March 1996: THE precursor to International Women's Sevens - Hong Kong

(Atlantis tournament #47)
Emil Signes
April 6, 1996
JUNE 16, 2013
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Note of 2013: This is, word-for-word, the article I wrote on the Hong Kong International Club Sevens of 1996, and for the most part published in the April 15 issue of Rugby Magazine (see the link to Rugby's article "Atlantis Wins Inaugural Hong Kong Women's 7s").  I have since written a lot on how I think this event launched international women's sevens: for those that know anything about the nonexistence of international women's sevens at the time, this article should be enough.  I have continued to try to prove the point: see this article, "Boys and Girls Together," for more evidence.

Also, please see "Atlantis Women to Hong Kong 7s: the players' perspective," a long-lost article I just rediscovered in a folder of old and mostly unreadable (obsolete formats) rugby articles.
Atlantis Women in Hong Kong
Atlantis Women in 1996 Hong Kong International Club Sevens
Top: Emil Signes, Pam Irby, Nancy Fitz, MJ Mohl, Sallie Ahlert, Amy Westerman
Bottom: Janet Marshall, Tracy Henderson, Candi Orsini, Patty Jervey, Kim Cyganik, Jos Bergmann, Suzanne Cobarruvias

Atlantis Women win Inaugural Hong Kong Women’s Sevens

Squeezed in between the Carlsberg 10s and Cathay Pacific-HongkongBank Invitation Sevens, a little known event, the Hong Kong Women’s International Club Sevens Tournament made its debut. Open to club and select-sides from around the world, it wasn’t really a big deal: the competition wasn’t great and the weather nearly canceled it and wreaked havoc with the schedule. But is was a beginning, and if Hong Kong’s domination of the sevens world survives 1997, it may be the beginning of something big.

One of the participants, and easily the best, was Atlantis, featuring seven members of the current US women’s squad. Atlantis crushed its competition, scoring 29 tries to none in the three games it took to win the championship.

One of the reasons Atlantis made the journey to this tiny, remote, unfunded tournament was to try to help the Hong Kong women’s community in its quest to develop an international women’s sevens tournament for national teams only. We felt that our skills were sufficient to convince any enthusiast of sevens, or rugby for that matter, that the women’s game could be played as attractively as the men’s. Fortunately for us, one of the small number of spectators at the match was famed BBC commentator Ian Robertson, who interviewed me and captain Tracy Henderson, and later raved to IRB president Vernon Pugh, among others, about the quality of our play.

Genesis: Sallie Ahlert

While one of the action items on my agenda when I became the first Sevens Committee Chair back in 1988 was the development of a women’s sevens program, it took Oklahoma’s Sallie Ahlert to get the ball rolling. Following a national sevens tournament in 1992 that only attracted representatives from the East and West territories, she pretty much single-handedly developed a West program, creating a selection venue and events to attend: the selected teams have gonen to major tournaments -- Cape Fear in 1994 and Ontario’s Magnificent Sevens in 1995 -- where they were finalists each time.

But her ambitions have always been greater, and as the newly designated coordinator for women’s sevens in the US, she got together with me to explore international venues. With the Hong Kong women eyeing a true international sevens tournament in 1997, their 1996 club and invitational side event seemed a good beginning. Since this year’s event was not for national sides, Sallie and I decided that we would enter Atlantis in the event.

The squad; training

I selected the team, and was surprised to find out how good a team I was able to get, given the fact that not one penny of sponsorship was initially available. It’s a measure of how dedicated elite American women rugby players are that they will find ways to make trips like these.

The squad consisted of seven current members of the US women’s squad. Five members of the squad have represented the US in the 1991 and/or 1994 World Cups; in fact, only one of the 10 players -- Washington’s Nancy Fitz -- has never been at the US level. I believe she should be.

I was the coach, and our co-managers were Suzanne Cobarruvias of Houston, and Janet Marshall of Fayetteville, AR.

It was the first team I’ve coached in which every single member -- coach and management alike -- had E-mail addresses, and communication was remarkably efficient.

We met in Los Angeles on Friday evening March 22, and did double sessions both Saturday and Sunday, culminating in a scrimmage match against UCLA. Since these were truly elite players, I thought it would be worth while finding out their speed and aerobic capacity and I conducted both a 40-yard dash and a bleep test during the weekend. The squad list and fitness results are given in the accompanying table.

Atl #
 W # Name Age
 Ht Wt
 40-Y Bleep
 VO2
280
 11
 Sallie Ahlert
 31
 5'7
 134
 5.45
 11-8
 52.5
281
 12
 Jos Bergmann
 27
 5'5
 140
 5.35
 12-1
 54.0
282
 13
 Kim Cyganik
 25
 5'2
 130
 5.38
 11-1
 50.5
283
 14
 Nancy Fitz
 29
 6'
 160
 5.74
 10-8
 49.3
166
Tracy Henderson
 38
 5'4
 130
 5.55
 9-1
 43.6
284
 15
 Pam Irby
 31
 5'5
 130
 5.33
 10-1
 47.1
285
 16
 Patty Jervey
 32
 5'4
 145
 5.38
 8-1
 40.2
286
 17
 MJ Mohl
 28
 5'11
 175
 5.80
 9-1
 43.6
287
 18
 Candi Orsini
 39
 5'6
 130
 5.55
 10-1
 47.1
288
 19
 Amy Westerman
 29
 5'6
 170
 5.63
 8-1
 40.2


Average
 31
 5'6
 144
 5.52
 9-11
 46.8

We also trained the first two days we spent in Hong Kong. These training sessions had the side benefit of providing us access to other rugby teams and events in town: the Carlsberg 10s and Cathay Pacific-HongkongBank Invitation Sevens. We watched the All Blacks scrimmage both the US and Wales, and we had a chance to mingle and speak with several famous players, and take a picture of the first All-World co-ed sevens pack, props Nancy Fitz and MJ Mohl, and hooker Eric Rush.

In addition, US Hog master Drew Fautley provided valuable scrummaging advice in between his team’s successful march to the Hong Kong 10s’ Plate Championship.

Godown / Muncys’.  Besides the formal training sessions, we re-instituted the tradition of American players showing up at the Godown bar, swapping T-shirts with the proprietors, and enjoying the relaxed atmosphere (as well as wondering “Where the heck is Alice?”) Our team also appreciated and accepted the invitation to the pre-sevens function at the home of American Eagle supporters John and Mirja Muncy.

Tournament

When we arrived at the Aberdeen Stadium on Friday morning following a torrential downpour, half the field was under several inches of water, and the first word we got was that the tournament was canceled. More determined heads prevailed, however, and the tournament was moved from the stadium to a soccer pitch about 50 yards away.
Atlantis 69 Asia Pacific 0

The first match was between Atlantis and Asia Pacific, a mixed Hong Kong side. Flyhalf Jos Bergmann, tourney MVP, led the scoring with 4 tries and 7 conversions in an 11-try romp for Atlantis, and Kim Cyganik, who in 1993 shared collegiate MVP honors with Andre Bachelet, added 3.

Pos
 Name
 Scores
1
 Fitz
 T
2
 Jervey
 T
3
 Mohl



4
 Cyganik
 3T
5
 Bergmann
 4T, 7C
6
 Orsini
 T
7
 Irby
 T

Atlantis 62 Timaru (NZ) 0

The Americans were far too strong for the side from New Zealand’s South Island, and eight of the nine players who got in the game scored.

Pos
 Name
 Scores
1
 Mohl *
 T
2
 Henderson
3
 Westerman
 2T



4
 Jervey
 T
5
 Bergmann
 T, 6C
6
 Orsini **
 T
7
 Ahlert
 T
R
 * Fitz
 2T
R
 ** Irby
 T


Final: Atlantis 50 Combined VII 0

Atlantis was scheduled to meet a Japanese team in the final, but by that time it had become clear there was no one capable of giving us a serious game. The organizers then assembled a “combined VII,” consisting of the best Japanese players plus some of the top players from the other teams. It had no effect, and Atlantis took another easy victory, and captain Tracy Henderson took the hardware.

Pos
 Name
 Scores
1
 Mohl
 T
2
 Henderson
3
 Westerman
 2T, 3C



4
 Cyganik
 T
5
 Bergmann *
 T, 2C
6
 Ahlert
 T
7
 Irby
R
 * Jervey
 2T


Atlantis scoring summary

Name
 T
 C
 Points
Bergmann
 6
 15
 60
Westerman
 4
 3
 26
Jervey
 4
 0
 20
Cyganik
 4
 0
 20
Fitz
 3
 0
 15
Ahlert
 3
 0
 15
Irby
 2
 0
 10
Mohl
 2
 0
 10
Orsini
 2
 0
 10
TOTAL
 29
 18
 181
Opponents
 0
 0
 0


The Cathay Pacific HongkongBank Sevens

Talk to any of the players on the team: I’m pretty sure they’ll all agree that “The Sevens” was better than they had imagined. Everyone enjoyed the games and the spirit of the event, and most team members joined in the latest fad at the Hong Kong Sevens: dancing in your seats during the half time break of each match. There are also spots on the large replay screen available for messages, and I was deeply touched by one that said simply “We love you Emil Signes -- Atlantis Women”.

Post Match Functions: Ian Robertson and Vernon Pugh

Sallie Ahlert and I, covering “the Sevens” for Rugby and In Support, respectively, attended the media dinner after the tournament, and ran into both BBC announcer Ian Robertson and IRB Chairman Vernon Pugh at the event. Robertson introduced us to Pugh, the most important man in world rugby today, and spoke with glowing praise about the Atlantis women’s skills, and suggested the Rugby World Cup 1997 would be well served if it were preceded by a Women’s World Cup of Sevens in which the final match could be repeated (or played) as an exhibition during the men’s event.

I don’t know that I’d hold my breath waiting for it to happen, but it was rewarding to hear such a well respected person as Robertson proposing it to such a powerful person as Pugh.

The Sevens Banquet. A few of our players were fortunate enough to attend the post-banquet festivities and hobnob with some of the top players in the world. There was a great camaraderie between Atlantis and New Zealand, and we were pleased to see the Atlantis pin worn on the lapel of the world champions.

Future

The skills of our top American women players cry out for participation in more international sevens tournaments. Furthermore, the ease with which men’s and women’s teams can mix at sevens tournaments presents an opportunity for world rugby fans to appreciate the skills of our top women athletes. Nevertheless the tournaments at which this is possible are extremely limited. With the dedication and persistence of determined people like Sallie Ahlert, however, and the support of establishment people like Ian Robertson, who knows where the future may lead?
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