Rugby Sevens Sydney 2023: from stands to Aussie 7s for Two Blues young gun, pools, full schedule

For the first taste of a sport it was pretty awful. A loss in every single game he played at a local tournament. But that didn’t deter this late bloomer pursuing his rugby dream.

Australia's Dietrich Roache escapes Argentina's Tobias Wade to score on the World Sevens series.

Most athletes dream of playing for Australia from a young age but this late bloomer had no interest at all until a family day out at the Sydney Sevens where unexpectedly his life was turned upside-down.

Dietrich Roache is the first to admit he’s not followed a normal path to sporting success, the Tokyo Olympics and now the Sydney Sevens in front of a home crowd this weekend.

In fact it’s been anything but despite strong family ties to the sport of rugby and one of Sydney’s most famous clubs in the Western Sydney Two Blues.

He was never a star schoolboy player, never made rep teams and in fact never really played sport at all until his mid teens.

Roache, who ended the 2022 World Rugby Sevens series as top scorer with 343 points, said computer games were his thing until a family day out at the Sydney Sevens back in 2018 triggered a new passion.

Dietrich Roache was the youngest members of the Olympic rugby team.

“I don’t think there was this sudden light bulb moment, it was just the whole weekend,’’ he said ahead of Australia competing in the Sydney Sevens from Friday.

“I was juts sitting there enjoying the sun and music - the Aussies (women) won it that year - and it was just a lot of fun.

Sydney's Dietrich Roache hails from the famous Two Blues club.

“Two weeks later there was a Sevens comp and Two Blues put in a team and dad said why not join, so I did.

“In my first tournament we lost every game and that definitely wasn’t as exciting as watching Australia win.

“But at the same time it made me realise I have to work hard to get somewhere so I din.

“I just did everything I could and worked harder than ever before.’’

This work ethic saw Roache, who played NRL Schoolboy Cup for Patrician Brothers Fairfield, in his final year, force his way into the Aussie Sevens squad and eventually the Olympic team where he was the youngest player in Tokyo in 2021.

But due to Covid, the now 21-year-old never had the chance to compete in the event which triggered his passion until now.

“This is a full circle moment. I am coming up to a special weekend, one I am really looking forward to,’’ he said.

“To go from the stand to being a player is one very proud moment for me and my family.

“I can’t explain how happy I am to be living the dream.’’

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SYDNEY SEVENS MATCH SCHEDULE

JANUARY 27: POOL GAMES

Women

Pool B: Great Britain v Fiji, 12:00pm

Pool B: USA v Canada, 12:22pm

Pool A: Japan v France, 12:44pm

Pool A: New Zealand v PNG, 1:06pm

Pool C: Ireland v Spain, 1:28pm

Pool C: Australia v Brazil, 1:50pm

Men

Pool C: Ireland v Samoa, 2:22pm

Pool C: USA v Spain, 2:44pm

Pool B: South Africa v Kenya, 3:06pm

Pool B: New Zealand v Uruguay, 3:28pm

Pool D: Fiji v Tonga, 3:50pm

Pool D: France v Japan, 4:12pm

Pool A: Australia v Great Britain, 4:34pm

Pool A: Argentina v Canada, 4:56pm

Women

Pool B: Great Britain v Canada, 5:38pm

Pool B: USA v Fiji, 6:00pm

Pool A: Japan v PNG, 6:37pm

Pool A: New Zealand v France, 7:05pm

Pool C: Ireland v Brazil, 7:35pm

Pool C: Australia v Spain, 8:03pm

JANUARY 28

Men

Pool C: Ireland v Spain, 9:00am

Pool C: USA v Samoa, 9:22am

Pool B: South Africa v Uruguay, 9:44am

Pool B: New Zealand v Kenya, 10:06am

Pool D: Fiji v Japan, 10:20am

Pool D: France v Tonga, 10:50am

Pool A: Australia v Canada, 11:12am

Pool A: Argentina v Great Britain, 11:34am

Women

Pool B: Fiji v Canada, 12:06pm

Pool B: USA v Great Britain, 12:28pm

Pool A: France v PNG, 12:50pm

Pool A: New Zealand v Japan, 1:12pm

Pool C: Spain v Brazil: 1:34pm

Pool C: Australia v Ireland, 1:56pm

Men

Pool C: Samoa v Spain, 2:43pm

Pool C: USA v Ireland, 3:05pm

Pool B: Kenya v Uruguay, 3:27pm

Pool B: New Zealand v South Africa, 3:49pm

Pool D: Tonga v Japan, 4:11pm

Pool D: France v Fiji, 4:33pm

Pool A: Great Britain v Canada, 4:55pm

Pool A: Argentina v Australia, 5:17pm

QUARTER-FINALS

Women

1st Pool B v Best 3rd ranked, 5:54pm

1st Pool C v 2nd Pool A, 6:16pm

2nd Pool B v 2nd Pool C, 6:38pm

1st Pool A v Second best 3rd ranked, 7:00pm

Men

1st Pool C v 2nd Pool B, 7:37pm

1st Pool B v 2nd Pool C, 8:05pm

1st Pool D v 2nd Pool A, 8:35pm

1st Pool A v 2nd Pool D, 9:03pm

JANUARY 29

Women’s 9th Place Semis

Best 4th v 2nd Best 4th, 9:10am, 3rd Best 3rd v 3rd Best 4th, 9:32am Men’s 9th Place Quarter Finals

3rd Pool C v 4th Pool B, 9:54am, 3rd Pool B v 4th Pool C, 10:16am, 3rd Pool D v 4th Pool A, 10:38am, 3rd Pool A v 4th Pool D, 11am Women’s 5th Place Semis/Place Playoffs, Loser QF 1 v Loser QF 2, 11:32am, Loser QF 3 v Loser QF 4, 11:54am, 11th Place Playoff, 12:16pm, 9th Place Playoff, 12:38pm.

Place Semi-Finals

13th Place SF: Loser 9th Place QF 1 v Loser 9th Place QF 4, 1:00pm, 9th Place SF: Winner 9th Place QF 1 v Winner 9th Place QF 4, 1:22pm, 9th Place SF: Winner 9th Place QF 2 v Winner 9th Place QF 3, 1:44pm, 5th Place SF: Loser QF 1 v Loser QF 4, 2:06pm, 5th Place SF: Loser QF 2 v Loser QF 3, 2:28pm, 13th Place SF: Loser 9th Place QF 2 v Loser 9th Place QF 3, 2:50pm.

Women’s Semi-Finals

Winner QF 1 v Winner QF 4, 3:22pm

Winner QF 2 v Winner QF 3, 3:44pm

Men’s Semi-Finals

Winner QF 1 v Winner QF 4, 4:06pm

Winner QF 2 v Winner QF 3, 4:28pm

Place Playoffs

Women

7th Place Playoff, 5:00pm

5th Place Playoff, 5:22pm

Men

13th Place Playoff, 5:44pm

9th Place Playoff: 6:06pm

5th Place Playoff: 6:28pm

Medal Matches

Women’s Bronze Medal Final: 7:07pm

Men’s Bronze Medal Final: 7:29pm

Women’s Gold Medal Final: 7:56pm

Men’s Gold Medal Final: 8:26pm

Originally published as Rugby Sevens Sydney 2023: from stands to Aussie 7s for Two Blues young gun, pools, full schedule