2019-2020 World Sevens Series
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@Stargazer - I don't think other sports particularly need to lose players for the US to be strong in 7s. Raw demographics is enough when you are 70 times the size of NZ and you only need a small fraction of that to have even tried the game.
Good luck to them.
Something else with this Glendale tournament is they seem to have dropped some of the women's consolation finals this year. No more 7th and 11th playoffs it seems.
Perhaps this is to better allow the combined women's/men's tournaments to be crammed into a 2-day schedule. Dunno.
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@Kiap said in 2019-2020 World Sevens Series:
@Stargazer - I don't think other sports particularly need to lose players for the US to be strong in 7s. Raw demographics is enough when you are 70 times the size of NZ and you only need a small fraction of that to have even tried the game.
Good luck to them.
Something else with this Glendale tournament is they seem to have dropped some of the women's consolation finals this year. No more 7th and 11th playoffs it seems.
Perhaps this is to better allow the combined women's/men's tournaments to be crammed into a 2-day schedule. Dunno.
Yes, I noticed this, too. I wonder how they determined 7th and 11th place as they have ranked these teams in the standings (Russia 7th, Ireland 8th; and Fiji 11th, Brazil 12th) and awarded Series point accordingly. Based on standings after the pool games? In the case of Fiji and Brazil, the points differential as the tie breaker?
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@Stargazer said in 2019-2020 World Sevens Series:
Yes, I noticed this, too. I wonder how they determined 7th and 11th place as they have ranked these teams in the standings (Russia 7th, Ireland 8th; and Fiji 11th, Brazil 12th) and awarded Series point accordingly. Based on standings after the pool games? In the case of Fiji and Brazil, the points differential as the tie breaker?
Good Q. IMO it's inequitable if they use points differential from the pools given they haven't played the same oppo. Would be better dealt with like the men's last year - i.e. a tie for 7th and each get the same points, etc.
It's a bit of a stuff up otherwise.
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Promising New Zealand school-boy star, 17-year-old Jacob Kneepkens has signed with the All Blacks Sevens for two years.
Promising New Zealand school-boy star, 17-year-old Jacob Kneepkens has signed with the All Blacks Sevens for two years. The Francis Douglas High School 1st XV co-captain will move to Tauranga to join the sevens programme at the end of the school year. In 2018 Kneepkens was a member of the New Zealand Schools squad, made the tournament team at the Condor Sevens and was MVP at the inaugural Red Bull Ignite7 tournament. The accolades continued this year as he was named in the All Blacks Sevens Development team before returning to play in the New Zealand Schools team for a second campaign.
https://www.allblacks.com/news/schoolboy-star-signs-with-all-blacks-sevens
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All Blacks 7s signings:
Bay of Plenty rugby product, and Red Bull Ignite7 alumni, William Warbrick joins the All Blacks Sevens for the first time, signing a two-year contract, after spending the pre-season training with the squad. Senior player Dylan Collier, along with emerging stars Andrew Knewstubb and Tone Ng Shiu, have all re-committed to the side through to 2021.
This news is on the back of signing schoolboy star Jacob Kneepkens and the confirmation that Investec Super Rugby players Caleb Clarke (Blues), Etene Nanai-Seturo (Chiefs), Salesi Rayasi (Hurricanes) and Scott Gregory (Highlanders) will join the campaign in the lead up to the Olympics.
https://www.allblacks.com/news/all-blacks-sevens-signings-bolster-squad-for-new-season/
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Black Fern Selica Winiata to referee on World Rugby Sevens Series
New Zealand Rugby (NZR) has congratulated Black Fern Selica Winiata’s referee selection for the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2020 season. After a promising international debut at the Oceania Sevens tournament in Fiji last week, Winiata has been appointed for two rounds of the Sevens Series.
The appointment to the HSBC World Series is a unique achievement which sees Winiata refereeing and playing rugby at the highest level. “Playing fifteens and refereeing on the series was a big goal of mine and it’s great to have achieved that”, said Winiata. “Now the hard work starts and I’m really looking forward to the tournaments, putting good performances together and continuing to develop. It’s been a great challenge so far.” The former Black Ferns Sevens player had originally planned on switching her beloved Manawatu playing shirt for a referee jersey at this year’s TECT National Sevens tournament in Tauranga. However, the appointment to the HSBC World Series means Winiata will not feature at a New Zealand National Sevens tournament for the first time in over a decade. Winiata’s selection takes the total number of New Zealand referees involved in the HSBC Sevens Series to five with James Doleman, Richard Kelly, Lauren Jenner and Emily Hsieh all currently involved in the 2020 season. The Palmerston North police officer is set to officiate at the Red Bull Ignite 7 tournament this Saturday 23 November at Trust Arena in Auckland.
https://www.allblacks.com/news/black-fern-selica-winiata-to-referee-on-world-rugby-sevens-series
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All Blacks 7s squad for the Dubai Sevens and Cape Town Sevens
Kurt Baker (Manawatu)
Dylan Collier (Waikato)
Scott Curry (Bay of Plenty)
Sam Dickson (Canterbury)
Andrew Knewstubb (Horowhenua Kapiti)
Ngarohi McGarvey-Black (Bay of Plenty)
Tim Mikkelson (Waikato)
Sione Molia (Counties Manukau)
Tone Ng Shiu ( Ta$man)
Salesi Rayasi (Auckland)
Akuila Rokolisoa (Counties Manukau)
William Warbrick (Bay of Plenty)
Regan Ware (Taranaki)
Joe Webber (Bay of Plenty)Players not considered for selection due to injury/illness: Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens, Joe Ravouvou and Etene Nanai-Seturo.
Scott Curry and Tim Mikkelson will again join as co-captains for the season, while new signing William Warbrick is in line for his international debut as the team looks to defend their Dubai crown.
The only players not considered for selection had returned from 15s duties with injury or illness, while Vilimoni Koroi and Caleb Clarke will remain in New Zealand reintegrating to sevens training. “The players that have joined us from 15s have all fitted in seamlessly and it feels like they’ve never been away. All of them could have been selected but leaving them behind allows them a proper pre-season training block and we expect that they will be fit and raring to go for our next tournaments.”
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https://www.allblacks.com/news/experienced-all-blacks-sevens-team-named-season-opener