This weekend will be a busy one in the world of global rugby, with WXV Global Series takes center stage in Europe, with domestic men’s competitions ending or continuing in the southern hemisphere ahead of major Test matches.
However, one place that should get a lot of attention before the action gets underway for the weekend is Friday night in Biarritz, when the second round of the Ultimate Sevens gets underway.
Conditions are set to be perfect for evening rugby, with the action set to take place over three rounds and four hours of knockout rugby a week – but Biarritz is set for a fascinating weekend of rugby for more than just the novelty of a new competition.
One of the biggest talking points in the opening round in Cardiff was the many changes to the rules of the week style, with almost everything from the competition schedule to the specific rules and points system being tweaked.
Instead of SVNS pool stages, the action takes place in the form of a three-match, first-round knockout, with the three winning sides and the ‘best loser’ advancing to the semi-finals.
The competition is played over two regular weekends of action, with a new winner-takes-all format for next week’s grand final in London.
Games last ten minutes without a halftime break, and the only opportunities for breaks come in the form of one 90-second time-out per team.
Sides have unlimited substitution options, and if the sides are tied at the end of time, enter a sudden-death-style golden trial, where the first team to score is declared the winner.
Finally, even the scoring system is different, with an automatic seven points awarded for attempts under the stick, while conversions see a points increase based on how hard the shot they choose to take is.
Conversions range from one point from midcourt in front of the post to four points from the sideline, adding to the multiple ways teams can find a way to win.
The changes led to fascinating results in Cardiff; the event organizers’ focus on creating danger is reflected in the close nature of the games – with six of the 12 matches played decided by a converted try or less.
The format changes were particularly noted by Ultimate Sevens chief executive Barney Pascall, who credited World Rugby for allowing the competition to experiment with the rulebook.
However, the feedback from teams, coaches and management should be noted, which was encouraging – especially when you consider that the sides had to deal with wet weather later in the day in Cardiff.
“We felt strongly that what we don’t want to do is for people who love rugby, who come from a religious rugby ecosystem to go, what on earth is going on in front of me?”, Pascal told RugbyPass.
“(You don’t want the fans to think) you almost went too far, try and maybe simplify it or you’ve spoiled the game. We thought that was really important.
“When the game is played, it’s rugby week.
“It will be fascinating (this weekend), the tactics have shifted even during Cardiff.
“I think the shooting options and dynamic shots will come down to who has a bit more bottle this weekend, who prefers to step up. We suffered a little bit from the classic weather in Cardiff, but maybe that plays a part in what happens in terms of shooting.
“The biggest for me will be the timeouts.
“I felt like they were happening later in the game and then they started happening a little bit earlier (during the final). I wonder if it’s going to happen that maybe the coaches will try to throw in a natural half.
“Or, is he going to go early and go, actually, we’re awful out of the blocks, let’s do a reset early and go after him. It’ll be interesting to see how that plays out.”
“They (coaches) are so into it. There’s a lot of dedicated thought into how we optimize it. From the players’ perspective, really positive feedback. The intensity was key for their feedback.”
“Our whole creative proposition was that sevens is a breathless sport in every way, both in terms of how you feel viscerally and how the audience perceives it.
“I think we’ve created a bit of a beast when it comes to the breathless nature because these guys are almost like, are they going to call a timeout? Are they not going to call a timeout?”
“They put everything on the line every minute without seeming or understanding to look at the clock, know when the timeout is going to come, which created a really interesting dynamic in terms of how the players try to break the game, break the stalemate, reorganize in a very short period of time.
“So there are challenges in all of that.”
As Biarritz kicks off with conditions that are ideal for evening rugby, the question will be not only how will these new rules work in ideal conditions, but also critically, what will the teams do now that they are familiar with the format?
Successful Cardiff teams have been those that have relied on the open, free-flowing nature of the format, with the likes of Nia Toliver and Selyn Davids, players who thrive in broken, open play, standing out for their sides.
How will teams respond to that? Will they try to tighten up and resort to pressure, or will they try to play with a more open style?
Biarritz will see teams take to the field who now have time under their belt with this new format, and will likely approach matchday with a framework for how best to use the new format to their advantage.
It sets the stage for a unique night of rugby that departs from the usual format – and with World Rugby giving permission to the competition to experiment in this way, the governing body is likely to be watching from the sidelines.
Could the format changes prove fruitful for sevens, opening the door to even see rule changes being considered for the SVNS series and the shorter format in general?
It’s too early to tell, but come the end of Friday night’s action in Biarritz, fans could see a glimpse of a potential new look to rugby’s shorter format – one that could have the potential to shape future directions in how the game is played.
