World-wide sevens can take the Grand Prix road

''Two members of the IB have been appointed in a working party,'' I was told by the IB's Lee Smith, the development officer, a New Zealander who is working in their offices in Dublin.

''There have been papers presented, a feasibility study has been carried out, and Vernon Pugh has given a position paper. It is perhaps too early for a Grand Prix to be started in season 1998/99 for the Northern Hemisphere, but certainly by the year 2000 we would hope to have one in place.''

The Grand Prix is viewed as an excellent way to market the game, with a window in any competition for the lesser nations of the world to take part.

''If, for instance, one of the venues was to be Paris, then the teams nearest the venue, like Portugal or Spain, might not be strong enough to take on the big guns.'' says Smith.

''But there must be some stage of the tournament where they would be able to play against teams like them. We think there is real scope, possibly after regional tournaments, for a world wide series of big time Grand Prix events.''

q Two things of New Zealand interest this morning.

The first is that, like you, I spied a picture in some of the papers of the All Black performing their Haka at the wailing wall in Jerusalem the other day. The All Blacks are in Israel for the sevens, of course.

Now, I am starting to come round to the opinion that, much as there is a huge amount to admire in New Zealand, their Haka is becoming a bit of a cliche.

For the New Zealanders to wail in front of the wall was a little rich as well. Motivation is a wonderful thing, and the Haka gives them an edge as it is just before matches kick off.

Why they should have been allowed to disturb others at prayer is a strange one.

Of course, they would say it was them paying their mark of respect. Me, I'd call it a publicity stunt.

q Next, New Zealand did rather well at the women's rugby world cup in Holland. They won.

But what is even more remarkable is the fact that their match was beamed live back to the land of the long white cloud. And it was in direct competition up against the English FA Cup final between Arsenal and Newcastle United at Wembley.

Yes, you guessed it. Sources in New Zealand have revealed that viewers of the rugby outnumbered the football watchers. And what is staggering is the official margin - there were five times as many New Zealand folk watched their women play in a rugby final than watched Arsenal win the Cup.

q Tales of the Mull sevens have been making their way slowly back to the mainland after what was another fun weekend. Yet again, there was a naked game of rugby late on the night of the action, and the revelry was enjoyed by many.

But a fascinating little story came to our attention, concerning a ladies' rugby team called Vikki's Vikings, part sponsored by Scottish Rugby magazine. On the way to the boat on the journey home, they dented their minibus. Actuaries in the party must have realised that this would invoke a #250 excess, so a plan was hatched to raise the money during the short crossing back to the mainland.

Fellow passengers were canvassed, and the idea received unanimous backing. So the girl in question did, in fact, do a streak around the boat and enough money was gathered in to cover the excess since her streak was sponsored.

Neither the girls, nor the other passengers, were prepared, however, for one of Scottish rugby's biggest names to do likewise.

Yes, Stewart Hamilton also did a streak around the boat. ''Stewart seemed really up for it,'' said Vikki of the Vikings.

The Diary begs the question: What's going to happen next year?

qMy view on parental involvement in rugby is clear cut. But the Aussies take things a little far. I see that a 10-year-old boy was knocked unconscious in a match there last week.

His father ran on to the field to remonstrate - whereupon he was punched by the referee.

Ah, at last, a way forward with a firm hand.