The stage could hardly be bigger. Over 60,000 fans, the soccer World Cup arena in Cape Town and a huge media frenzy: After years of development work, the German 7-a-side national team is finally getting involved in the concert of the big rugby nations at their World Cup premiere. The anticipation knows no bounds – but the Wolfpack is also on a mission.
“The ultimate goal is that a child sees rugby on TV and says I want to try it too – and goes to a club,” said captain Carlos Soteras Merz in the SID interview. On Friday (11.29 a.m. CEST) Germany will meet Chile in the first game in the history of the association at a World Cup in the preliminary round – it should be an initial spark.
Because: With only around 16,400 members, Rugby Germany is one of the smallest Olympic sports associations in Germany. Currently, just under 6,000 children and young people are playing rugby – actually too few to be able to compete with the top nations in the future. The association wants to grow. A success at the start would be all the more important.
Then in the evening (7.03 p.m.) in the round of 16 with hosts South Africa, the big favorite would be waiting for the German team – and with it the big stage. “I would be lying if I said I would hide it completely,” said national coach Clemens von Grumbkow to SID. The possible duel against the Blitzboks is “a huge opportunity to show yourself at the highest level”.
No broadcast on free TV
But the “entire focus” is “on the first game against Chile,” von Grumbkow explained: “If we don’t win that, we’ll play at 8 a.m. the next day and not in front of 60,000 spectators, but in front of 1,500. That’s just it half the fun.” And the mission would also falter.
The attention that a duel or even a surprise win against South Africa would bring would be worth its weight in gold for Rugby Germany. The “one or two television pictures” that von Grumbkow would like could at least bring about a small increase in membership. However, a German TV broadcaster does not broadcast the three days of the tournament, the games can only be seen in the free stream on the world association’s website.
The chances of the top game against the hosts are good, the opening opponent Chile is definitely beatable for the German team. Even if the Wolfpack lost the last direct duel against the South Americans a few weeks ago in the Challenger Series.
However, the game in the most important tournament in rugby sevens after the Olympics has “a different context”, noted von Grumbkow: “In Chile we were eliminated, everyone was devastated and rotated a bit. Now it’s really about everything. ” Also about inspiring a few children at home.