New Zealand 7s will look to win their 5th consecutive Commonwealth Games gold medal as well as duplicate their immense success in Sevens Rugby when Glasgow hosts the 2014 Games at the end of this month.
There is no denying that New Zealand are the most successful 7s team. Having won 11 out of the 14 IRB Sevens World Series tournaments with their lowest placing being 4th in the 2005/06 and the 2008/09 seasons, they are a formidable side that has yet to be matched on the field. Adding to their tally of trophies are the two World Cup titles they hold, meaning the defending champions will find it difficult to enter the games without an immense amount of confidence.
Coach, Sir Gordon Tietjens, announced his team who will be traveling to Glasgow last week and the names are all too familiar to fans and rivals alike. DJ Forbes lines up as captain while his full squad includes Tim Mikkelson, Scott Curry, Sam Dickson, Bryce Heem, Gillies Kaka, Ben Lam and Joe Webber. He has also included four new faces to the sevens scene, Pita Ahki (who is more recognisable in the colours of the Auckland Blues in the Super Rugby), Akira Iaone, Declan O’Donnell and Sherwin Stowers. New Zealand present a very strong, technical team that brings together a vast amount of experience that will offer them the calm should they encounter a storm.
New Zealand may be the favourites going into the games but they will have stiff competition ready to deny them their 5th title. South Africa has always been a team to watch. With lightning quick wings such as Cheslin Kolbe and Seabelo Senatla and strong core players like Captain Kyle Brown and Frankie Horne, they are ever present in the title race and this time around will be no different. However, South Africa has been dealt a blow after Schalk Britz was denied release from his team, Saracens, due to the Northern Hemisphere rugby season coinciding with the Commonwealth Games. Bryan Habana is also in doubt as his team, Toulon, have yet to make a judgement on whether they will release Habana or not.
Fiji, Samoa, Australia and England are all looking to cash in on their recent form. Fiji is no stranger to placing at the Games having won two silver medals and a bronze since the inclusion of Rugby Sevens back in 1998 as well as an IRB title win in 2005/06. England has walked away with a silver medal in the 2006 tournament while South Africa has two bronze medals to their names and the IRB title from 2008/09. Samoa has been impressive to watch since their IRB win in 2009/10 and under their coach Stephen Betham, they will be confident in placing themselves on the road to a medal.
If I were to place money on a winner, I would pick the men in black. They show maturity and understand what it takes to come away with the win when it is most important. However, like all teams, they are not invincible. In competitions like these, it only takes one bad performance to end their title dreams, something their competitors will look to capitalise on. New Zealand will go into this as their own worst enemies, with the pressure to perform either steering them towards victory or causing them to spiral out of control.
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