# @bizofsport on YouTube - **Type:** Video - **Original URL:** https://youtube.com/watch?v=_yKYqEQJVS8 - **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/70017345-bizofsport-youtube - **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/3b363aa979.jpg - **Posted:** 2026-09-01T14:12:54.000+00:00 - **Account Owner:** Business of Sport (@bizofsport) — https://gondola.cc/bizofsport ## Caption Today we introduce the sport of Rugby 7’s, as a brand new tournament, ‘Ultimate 7’s’ kicks off in Cardiff on 12th September. Managing Director Barney Pascall is backing a sport that speaks to a broad audience with a strong heritage to succeed as a business as well as a sporting product. Centralised team ownership, cost controls, venue selection to bring the best out of the first iteration without placing crazy expectations on it to fill 80,000 seater stadia. But most importantly and what gives this conversation credibility, is his acknowledgement of the challenges to overcome. You don’t create tribal fans overnight, you won’t create 10 Ilona Maher’s straight away, you have to give brands a reason to care, you can’t rely on owner investment forever. New IP is tough; we talk about it a lot. All you can ask is that the people running it have their eyes open to the realities of making it a success and you don’t feel like you’re having the wool pulled over your eyes. You won’t feel that here. ---------------------------------------------------- Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro 01:19 - What Is the State of Rugby Sevens Today? 03:16 - Is Sevens a Sport or an Entertainment Product? 07:36 - Why the Olympics Failed to Fully Transform Sevens 09:45 - What Is Ultimate Sevens? 12:58 - How Do You Attract the Best Sevens Players in the World? 15:08 - How Much Should Rugby Sevens Players Be Paid? 18:07 - Building New Rugby Clubs From Scratch 22:41 - How Ultimate Sevens Won World Rugby Approval 29:09 - Can Sevens Help Grow the Wider Game of Rugby? 32:15 - Why Sevens Is Such a Strong Pathway Into 15s 33:17 - The Ilona Maher Effect on Rugby Sevens 36:29 - Can Ultimate Sevens Actually Work as a Business? 40:09 - How Do You Build a Modern Rugby Broadcast Strategy? 42:41 - What Do Sponsors Want From a New Rugby League? 46:52 - Could Ultimate Sevens Sell Its Teams Like The Hundred? 52:26 - How Ultimate Sevens Fits Alongside the World Series 53:37 - Could Henry Pollock Play Sevens Before the Olympics? 55:31 - Can Fifteens Stars Move Into Sevens? 56:31 - Why Rugby Sevens Needs More Than the Olympics 58:23 - Who Is the New Generation of Rugby Fan? ---------------------------------------------------- Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1lD0eIjmkyr92VggxZmDuF?si=c0a7e9846a834767 Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/business-of-sport/id1690597762 Follow Harry Stebbings on X: https://twitter.com/HarryStebbings Follow Charlie Stebbings on X: https://twitter.com/CharlieStebbs Follow Rugby Sevens on X: https://twitter.com/GBRugbySevens Follow Business of Sport on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bizofsport Follow Business of Sport on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bizofsport ---------------------------------------------------- #businessofsport #charliestebbings #barneypascall #rugby #rugbysevens #rugby7s #ultimatesevens ## Stats - **Views:** 13,912 - **Likes:** 62 - **Shares:** 0 - **Comments:** 5 ## Credits | Name | Username | Profile | Role | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Business of Sport | @bizofsport | https://gondola.cc/bizofsport | Podcast | ## Tags businessofsport, charliestebbings, rugby7s, rugby, ultimatesevens, barneypascall, rugbysevens --- Copyright (c) Gondola