The first weekend of the Ultimate Sevens provided four hours of scintillating action at Cardiff Arms Park, Atlantic Novas and Clan Taran taking out the inaugural Women’s and Men’s titles.
The weekend gave fans a first impression of the new-look competition, with eyes now turning to the Parc des Sports Aguilera in Biarritz with the continuation of the second round of action.
RugbyPass breaks down the key talking points after the first weekend of action, and the implications for the competition as it moves into its next stages.
Build it, and they will come
First impressions count, and even with Cardiff being the center of rugby, it’s always hard to tell what the reaction to a new tournament will be until it hits the field.
However, if the opening weekend was anything to go by, it was a classic ‘build it and they will come’ quote.
In keeping with the competition organisers’ aim, the product served up across 12 matches in Cardiff not only felt different from the usual expectations of seven matches, but also heightened the drama, with the fans who turned up getting their money’s worth.
“Starting a new series is not for the faint hearted, but the commitment of these players, our team, the rugby community who have helped achieve such high standards, and the fantastic atmosphere of those at the event, bodes well for a bright future,” Ultimate Sevens CEO Barney Pascall said after the final whistle.
“What we saw today was exceptional rugby, new combinations being formed incredibly quickly and players really embracing what we are trying to create.
“We set out to show Sevens in a new light and Cardiff gave us our first chance to show what this Championship can become. Now we will take this energy and keep building.”
While there is still plenty to play for, there are all signs in the park that the competition is aiming for great success, especially as word continues to spread.
Tough competition galore
Touching on the drama angle, the law change resulted in a key statistic that will bring a smile to the organizers’ faces – how close the fights were.
In the 12 matches, half of the games were decided by a margin of seven points or less, while four of them were decided by the difference of an unconverted try or less.
The opening round of the men’s competition was particularly notable, Pacific Current’s hard-fought 17-12 win over Sol Feroz being the biggest margin of victory, with Atlantic Novas beating Albion Athletic 7-5 and Clan Taran beating Foudre Bleue 13-12.
The contests proved just as enthralling in the women’s competition, with Pacific Current at the center of two tight contests, falling 11-7 to eventual champions Atlantic Novas in the first round, before losing to Sol Feroz 14-11 in the semifinals.
With each of the six clubs represented in the men’s and/or women’s competition, it points to the player draft getting the right balance for even competitions – and sets the stage for more action in the coming weeks.
The rule changes have proven to be effective
Rule changes are always a delicate balance, and while the live setting ultimately determines whether they help or hinder the game, the first signs of unique changes to the Ultimate Sevens rulebook have shown promise.
In fact, the series’ unique format and rule changes reinforced what made the competition unique from the seven contemporary competitions and the way the games were played.
With the action done and cleared in four hours, clubs were encouraged to play enterprising, high-risk rugby from the start, with open space specialists like Maddi Levi, Henry Hutchison, Alev Kelter, Nia Toliver and Selvyn Davids flourishing in the format.
Ten-minute non-stop games and 90-second timeouts kept the action fast-paced, with scores under the posts worth seven points, and tougher conversions rewarded with more points based on designated kick spots on the field.
The result opened up the format for teams to try new ways to find victory – something that is likely to be expanded upon in the coming weeks as sides get used to the format and how to use the rules to their advantage.
Klan Taran, Atlantic Novas pages to watch
After the first round, we have the first leaders in the table, with the fact that the winner in the men’s competition is the ‘local’ club Clan Taran, while the best in the women’s competition is Atlantic Novas.
The men’s 19-7 victory over Foudre Bleue saw outdoor rugby reap the rewards and Selvyn Davids’ third minute individual effort was a contender for the try of the weekend, well supported by Will Homer and Tom Emery on the scoresheet.
Atlantic also flourished in the women’s final, with tries from Allie Boatman and player of the weekend candidate Nia Toliver as the side defeated Sol Feroz 19-7.
With the winners having also beaten other sides in close matches in the semi-finals and opening rounds, the question remains whether the added pressure of running the competition will add to their momentum or derail it.
Falls in Biarritz
Parc des Sports Aguilera in Biarritz will mark the second round of Ultimate Sevens action, and if there is one side to watch this weekend, it will be “local” Foudre Bleue.
While the women’s teams struggled to fire an 11-0 first-round drubbing of Atlantic Novas, the side had enough homegrown and international talent to fire back in Biarritz, a combination of international stars teaming together in one of Cardiff’s highlights.
The men’s side, however, will be particularly dangerous, with the likes of Pol Pla, Nathaniel Barry and Ryan Oosthuizen impressing on the opening weekend, finishing as runners-up.
With the French fans expected to bring their charismatic vocal support and flair to one of southern France’s rugby strongholds, the second round of the Ultimate Sevens is likely to be a significant step forward at the start of the weekend.
