HOUSTON, TX – 7s is back! That is right, on top of 6 Nations 2013 kicking off, this weekend will see the 4th leg of the HSBC 7s World Series in Wellington, New Zealand and with the Houston 7s of the inaugural Womens 7s World Series. But we’re polite here, so this one is for the ladies!
Texas in the winter is a perfect place for rugby, and Houston makes for a great fit. To say that this is a HUGE moment in Womens Rugby in the USA, would be an understatement of epic proportions. This is historic, folks. It allows our 7s players to play in front of a home crowd while displaying the magic and pizazz of 7s. And the players smell nicer, to boot. But don’t be deceived; if a player made it to this level, they can run thru you or around you – or both.
This is the REAL DEAL. Even the referees are top-flight officials from around the world. Talk about a group that goes unrecognized. Yet we digress… Let’s get to the teams and the groups.
IRB Women’s Sevens World Series – Houston,TX, USA Feb. 1-2, 2013
Pool A
New Zealand
England
Netherlands
Trinidad & Tobago
Pool B
South Africa
Canada
USA
Argentina
Pool C
Australia
Russia
Brazil
Japan
Pool A: New Zealand is the favorite, followed by the Netherlands and England. Netherlands are better than most people realize and the idea of them slipping into the 2nd spot is not far fetched. So, let’s put money on the underdog Oranje for second… England are no lightweights in 7s and boast Michaela Staniford, reigning Player of the Year, so they maybe the smart money bet, as opposed to the Dutch – yes, we’re hedging… Trinidad & Tobago are just not going to be able to make headway in a pool this tough.
Pool B: Another edition of the USA/Canada Border War. These two teams will finish first and second, we’re not sure in what order, though. We are sure that we’ll be rooting for our pal Vanesha McGee, she’s money! Meanwhile, it will be between South Africa and Argentina for the bottom two places; a coin flip will determine who finishes third. Our coin lands with South Africa.
Pool C: Australia will top this group with ease. The breakout squad of the next three required deep analysis… they were so close. After a game of Eeny Meeny Miny Moe, we chose Japan, followed by Russia and Brazil.
PREDICTIONS:
Cup: Australia
Plate: USA
Bowl: England
That’s it’s for now… Feel free to comment below, look for and “Like” our Facebook Rugby Wrap Up Page and follow us on Twitter @RugbyWrapUp, @JunoirBlaber, @Declan Yeats, @Mathew Drew Turner and @Ebstide52, respectively.
Stay low and keep pumping those legs.
