Australia’s men’s sevens aspirations for the 2016 Rio Olympics were given a huge boost on Tuesday with the appointment of Andy Friend as full-time head coach.

The mainland's box office has grown by almost 50 per cent so far this year to surpass US$6 billion in ticket sales, the Film Bureau said yesterday.

New Zealand's Pacific Island community gathered at a memorial service on Saturday for former All Blacks winger Jonah Lomu, two days before all Kiwis will be able to unite publicly to grieve the loss of one of rugby's greatest players.

Reigning Hong Kong Sevens champions Fiji have won high praise once again after stepping in to assist cabin crew during a medical emergency on a flight from Fiji to Brisbane on Thursday.