AFL grand final day seems to matter very little to a brazen band of Northern Tasmanian rugby trailblazers.
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They say its the game they play in heaven, but on the biggest sporting day in the Australian calendar, they were on a different planet.
As most in Launceston were coiled around bars or at barbecues, the Tasmanian Rugby Sevens Series almost aloofly rolled into Royal Park.
Launceston men and women’s coach Nic Sotiriou said there was no thought of postponing round two of the new concept to hit the state.
“When we were talking about the competition, we asked did we want to skip this weekend and have it as a bye weekend with the AFL grand final,” Sotiriou said.
“But all the guys and virtually every single girl said they didn’t care about it.”
Former 37-test Wallabies halfback Luke Burgess is the brainchild of the series since taking on his new Tasmanian rugby development role.
The northern series that kicked off last weekend in Devonport and continues in Burnie will culminate with a state final in Campbell Town against the southern winner.
Sotiriou believed even in the heart of AFL territory, rugby’s shortened seven-a-side format proved a success.
“It may have been AFL grand final day, but there was a fair few people here – at least a few hundred, which is a lot for an AFL day to turn up for Tassie rugby,” he said.
And its the women who are leading the revolution, with a new group of Launceston players at the top of the heap.
Launceston’s women’s teams won four of five games that has rocketed Launceston Pink to the top of the table.
Sotiriou said the sevens’ game means something different to the female players.
“It’s a positive for the women’s game,” he said.
“It’s good as an offseason thing for the men that can have another run of rugby.
“But the girls are absolutely loving it and they are so fit.
“I had heaps of girls asking me is it too late to join and when’s the next training.”
The Tasmanian Rugby Sevens Series could well be a forerunner to the Australian Rugby Union’s plans to install a 10-team women’s semi-professional rugby sevens competition in 2017.
UTas is vying for a spot in the National Sevens University Series that is looking to ride the Australian women’s Olympic Gold coat-tails.
“This is new to Tassie. We have only ever done sevens as a lead-up to the men’s season,” Sotiriou said. “It’s been more of a farce than anything else over the last 10 years.”
Launceston men’s ended Saturday with one win, one draw and a one-point loss.
AMC Vikings drew with Devonport in the series top-of-the-table clash that the Bulls lead heading to Burnie.