RUGBY SEVENS: International Rugby Board Chief Executive Brett Gosper has hailed the inaugural IRB Women’s Sevens World Series tournament in Dubai a huge success and has reiterated the IRB’s commitment to develop the women’s game on the road to Rio 2016.
RUGBY SEVENS: International Rugby Board Chief Executive Brett Gosper has hailed the inaugural IRB Women’s Sevens World Series tournament in Dubai a huge success and has reiterated the IRB's commitment to develop the women’s game on the road to Rio 2016.
Speaking in Dubai after New Zealand beat surprise package South Africa 41-0 in Saturday’s final, Gosper said the future of Women’s Rugby looked extremely bright ahead of its introduction to the Olympic program in 2016.
“It is a great time to be involved in rugby generally but I would say the women’s game is particularly exciting,” Gosper said.
“To see these well-drilled, skilful athletes in action in front of 40,000 people is very gratifying and we are committed to ensuring that women’s rugby develops apace as we prepare for Rio de Janeiro in 2016.”
The Australian women’s team arrived in Dubai as one of the pre-tournament favourites, but injuries and the soaring global standard in women’s rugby railroaded their path to the crown.
They survived a quarter final scare by scoring in the final minute of the game to defeat Canada, but suffered a 28-14 loss to eventual Champions New Zealand in the semi. They were then overcome by a strong Spanish contingent 17-5 in the playoff for third spot, indicative of how tight tournaments have become.
"A couple of injuries never help but that is footy, and you have to deal with it as best you can. But I am really proud of the way the girls dug in and kept having a crack at it,” Australian coach Chris Lane said.
"This is a great tournament,” he added. “The crowd is sensational, the competition is tough… But we are enjoying the experience. Each tournament we come to, the standard gets higher and higher."
Fellow Australian Gosper echoed Lane’s sentiment.
“The quality of rugby on show in Dubai over the past few days indicates that the standard of the women’s game is on a steep upward curve,” Gosper said.
“As we continue to provide them with opportunities, I’m delighted with the way the players are reacting. They keep pushing the bar higher.”
View women's highlights from day 2>>>
Australian’s men did not fare as well as the women, finishing third in their pool behind France and Canada. The Aussies, who have also suffered more than their fair share of injuries, lost consecutive finals matches to Scotland and England to put them in tenth spot in the overall standings.
In the men’s Cup Final an inspired performance by Samoa prevented New Zealand from taking home both the men’s and women’s titles. Samoa produced a stunning 26-15 victory to claim top prize while Kenya defeated last year’s runner-up France in the race for third spot.
“The men’s HSBC Sevens World Series is a well-established and much-loved fixture in the global Rugby calendar and now the women are getting in on the act,” Gosper commented.
The women’s system now mirrors the men's Series, with each 12-team event featuring six core teams who will play across all four events and six teams who will be invited based on regional tournament rankings, reflecting the IRB's strategic aim to mix the top teams in the world with the best up and coming teams from each of the six IRB Regional Associations. The six core teams for the inaugural Series are Australia, Canada, England, the Netherlands, New Zealand and USA.
Gosper noted the rapid rise in women’s rugby talent from Spain, Netherlands and Russia as teams to watch as the series continues.
IRB Women’s Sevens World Series:
Round 1 - Dubai: 30 November - 1 December 2012 - 7he Sevens (Winners: New Zealand)
Round 2 – USA: Houston, Texas, 1-2 February, 2013 - BBVA Compass Stadium
Round 3 – China: Guangzhou, 30-31 March 2013 - Guangzhou University Town Stadium
Round 4 – Netherlands: Amsterdam, 17-18 May 2013 - NRCA Stadium
Taya Conomos (olympics.com.au) and IRB