Wanganui rugby looking at sevens

The induction of rugby sevens to the 2016 Olympic Games continues to have spin-offs throughout the Heartland as Wanganui Rugby Union contemplates getting back on the national stage.

March's board meeting will consider reintroducing a Wanganui squad in time for the nationals in Queenstown next summer as well as regional tournaments before that.

Names bandied about include the team being coached by long-time Wanganui representative Guy Lennox and managed by well-known police detective inspector Chris Bensemann.

Often struggling to get Super Rugby players released for his squads, New Zealand sevens guru Gordon Tietjens has used the Queenstown sevens as a fertile nursery to discover and foster young talent propelling them on to the world stage. It would not be inconceivable for a Wanganui youngster to be one of those bolters by Rio de Janeiro in 2016.

Wanganui union CEO Dale Cobb said while funding for a hypothetical sevens team would be made in the next financial quarter, any plans to include it in the budget would be considered now.

"It's definitely on the table and we will be discussing that.

"I'm confident, given all things going well, we will have some positive reaction."

Another issue with getting to Queenstown was after automatic entry for the top unions, there were often five central teams fighting for two places, Cobb said.

There had also been a proposal for the Bay of Plenty union to host a Heartland-type sevens event and Wanganui would see that as a positive.

National sevens exposure could do a lot to put Wanganui players on the national map through Tietjens and mainstream sports coverage.

Cobb pointed out recent success stories like Michael Fitzgerald with the Chiefs and Waisake Naholo transferring to Taranaki and into the sevens limelight as examples of the quality of players here.

"There's definitely room for that and we see ourselves as a feeder union."

In Australia on the Border rugby team's pre-season tour, Lennox said Bensemann had asked him to help out.

"It's at the very early stages remember the nationals in Queenstown are in January so you have to get through the Heartland stuff before that.

"Wanganui hasn't had a sevens side for quite awhile.

"With the Olympics involved now, there's more focus for a few people guys coming out and maybe looking at having a go at seven-a-side class.

As well as dreams of gold medals, it reopened another pathway to a professional career for Wanganui standouts, Lennox said.

"That's what it's all about exposing young fellas.

"They leave school, look for an opportunity and the sevens is televised for two days.

"They get exposure from that and away they go."