You know that Australian Sevens rugby has seen better days when emerging nations like Portugal and Kenya are above them on the IRB World Series standings and team officials list a victory over the US as one of the season's highlights.
The Aussies are five-time champions of Hong Kong, but without a title since 1988. Their last appearance in a Cup final here was 15 years ago when they lost 32-20 to arch-rivals New Zealand. And their recent shortcomings have been further highlighted by the success of their female counterparts, the Wallaroos, who won this month's Women's Rugby World Cup Sevens in Dubai as the men lost in the Plate final.
The former Sevens superpowers, who won four of their titles in a seven-year span until 1985, may have become also-rans but the appointment of dual international Michael O'Connor as coach is an attempt to turn things around.
'Australian rugby has neglected Sevens a bit, putting more emphasis on 15s,' conceded 49-year-old O'Connor, who took over at the start of the season. 'We certainly haven't utilised it as well as we can, but we're trying to change that.'
As a player, O'Connor took part in three Hong Kong Sevens in successful Australian teams of the early 1980s before switching to rugby league. He says Wallabies coach Robbie Deans has given the abbreviated version of the sport a greater priority in his plans.
'I believe Sevens should be taken seriously,' said O'Connor, a former national selector who earned 13 Wallaby caps and played 17 times for the Kangaroos. 'Robbie Deans has seen what great progress New Zealand has made in developing players through it.'