Dan Bibby, an inspirational stand-in captain in Tokyo after Mitchell got injured, has proved a vegan can compete at the highest level of his sport. Rugby traditionalists may think this is too touchy-feely, but it is the future and this is why these sevens players need to cherished. We need male role models who can talk openly about their feelings and aren’t afraid to break the stereotype of whatever a rugby player is supposed to be.
Well, maybe we do and maybe we don’t.
And who was there years ahead of their time, discussing mental health, veganism, the importance of sharing resources with female counterparts, learning from women’s sport with regard to openness and LGBT athletes? The sevens men. They are a team for our times.
OK, super. But here’s the problem. The rest of the whingeing is about how they only came fourth. Meaning that all this wokeness might not be all that helpful in the base aim of sport, to win.
There’s also one other point. All this “support” the sevens teams should get. Well, that sevens circuit is pretty mature now. Ongoing global competition. Does it make enough money to support the teams playing it?
Nope? Then why make other people subsidise it?
Yes, yes, start up investments and all that. But that sevens circuit is mature now.
When they knelt I stopped caring.
Were they beaten by big blokes who are super straight and eat a lot of meat? Thought so.
They may have only come fourth but it was a ‘moral’ victory.
I reckon Sevens as the best football code I ever played. Second, perhaps, was indoors five-a-side football.
Though one summer I played an uncountable number of hours of indoors two-a-side. We (GB) always beat Italy. Given that I was principally a rugby player and my team-mate a hockey player, the boys dun well.
Were they beaten by big blokes who are super straight and eat a lot of meat? Thought so.
I can’t vouch for the Argie rugby team eats, but from my visits to Buenos Aires I can confirm that the meat is excellent and the portions huge.
Isn’t a problem for sevens that as it’s matured the women’s teams want a bigger slice of the pie.
They used to hold women’s games at a different time and in a different, smaller venue.
Before the pandemic there was at least one tournament they ran them together, as it’s very much a dip in dip out all day event I’d guess the women’s games were when people went to get food and drink.
I was at the last sevens tournament in Vancouver March 2020 and no massive outbreak of Covid was attributed to it despite a packed stadium, there was a dental conference the same time ended up being a super spreader event…it’s almost as if fresh air and sunshine was good for you