[Rugby sevens] #1 Welcome back, rugby

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Op dinsdag 17 mei 2016 14:11 schreef Rauw. het volgende:
Op het internet hoor je vooral dat het een excuusje is dat hij daarom in NFL gestopt is en dat hij een gefaalde NFL speler is.

Ik wil graag geloven dat hij écht graag naar de OS wil.

Jarryd Hayne | Career Highlights | Origin & NRL

Jarryd Hayne highlights - 2015 NFL Preseason Week 2

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Jarryd Hayne on Rugby Sevens debut: So much faster than the NFL

When Jarryd Hayne made the decision to quit the riches of the NFL to pursue his Olympic dream, perhaps he thought his natural ball-playing talent would be enough to book his place in Rio.

However, after 10 minutes of rugby sevens action with the Fiji national side at Twickenham in London, the 28-year-old was left under no illusion that he needs to up the pace if he is to make it to Brazil.

"[Sevens] is so much faster than the NFL," Hayne told ESPN. "I'm still getting used to it, still learning. There's a lot more running and back-to-back speed. It's not as physical as any sport I've played before because it's all about covering the field."

The Australian-born star made headlines a year ago when he announced he would be leaving a lucrative career in the National Rugby League for America's Game and the San Francisco 49ers.

Roll on 12 months and Hayne was grabbing the limelight once again with a shock decision to leave his spot as a 49ers running back for a tilt at the Rio Olympics, when rugby union will make its return for the first time since 1924.

If his decision to quit Levi's Stadium came as a shock, his opting for the white of Fiji rather than the green and gold of Australia caused a stir Down Under, with critics suggesting he was cherry-picking his medal chances this summer.

Fiji are reigning World Sevens Series champions and one of the favourites for gold in Rio and Hayne qualifies for them through his father. He has the quintessential Australian accent but, in London, was keen to pay tribute to his new Pacific Island teammates and the fans back home.

"It's been great, they've accepted me really well," Hayne said. "It's been overwhelming from day one, so they've really made me feel welcome and it's been a great week. We've got a tough test coming up but we know the support's great back in Fiji and across the world.

"Fijian Sevens is a lot more established than rugby league in Fiji. The guys know their stuff so it's about being a sponge and learning as much as I can."

In truth, Hayne's contributions to the Fijian cause have been somewhat inauspicious in London so far this weekend as the Word Sevens Series reaches its climax. Head coach Ben Ryan vowed to use him sparingly in the build-up to the Twickenham event and has stuck true to his word -- in Fiji's first two matches against England and Australia, Hayne was only used as a second-half substitute.

"It's not about game time," Hayne insisted. "It's about going out there and doing a job for the team. It's a team game, so whatever the team needs, I'll be there."

While his athleticism was clear to see in his new fast-paced code, there was a sense of the action passing him by as he attempted to get up to speed with his lightning-quick teammates.

More matches will be the solution to that problem, but with Rio just three months away, and Fiji with a host of stars to return from injury, Hayne will be under no illusion that he has a mountain to climb to realise his Olympic ambitions. But as he proved with his switch to the NFL, Hayne is not a man who shirks a challenge.

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Op zondag 22 mei 2016 09:23 schreef Rauw. het volgende:
Jammer dat Samoa en Kenya niet door zijn, ga er vanmiddag maar weer goed voor zitten.

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Op zondag 22 mei 2016 16:35 schreef Rauw. het volgende:

[..]

Leuke verrassende finale, mijn gok was RSA - USA.
Komen ook weer hele mooie momenten voorbij vandaag

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Op zondag 19 juni 2016 13:37 schreef heywoodu het volgende:
Spanje, Rusland, Samoa en Duitsland. Eén van die vier landen pakt het laatste ticket bij de mannen.

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Op zondag 19 juni 2016 18:37 schreef heywoodu het volgende:
12-0