Sevens
| Governed by | Rugby League International Federation |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Sevens, Football, Footy, League, Rugby |
| First played | 1883, Scotland |
| Characteristics | |
| Contact | Full |
| Team members | 7 (and 5 substitutes) |
| Mixed gender | Single |
| Categorisation | Outdoor |
| Equipment | Football |
| Venue | Rugby league playing field |
Sevens (7s), also referred to as rugby league sevens and rugby sevens, is a 7-a-side derivative of rugby league football. Sevens uses rugby league's International Laws of the Game with several modifications.[1]
Sevens is usually a feature of festivals, as it allows for a tournament to be completed in a day or over a single weekend. Sevens is considered to be a good tool to increase the skills of players and to help emerging rugby league nations.[2] The game is also particularly popular with social teams, formed in the workplace or from the patrons of a public house, for example, as it can be difficult in those places to form a full squad of 17 regular players for the 13-a-side game.
Contents |
[edit] Development
A 7-a-side version of rugby football was created by Ned Haig in Melrose, Scotland in 1883. The sevens derivative of the sport became popular in the Scottish Borders area surrounding Melrose.
[edit] Post-schism
After the 1895 schism, a significant proportion of Scotland's rugby league footballers came from the Borders. Sean Fagan writes, "While rugby 7s (of either code) was common enough in England and New Zealand since the late 1890s, it had never caught on in Australia".[3] Following their arrival in Britain from Australia, the 1933 Kangaroos played a 7-a-side match against England in Leeds' Roundhay Park before 80,000 people.[3] Australia won 29-11.[3]
Despite enthusiasm from players, supporters and the media in 1933, 7s was not played back in Australia until 1961 when a tournament was organised between the Sydney clubs.[3][4] The tournament, held at the Sydney Sports Ground, was "part of a testimonial day for Keith Holman".[3] Fagan considers the "rise of touch football in the 1950s and '60s [to have] dimmed any real thought of rugby league 7s emerging" in Australia.[3]
In 1988, the World Sevens was contested for the first time by New South Wales Rugby League clubs.
[edit] Laws
Sevens follows the International Laws of the Game, used by the 13-a-side game, with exceptions.[1] Each rugby league nation is at liberty to adopt a modified version of international rules for their domestic competitions; as a result the rules of sevens can vary too, even before changes implemented by competition organisers.[5]
Matches have two halves of seven minutes.[6] Unlimited substitutions are allowed from a squad totalling 12 players.[6] In sevens, smaller scrums, formed from the three forwards on each team, are formed.[6] All kicks for goal should be drop kicks in sevens.[6] After points have been scored a tap kick restart is taken by the non-scoring side.[6]
The World Sevens, the world's premier sevens event while it operated, had two 7 minute halves up to and including the semi-finals with extra time played in the event of tie at the end normal time.[7] The final was longer with two 10 minute halves. In 2004, the World Sevens tackle limit was reduced from 6 to 4.
[edit] Playing area
Sevens is played on a standard rugby league playing field as defined in Section 1 of the International Laws of the Game.[8]
[edit] Teams
Teams are composed of three forwards, one half and three backs.[6]
[edit] Major tournaments
- World Sevens is currently suspended but in 2008 it emerged that the World Sevens could make a comeback by 2010.[2][9]
- Actor Russell Crowe hosts the Orara Valley Axemen Sevens Tournament at Coffs Harbour on the New South Wales North Coast.[9] This tournament is participated in by teams representing countries of the world, local clubs and a few clubs from Brisbane, Australia. In 2005 the Souths Logan Magpies from the Queensland Wizard Cup and the Gold Coast Titans, who entered the NRL in 2007, were two well known clubs that participated.
[edit] See also
- Nines, a 9-a-side version of the game
[edit] References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Laws of Rugby League Sevens (7's)". Australian Rugby League. Archived from the original on 2011-01-01. http://www.webcitation.org/5vQNFSp3r. Retrieved 2 January 2011.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Josh King (2008-03-09). "Return of the Rugby League World Sevens?". nrlnews.com. Archived from the original on 2011-04-25. http://www.webcitation.org/5yDA2jJiF. Retrieved 2009-06-11.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Fagan, Sean (2010-02-02). "When the Kangaroos played 7s". RL1908.com. Archived from the original on 2011-01-03. http://www.webcitation.org/5vT4x4Kh6. Retrieved 3 January 2011.
- ↑ "The history of rugby league". centenaryofrugbyleague.com. http://www.centenaryofrugbyleague.com.au/site/about/history/the-history-of-rugby-league.aspx. Retrieved 2009-06-15.
- ↑ Sean Fagan. "The Harlem Kangaroos are coming". rl1908.com. Archived from the original on 2011-01-04. http://www.webcitation.org/5vUamlLiL. Retrieved 2009-06-15.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 AUS. "Rugby League 7s (Men)". Australian University Sport. http://www.unisport.com.au/_uploads/res/1_74.pdf. Retrieved 2009-06-15.
- ↑ "Simply the best". Production company: Twenty Twenty Television; Director: Stuart Goodman; Producer: Martin Short; Series Producer: Claudia Milne. Up 'n' Under. BBC. 1992.
- ↑ RLIF (2004). "The International Laws of the Game and Notes on the Laws". Rugby League International Federation. p. 2. Archived from the original on 2010-01-05. http://www.webcitation.org/5mYyri5Wv. Retrieved 2008-07-30.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Geoff Stevenson (2007-02-19). "Why aren’t we in Sevens heaven?". leagueunlimited.com. Archived from the original on 2011-04-25. http://www.webcitation.org/5yDA2jJik. Retrieved 2009-06-13.
