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Tom Chick

Another weekend, another new Australian Sevens extravaganza!

This time it is the inaugural Hyperion Gold Coast International Sevens taking place at Albert Park, Surfers Paradise, with Australia Sevens Team Manager Luca Liussi spearheading the event as Tournament Director.

Liussi was appointed as the Australian Sevens Team Manager last year owing to his illustrious career and background within rugby management, albeit the 15-a-side format, and these experiences are what the Australian Rugby Union (ARU) hope can help improve Sevens in the country beginning with the Gold Coast Sevens.

He lived it up with the Azzuris for six years, which included managing the side for 65 tests and his own personal career highlight thus far at the Rugby World Cup 2003 where Italy beat Canada and Tonga to finish third in their pool. Liussi then moved to the Super 14 outfit Queensland Reds in 2006, before taking over the Management reigns of the Australian Under 20 side in 2007.

Now however, he is firmly in place to take Australian Sevens forward with this year’s IRB Series and the Commonwealth Games in Delhi on the horizon. And it all starts this weekend.

Managing expectation

Helpfully, the transition to Sevens appears to have been seamless with Liussi stating that the management side of things has remained the same and the benefits of working with a smaller number of individuals is refreshing and something he is beginning to thrive on.

With his vast experience of establishing, monitoring, reviewing and improving High Performance Programmes with Italy, and with Sevens now an Olympic sport, this is seen as a positive move for the ARU as they now have a man who can begin to improve the infrastructure of the sport looking forward to 2016.

Whilst the Australian women won the inaugural Women’s Rugby World Cup Sevens this year, the men were left in their shadow, finishing runners-up in the Plate competition. The 2008/9 IRB Sevens World Series saw them finish eighth overall taking home just one piece of silverware, beating France in the final of the Bowl in San Diego. This is far from satisfactory for a country who accept only the best from their national squads.

One of Liussi’s first assignments therefore was to work out why Australia were not reaching a level they aspire to in Sevens and find ways of improving their performances. Having sat down with coaches and players alike last season, the Gold Coast Sevens was born thanks to some vigorous hard work over the past few months.

“From our review last year with the Australian Sevens team we found that we were a little under prepared going into the first leg of the series last year and that we needed to play more tournaments,” said Liussi.

“The window of opportunity therefore became pre World Series and we just ran with that. We started preparations in May this year and we realised that with the pending IOC Olympic decision in October that the Hyperion Gold Coast International Sevens needed to be up and running this year. Everything fell into place and we are on track for a cracker of an event this weekend.”

With improving the infrastructure and High Performance Programme within Australian Sevens top of Liussi’s agenda, the birth of The Hyperion Gold Coast International Sevens could spell the first of many new initiatives and the beginning of a new era for Australian Sevens.

Legend lends hand

The idea for the tournament has however been on paper for several years with one of England’s very own Sevens stalwarts, Ben Gollings, assisting Liussi in seamlessly setting up the tournament also known as ‘heavens game played in paradise’ – another reason why Liussi believes the tournament has huge potential.

“Rugby Gold Coast have had the idea to run a Sevens tournament for a few years now and Ben Gollings, living on the Gold Coast, has had a vision of a major tournament since he has been here,” said the Tournament Director.
"Having someone with 10 years of experience in 7s at an international level like Ben Gollings, is definitely fantastic for the tournament management team.

“After my first international experience during the first legs of the World Series last year in Dubai and George, to me the idea was a no brainer as well. The Gold Coast offers everything and more from a tournament perspective; event infrastructure to accommodation, beaches and world class High Performance Training facilities. We all joined forces and started to get the ball rolling so to speak.

“The Gold Coast is a place that sells itself; we are playing five minutes drive from the beautiful Gold Coast Beaches and almost in the heart of Surfers Paradise. We have big dreams for this tournament and its future.”
These big dreams have the possibility to become reality, especially with the Gold medal hungry Australians wanting to be nothing less than a competitive force within all Olympic sports.

There are already Sevens tournaments in Australia which Liussi and his team, although aware that there were not enough, can take positives from - the Adelaide leg of the IRB Series is one of the most popular on the circuit and Darwin’s ‘hottest’ Sevens speaks for itself.

Byron Bay has also provided inspiration for the tournament. Running for 20 years, Liussi would like to see his own brainchild follow in the footsteps, and already has his appetite whetted for a possible Australian Sevens Series akin to this year’s inaugural Asian Series.

“I don’t think there will be rivalry to outdo anyone,” said Liussi.

“As tournament Director of the Hyperion Gold Coast Sevens I would like to see a successful tournament with great rugby and set a foundation for bigger and better things in the years to come.

“There may be scope moving forward to be involved with tournaments such as Central Coast, Byron Bay and Darwin's Hottest Sevens to have a series of events in Australia and promote each other’s events to grow the sport in Australia.”

Level playing field

An Australian Sevens Series may be the future, but for now having these new tournaments means that Sevens coach Michael O’Connor now has more opportunities to scout or trial new players in the mould of Caravelli, Treu and Ryan, and he will get an opportunity to this weekend with the Aussie Spirit squad.

Having your very own Team Manager so heavily involved with a Sevens tournament means O’Connor can rely on the very best facilities and opposition to blood the new youngsters against and although the proof of whether this tournament will produce any undiscovered talent or match the heights of other Sevens tournaments is yet to be seen, the feeling is that this is the beginning of a very successful new infrastructure for O’Connor and Liussi to work with.

“Our players need to play more tournaments so it has been fantastic to have the opportunity to put players into these events. Michael O’Connor will use the Hyperion Gold Coast Sevens as the final selection process before going into the Dubai tournament in December. We are lucky to have quality tournaments in our own back yard,” added Liussi.

“But the whole Sevens programme for Australia is a development programme and there will be plenty of guys outside the Aussie Spirit that Michael O’Connor will be looking at.”

The opposition for the Aussie Spirit side will comprise of a Queensland Baa-Baas squad including powerful former Australian Sevens back-rower Scott Higginbotham and fellow Reds flanker Tasi Luafutu.

Gollings will be involved too and he will be turning out for the Samoan Virgin Blue Islanders. With other Sevens legends not to be outdone also expect to see Waisale Serevi strutting his stuff with his Papua New Guinea side.
Liussi has also promised that Brian Lima and Andrew Walker will be taking to the field once more, and with a few Wallaby greats hidden in the depths of the Gold Coast, there should be some surprises for the spectators.