7s and Rugby League

Do 7s and rugby league provide any challenges for Rugby’s future?  Definitely.  7s inclusion in the Olympics has to be seen as a positive for the proper version of the game, even if only 5% of the people who get drawn into 7s move on to 15s Rugby is in need of every boost possible outside its traditional base of 10 or so countries.  But there are some worries that come with this as well.  Sport Canada (their version of Sport England) has stopped “carding”, essentially government funding, for tight 5 forwards, in America there is a similar worry that the traditional college path ways will become blocked or clogged up with the big colleges focusing on the shorter version of the game.  The last thing 15s need is to lose reasonably strong countries like Canada.  But then Russia seems to be using 7s inclusion to drive standards and interest in the 15s game.

Rugby League also provides a challenge, as make no mistake, they will try and piggy back on the Olympic Inclusion just as much as Rugby proper.  That might not be a problem in established countries, even ones with heavy League history like England or Australia, but in countries where neither code is particularly popular League is as likely as Rugby to take advantage.  Beyond 7s though does League provide any challenges to Rugby?  The weakness of northern English clubs due to the defection almost 120 years ago is an ongoing challenge but that shows no signs of getting worse.