Maggie Alphonsi: "Sevens is unpredictable and is showcasing its global growth"

We are all very excited to see what the third round of the HSBC World Rugby Women’s Sevens Series in Las Vegas this weekend is going to bring, given the differences we saw between the opening tournament in Dubai and the second round in Sydney.

The first two rounds have really highlighted how competitive sevens is with four different nations contesting the finals, Australia and New Zealand in Dubai and then the all-North America affair between Canada and USA in Sydney.

It isn’t the same teams making it to the final and that is what we want for sevens, we want to see other teams who are continually pushing some of the top nations. Who knows, we might see two completely different teams make another final on the series which is great for the women’s game.

Sevens is known for its unpredictability and the time between tournaments gives teams the chance to turn it around. Look at USA, they were 11th in Dubai and then reached the final in Sydney two months later. 

This is what makes sevens so appealing, the fact you could be watching two different teams from one tournament to the next, because what teams do at the beginning of a series can be very different to what they do two or three months down the line. 

Growing the game globally

It is great for the game and strengthens the interest.

I think it was great to see two North American teams in the final in Sydney. It is only going to raise the interest levels going into the Las Vegas tournament and really increase the hunger for rugby in both the USA and Canada, who host their own round in May.

I think what we really want to showcase in our game, especially in the world of sevens, is the fact that it is growing globally, not just in countries we would expect to be strong nations. There are now more competitive nations and look at what Papua New Guinea did in Sydney as the invitational team.

They may not have won a match but they had a truly standout player in Joanne Lagona (pictured), who made the tournament dream team and was joint top try-scorer with nine. She scored an amazing try against New Zealand and it showed that there are some talented athletes out there. 

I am excited to see what Argentina can do this weekend when they are exposed to the series again.

I remember watching Kenya in Clermont-Ferrand last season and seeing them grow with each match during the tournament. We don’t want them to be on the end of a heavy score line but they are learning so much from being part of the process.

A time for developing players

It is all about growing our game and trying to make the world series more competitive across the board, not keeping a gap between the best nations and the rest. That is what we all want. Look at Brazil and how much stronger they are and remember they beat England in Sydney. 

They might not be making the quarter-finals yet, but they are a better team from being on the series and the likes of Kenya, Papua New Guinea and Argentina will also benefit from their experiences.

As a proud Englishwoman, it was hard to see England not make the Cup quarter-finals in Sydney, but there has been a lot of changes post Rio from management changes to players’ focus returning to 15s in a World Cup year.

It would have always been part of the plan and it is not a bad thing that they are going through this experience because it is all about developing players who will be there for the next Rugby World Cup Sevens, the Commonwealth Games and the next Olympics.

England find themselves very much in the ‘pool of death’ at the HSBC USA Sevens with New Zealand, Australia and Brazil. I think we are all very much looking forward to seeing how that Australia-New Zealand match plays out, but you can’t count out England or Brazil too.

But looking at the other pools, I am really excited by the level of competition we will be treated to. In Pool A you have Sydney winners Canada, France who are always a threat and Russia, who finished third in Dubai. Then in Pool B you have familiar match ups in Ireland-Fiji and USA-Spain.

My tips for the final

It just shows how much investment has been put into the women’s game and the interest. The Olympics was obviously quite key in really putting women’s sevens on the map, but also making it visible to the public and now great performances on the pitch are matching the interest off it.

That is why I am so excited to see how the action unfolds in Las Vegas.

I have to say I don’t think home advantage will be a big factor, the teams who have had a home round have never gone on to win the tournament. The pressure that comes with it can sometimes have an impact, although that said USA love their home support and always raise their game.

If I was put on the spot to pick the finalists I would have to say Canada because once you have the taste of winning it is very hard to lose it, and when you have momentum and that winning mentality you believe you are capable of doing it again and again. That said I’m not sure they will win this time round with New Zealand and Australia snapping at their heels. 

I would predict a Canada-New Zealand final, as we had at RWC Sevens 2013 in Moscow. However, I wouldn’t count out USA and I feel bad discounting Australia. I can’t imagine the pressure they would have been under in Sydney and I think they will come back with a vengeance. The fact the Olympic champions haven’t won a round yet is a bit of surprise, but they could put that right in round three … I’ll go for a Canada-New Zealand or Canada-Australia final!

As an outside pick I’d go for Fiji because I would love to see them make a semi-final or final. They have always been a nation that has been a threat, they have the potential and exciting athletes and wouldn’t it be great for the game if they could progress that far and who knows ... even go on to win it!

Do you agree with Maggie's prediction for Las Vegas? Why not join the conversation @WorldRugby7s.