Sevens should not be women’s main event

WHAT is it with Sevens and the England women’s game? We were told that instead of investing in the 15-a-side code, it was better to cut professional contracts in that area and concentrate the RFU’s resources at trying to produce a worldbeating England Sevens side. That concept backfired spectacularly last weekend when England were beaten 19-14 in the opening round of the 2018 World Cup Sevens in San Francisco by Ireland. The tournament format meant they were immediately relegated to the second tier ‘Challenge Cup’, meaning they could finish no higher than ninth. Everybody knew the tournament rules beforehand, so there are no excuses, either for the players – or for Nicky Ponsford, the women’s head of performance at the RFU, who has championed the Sevens programme over the 15s game. The San Francisco failure trumped the Rio Olympics two years ago where a virtually all-English GB side – some clearly unsuited to Sevens – missed out on a bronze medal after being beaten by Canada. Sevens is best utilised by giving promising youngsters the chance to develop their fitness and skills. If that approach is adopted, the results in big tournaments will almost certainly be better than those achieved under this ill-conceived plan where 15s players on pro contracts are shoehorned into playing Sevens. It is time the RFU got their women’s priorities the right way round and used Sevens as an adjunct to 15s rather than making it the main show.