games, which is a strong possibility as there is currently no ranked international team playing the Sevens game here and because the IRFU has somewhat ominously advised that an international Sevens program would be greatly disruptive to the 15-man game.

In addition, no qualification process for teams has been yet devised and the only definite at this point is the International Olympic Committee (IOC) must announce a qualification process two years before 2016.

“That hasn’t been discussed by the union,” explained Wigglesworth in the event of Ireland not qualifying for the Games and Britain coming looking for players.

“Theoretically, I wouldn’t have any view because it would be the view of the union which would hold sway and not my view. We haven’t even discussed that aspect.

“The only thing you need to be aware of is that the teams that play in the Olympic Games are going to be the best teams in the world playing Sevens. The fact of the matter is that to be at that level requires a very substantial period of preparation and the reality is that period of preparation would conflict unbelievably with the 15-aside program. That’s the issue. That’s the big difficulty.”

On the face of it the IRFU, starting from point zero, have an enormous task ahead, if it decides to seriously compete. They will not make a decision until 2013 on the issue of a professional Irish Sevens side and refute the suggestion that to qualify for Rio with just two or three years’ serious preparation is unrealistic despite other sports operating on four- or even six- or eight-year Olympic cycles.

“We would not accept it’s too late,” added Wigglesworth. “I would think at two years out, maybe three, it would be sufficient time to do what we want to do, to play in a participation program. I’m not saying that would guarantee you a position within the 12 at the Olympics but certainly making a decision in 2013 leaves sufficient time for us to participate.

“We are starting today and that’s the announcement of the club Sevens and provincial Sevens that will allow players to be identified, so that if we did decide to turn on the water in 2013 we have the Sevens players.”

[mikerob]

If rugby 7s follows some other sports, then the 12 teams qualifying for the Olympics may be divvied out by geography so, for example, only 3 qualifiers from Europe.

Even a minnow country like Spain, Portugal, Georgia or Russia that has a proper 7s program and competes regularly on the international circuit is likely to be more competitive than an IRFU team thrown together at the last minute.

I'd prefer it if the IRFU just didn't even bother to qualify.

[backawaygoonahead]

As someone who has stated that Sevens is just an evil children's game a few points:

> IRFU says NO & rightly so to Ulster players declaring for team GB (and I'm not going to trot out the old geographical argument so relax)
> Disruption of 15 man game. Hooray for the far sighted IRFU (honest) - picture Andy Trimble, an ideal hooker in a 7s team frigging around the world for half the season, then work out who else would go missing from their provinces. How would you like that in addition to the AIs & 6Ns.
> 7s is a "game" best left to countries who either have a massive pool of players who won't be missed by the 15 man game or to countries who are crap at the 15 man game to whom 7s means some chance to excel.
> 7s despite the protestations of some does not develop players for the XV man game, there are very few examples of players other than the occasional winger coming across to real rugby. 7s legends such as Eric Rush & Waisale Serevi were very moderate real rugby players

I would be more than happy for the IRFU to say "Never, Never, Never" to Sevens.

Above all, it is as boring as basketball or American Football.

[againstthehead]

Surely if the lads have a UK passport then there is no reason why they can't turn out for a GB and NI team. I don't think any of the top players would be going over but young players like Gilroy and Gaston would enjoy the run around.

[mikerob]

Surely if the lads have a UK passport then there is no reason why they can't turn out for a GB and NI team. I don't think any of the top players would be going over but young players like Gilroy and Gaston would enjoy the run around.

The reason why they won't turn out for a GB & NI team is that they won't get picked. England have a full time sevens squad and along with Scotland and Wales compete on the sevens circuit. There is no way an Ulster player would get picked unless they were playing sevens all the time and they just won't be doing that. Sevens has gone way beyond the time when it was a "run around" at the end of the season. It is now basically a different sport.

[notj]

Surely if the lads have a UK passport then there is no reason why they can't turn out for a GB and NI team. I don't think any of the top players would be going over but young players like Gilroy and Gaston would enjoy the run around.

There is the following reason; the IRFU would be responsible for convening any Irish Sevens side. The IRFU funds all four provinces including Ulster. They essentially pay our players wages.

So why should players on the payroll of the IRFU be allowed to play for a rival international side? It doesn't make sense.

I wouldn't have a problem with Ulster-born players who will be playing overseas like Jamie Smith as of next season representing GB in Sevens, but no player contracted to Ulster Rugby should be released to play for them. I think the IRFUs stance is 100% correct.