USA reach Las Vegas semi-finals (and other sevens news)

You read it here first! The ultimate “scoop” for YSC, coming exactly three weeks before the tournament…

How can we be so sure? Well… we’ve seen the draw.

In Pool B we find the current World #1 (Canada), South America’s #1 (Brazil), Europe’s #3 (Netherlands), and USA’s development squad. A pretty tough group by anyone’s standards. Meanwhile in the other pool we have the USA and their opponents – Europe’s #5 (France), Asia’s #3 (Japan), and Maple Leafs (Canada’s development squad).

Anyone else spot a tiny discrepancy here?

Now, fair’s fair – its the USA’s tournament and they can organise the draw how they like, and last year the Eagles did fail to make the semis when they dropped them in the ultimate Group of Death so maybe a bit if balance was due. But really… not subtle.

However, one other result of the draw is that it does raise the distinct probability of an all Canada semi-final. Tough though Pool B is, Canada should win it (especially with the Netherlands’ ace Kelly van Harskamp unavailable for the tournament). This will pit them against whoever comes second to the USA which will, on current form, be the Maple Leafs.

Elsewhere in the world of women’s sevens the rumour mill is doing well:

• After the success of the Dubai tournament attempts are being made to organise a similar event alongside the London Sevens in May. Canada and France have already put the date in the diaries (which is interesting, in the case of the French, as they were not invited to Dubai). However, the tournament has not received IRB backing yet, and time is running out.
• There are also suggestions that the Roma Sevens, where a combined New Zealand/USA team reached the final in 2011, may move from the first weekend in June due to clashes with other (men’s) European sevens. However, so crowded is the sevens calendar now that the most likely alternative would put the tournament in direct competition with the Amsterdam Sevens. Speculation was not helped by the issue this week of a remarkable 50-page publicity brochure by the organisers in Rome which fails to mention when the tournament will actually be held.
• Spain completed a week-long  joint training camp with the Netherlands this week, beating the Dutch 6-0 in a series of training games. The Lions will not be in Las Vegas this year, but did drop a hint about their taking part in a “major event” instead, announcement in the next few days.