Premières équipes qualifiées en quarts du Challenger à Dubaï
Le tournoi d’ouverture du World Rugby HSBC Sevens Challenger 2024 a débuté à Dubaï vendredi 12 janvier, toutes les équipes jouant leurs deux premiers matchs de poule de la compétition.
Dans le tournoi féminin, on a assisté à des départs en trombe pour l’Argentine, la Belgique, la Tchéquie et la Thaïlande qui ont toutes terminé la première journée avec une paire de victoires pour assurer déjà leur place en quarts de finale samedi.
Dans le tournoi masculin, les matchs ont été très disputés et les scores serrés. L’Allemagne, Hongkong China, le Kenya et les Tonga, champions du Challenger 2023, ont remporté deux victoires chacun pour s’assurer eux aussi une place en quarts de finale.
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L’action se poursuit à partir de 11h15 heure locale (GMT+4) samedi avec les derniers matchs de poule suivis des quarts de finale avant la journée des finales dimanche.
Les enjeux du Challenger de cette année sont plus importants que jamais, puisque la compétition a été étendue à trois étapes et que les quatre premières équipes masculines et féminines se qualifient pour le nouveau tournoi de promotion-relégation lors de la grande finale du HSBC SVNS 2024 à Madrid.
Les tournois du Sevens Challenger reprennent le format de compétition des Jeux olympiques, les 12 équipes étant réparties en trois poules de quatre équipes chacune. Les deux premiers de chaque poule ainsi que les deux meilleurs troisièmes se qualifieront pour les matchs à élimination directe, les quarts de finale puis les demi-finales menant à la troisième place et à la médaille d’or.
Le Challenger a été lancé en février 2020 pour booster le développement du rugby à sept à travers le monde et fournir une voie de promotion clairement définie pour atteindre le plus haut niveau du rugby à sept mondial qui a connu une énorme croissance au cours des deux dernières décennies depuis la mise en place du World Series et en devenant un sport olympique lors des Jeux de Rio en 2016.
L’édition 2024 du Sevens Challenger démarre avec des tournois combinés à The Sevens Stadium de Dubaï du 12 au 14 janvier, puis se poursuivra à l’Estadio Charrúa de Montevideo, en Uruguay, du 8 au 10 mars, avant des tournois féminin et masculin distincts, respectivement au Henryk Reyman’s Municipal Stadium de Cracovie, en Pologne, et au Dantestadion de Munich, en Allemagne, les 18 et 19 mai.
Les fans du monde entier pourront suivre l’action sur rugbypass.tv.
Comments on RugbyPass
Wish him and his family the best in his retirement from International rugby and into the future.
1 Go to commentsSelf proclaimed expert/pundit Andy Goode and his very personal views on referees…Why recalling them in such an article as if he were an undisputed authority on the subject ? Only because fellow writer ?
1 Go to commentsLate growth spurts are a common problem over here. I’m well over 30, and I just started having a growth spurt too. Could be a world class prop soon.
1 Go to commentsas much as the challenge cup is a bit of a nothing competition, winning it would still mean something. last year it was won by toulon, who are now something like 4th in the top 14? The year before it was won by Lyon a season before they finished 3rd in the league. The year before that the final was contested by Montpellier and Leicester - 12 months before they both became domestic champions. That should give Gloucester fans some hope.
1 Go to commentsgreat article - although I can’t help wonder whether the more relevant debate over coming years will be between Ford and Fin Smith!
3 Go to commentsMaking Scott Barrett captain might be a masterstroke….will calm him down & stop brain fades and also take pressure off Ardie, so he can just play his natural monster game. Lets see how that all pans out🧐
8 Go to commentsI’m surprised Scotland are planning to rest key players this summer - I don’t think any other tier 1 nation will be doing the same?
3 Go to commentsGreat analysis Brett and what a shame that RA haven't spent more on the tight five instead. BTW I see the latest 8-9 Combo has dropped, looking forward to that. It's incredible the amount of damage that Hamish and Eddie's egos did in such a short space of time. From memory Eddie drove the initial drive to poach league stars way back in the 00s, with community rugby paying the price in reduced funding. Australia went from 15% of its income being spent on community rugby in 2002 to 2.4% in 2015, sheer madness and look where they are now. Hamish reminds me of Scrappy Doo. Always mouthing off, spoiling for a fight with bigger dogs who'd eat him alive. Sadly RA didn't have a Scooby Doo to bail him out.
12 Go to comments*_“I love watching bone-shuddering tackles, brutal clear-outs, monster ball carries, and crushingly intense scrummaging. I love it. These things make my heart rate spike. These aren’t the only things I love about rugby, but I feel no need to pretend I don’t love them, or to apologise for loving them just in case someone thinks I shouldn’t.”_* beautifully put Flats🔥
3 Go to comments“Hidden comments” all over the place😂 Turlough’s been a busy little boy ey🤭
99 Go to commentsit’ll all be released in an autobiography a few years from now….. “Razor shafted me” blah blah blah. thinking of making Scott Barrett captain might be a good move. Could calm down his brain fades & make him an even better player for them
3 Go to commentsSadly he played far too many games too young. England and France really do need to look after their younger players better.
1 Go to commentsHaving finally been able to watch the first Chasing the Sun (thanks RugbyPass!) - because I refuse to pay DSTV's extortionate monthly fee in SA - after four years, it was amazing to see Mapimpi's story as well as seeing my personal hero, Rassie, breaking down when telling it. There _is_ hope for the country, but only once we've got rid of the crooked and incompetent ANC (and others) who have set out to destroy it. Viva Rassie, viva Kolisi viva rugby!
1 Go to commentsWhether true or not, all the best to you Sam Cane. A warrior of a player and a loyal servant to the ABs! Go get you some yen and have some fun.
3 Go to commentsThe game was changing too much with teams trying to role the dice drawing fouls. Would be better if scrums and the adjudicating problems were resolved but this is a good immediate fix.
42 Go to commentsLike many here I am encouraged by this post. Our forwards are where the real rewards and improvements must come from. With a 50/50 pack against any opposition, our backs could ensure more than 50% of the games will be won. We need Valetini at 6 and Cale at 8 to make the most or a good tight 5, McWright will add to the effectiveness of the pack BUT must get a very good tight 5 out there first.
121 Go to commentsThe key point I think that is missing is that if Joseph wants to guarantee a Lions spot, he really has to play wing in his first year. He is easily going to nail down whatever he wants to do, but with just half a season, how much of a factor he proves to be in the Lions series could be dictated by this initial choice of playing position.
12 Go to commentsthe game was 2 weeks before the challenge cup final. I really don’t believe they needed to rest that many players.
1 Go to commentsI really feel like neither of the Vunipolas is given the respect they deserve. I would have liked to see both of them get a few more caps than they have gotten in the past couple of years, but unfortunately the fact that they both peaked young has meant that for a number of years they have been perceived as disappointments. When they are both retired, in the cold light of day they will be recognised as two of the best players of their generation of any nation.
4 Go to commentsthis generation of saracens players could produce some really incredible coaches. When Farrell retires he could walk into any premiership team as a defence, attack, or kicking coach. Itoje could make it as a defence or a lineout coach, and Jamie George as a lineout or scrum coach. The problem the Vunipolas are going to have is that its not clear what their coaching speciality would be. Neither are great in the set piece, and while they were good in attack and defence, they were never tactical masterminds. Perhaps contact skills would be their ideal brief? Mako perhaps could work in strength & conditioning, but Billy has a bit of a reputation for not taking that side of the game seriously.
4 Go to comments