Loose Pass

This week we will mostly be concerning ourselves with luxurious sevens locations, Quade Cooper, acting, hashing and animation.

This week we will mostly be concerning ourselves with luxurious sevens locations, Quade Cooper, acting, hashing and animation.

For the journeyman rugby player who has a few quid to chuck around, life can be a banquet. Talking to a few such players this past week of their exploits in foreign lands has revealed just how enriching a rugby life can be.

Tens has been the most fashionable tournament set-up of recent times, with annual festivals in Bali, Cape Town, Fiji, Hong Kong, Saint Gallen in the Swiss Alps, Singapore, Flanders in Belgium, Heidelberg in Germany, Pennsylvania, Finland, Ireland, Stockholm and Warsaw, to name but a few.

As for Sevens… well, you could spend the entire year on the road if you wish. There isn't a self-respecting country without at least one sevens tournament on its calendar. The biggest and grandest – of the amateur tournaments anyway – is probably New York's annual shindig, held in Manhattan on the last weekend in November every year with regular entrance numbers of over 100 teams in the men's section alone.

You can now add Hawaii to that list, with the Hawaii Pacific Rugby Federation announcing the inaugural Hawaii International Sevens to be held in Honolulu this coming December 16-17. It's only to be a 16-team tournament for now, but that is a number sure to grow, considering the $5,000 so generously offered to the winners.

You can find all the relevant info on facebook (where else?), and should Hawaii not tickle your fancy (hello?), a little research has revealed a storming website for finding tournaments for your team to travel to right here.
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Onto more serious aspects of the weekend: it's staggering that Quade Cooper's little knee to Richie MCcaw's head did not draw the ire of the disciplinary on some level.

It's not as if Cooper was not looking for a good couple of seconds at where McCaw was before he lurched forward, nor was he pushed from behind.

Did the disciplinary look at the materiality? Did they think that because McCaw was not hurt Cooper did not deserve a smacked wrist? Or was it a case of being a little too close to the World Cup for comfort?

The problem is, neither of those excuses is consistent enough. Jimmy Cowan was not materially hurt by Bakkies Botha's bizarre human torpedo act a year or so ago but had the book thrown at him. Alan Quinlan missed the Lions tour for his actions in the Heineken Cup. It should not matter when foul play takes place, or whether it has immediate consequences – and in this case, it did have the immediate consequence of sparking an unsightly shoving match.

These All Blacks rarely cry wolf, but the decision not to punish Cooper has left a bitter taste in their mouths. We can only guess at what else goes on. But to our mind the disciplinary system has let us down again here.
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Attention UK rugby players: your help and manly torsos are wanted!

The search is on for 10,000 volunteers for performance roles in the Olympic Opening and Closing Ceremonies.

Artistic Director Danny Boyle encourages: 'The majority of applications so far are from women and I want to see an equal amount of men. So boys don't be shy! Whether you're from an arts groups, sports club or just an enthusiastic individual we have a role for you in the ceremonies, an experience of a lifetime.'

Ceremonies have lots of roles and activities so there really is something for everyone – in particular we would love to get lots of applications from the Rugby community, as there are definitely roles which would suit. So why not take part in one of the largest events in the UK in front of a packed stadium audience and a broadcast audience of over one billion people.

To apply go to www.london2012.com/ceremoniescasting . Applicants must be 18 or over by 1 March 2012.
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South African rugby's reputation for bungling national anthems continues unabated.

Following on from Ras Dumisani's rendition – admittedly conjured up with a good deal of help from the French Federation – a year and a half ago, the recent squad announcement ceremony was complemented by an anthem considerably better sung… when the singer could remember the words that is.

Just Jinjer lead singer Ard Matthews was tasked with the rendition, faltering alarmingly during the more African parts of the words, which are spread out over four languages.

Well, bad effort and a brickbat to Matthews. But then again, what on earth are the organisers doing asking a guitar-strumming rockstar to sing the national song? Did they learn nothing from the Dumisani debacle?

Also amusing on the youtube clips of the anthem are the suppressed giggles of the Boks in the back row of the squad…
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Finally, there's always a youtube or two of someone's humourous take on the haka doing the rounds before matches which New Zealand are expected to win. We remember fondly the handbag haka of a couple of years ago.

This year's finest effort comes from 17-year-old Aberdeen student Graham Love: Enjoy!

Loose Pass compiled by Richard Anderson