# 2016 Olympic Rugby Sevens

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2016-olympic-rugby-sevens/762056>\
**Category:** The Game Room\
**Created:** [August 7, 2016, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2016-olympic-rugby-sevens/762056 "2016-08-07T17:40:26Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Coriolanus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coriolanus/32/18769_2.png) [@Coriolanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coriolanus)\
**Post date:** [August 7, 2016, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2016-olympic-rugby-sevens/762056/1 "2016-08-07T17:40:26Z")

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What a cool game!

I’ve lived in Australia and Great Britain - both big on Rugby - and I’ve not heard of this sport.

As I understand it, there are only 7 players on each side (vs 15 in regular Rugby) and the half’s are only 7 minutes in length with a brief 2 minute ‘half time’.

It wasn’t on TV here in Ireland, but the American women just tied the top-ranked Australian team. That should be enough to get into the next round, which conveniently is tonight. Finals are tomorrow.

The men start play on Tuesday.

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**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\
**Post date:** [August 7, 2016, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2016-olympic-rugby-sevens/762056/2 "2016-08-07T18:13:23Z")

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I’m an American and I’m also eager to see the men’s rugby 7’s. I see precious little rugby here, as most of it is relegated to speciality sports networks that are on a higher cost cable tier.

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**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\
**Post date:** [August 7, 2016, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2016-olympic-rugby-sevens/762056/3 "2016-08-07T20:39:23Z")

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It’s an incredible sport - fast, continuous and highly skilful.

There’s an international world tour, which has had a leg in Las Vegas, plus various long established tournaments.  
These include Hong Kong and the Borders (where the game was invented in 1883.)

The leading Olympic seeds are:

Men

1. Fiji
2. South Africa
3. New Zealand
4. Great Britain

Women

1. Australia
2. New Zealand
3. Canada
4. Great Britain

(I think the USA are 6th in both competitions.)

The US women had a great game against the Australians, but watch out for Carlin Isles in the US men’s team - he’s done the 100m in 10.15!

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**Author:** ![Coriolanus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coriolanus/32/18769_2.png) [@Coriolanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coriolanus)\
**Post date:** [August 7, 2016, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2016-olympic-rugby-sevens/762056/4 "2016-08-07T21:32:11Z")

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> [@glee](#):
>
> It’s an incredible sport - fast, continuous and highly skilful.
> 
> The leading Olympic seeds are:
> 
> Men
> 
> 1. Fiji
> 2. South Africa
> 3. New Zealand
> 4. Great Britain
> 
> Women
> 
> 1. Australia
> 2. New Zealand
> 3. Canada
> 4. Great Britain
> 
> (I think the USA are 6th in both competitions.)

That’s (Fiji) neat, as the BBC said the women in Fiji train with the men.

USA -v- the All Blacks, nil-nil 🙂

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**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\
**Post date:** [August 7, 2016, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2016-olympic-rugby-sevens/762056/5 "2016-08-07T21:52:45Z")

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USA 0 New Zealand 5 …

…for two minutes, New Zealand had a player ‘sin-binned’ (i.e. off the field.) If only the US could have scored a converted try in that time, they’d be through to the semi-finals!

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**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\
**Post date:** [August 9, 2016, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2016-olympic-rugby-sevens/762056/6 "2016-08-09T18:40:43Z")

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I watched some of this today. Can’t make heads or tails about the rules. At least it doesn’t drag on too long.

What’s the deal with the clock? Why have it if play continues beyond it? USA got fucked by a bad call earlier, then by the play after time expired.

I don’t get it.

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**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\
**Post date:** [August 9, 2016, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2016-olympic-rugby-sevens/762056/7 "2016-08-09T18:47:17Z")

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> [@Gatopescado](#):
>
> I don’t get it.

After the hooter goes at full time, the game continues until the ball goes dead eg it gets kicked into touch.
