Rugby a step closer to Olympic Games

[Darren]

Rugby union has its foot back in the door to be readmitted to the Olympic Games following the strangest of moves overnight.

Rugby Union has moved a step closer to the Olympic Games with the announcement today it has been included in the 2011 Pan America Games in Guadalajara, Mexico

It prompted International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge, who played rugby for Belgium, saying the code's addition opens the doors for the sport in a future Olympics.

"It's closer than ever," he told Associated Press.

The International Rugby Board had their hopes of rugby sevens being included in the 2012 London Olympics dashed two years ago.

Rugby, last played at the Olympics in 1924, faces difficulty in being readmitted as the IOC is looking to downsize the number of team sports after cutting baseball and softball.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/4125402a1823.html

[The EnForcer]

Just don't see the point in having rugby in the Olympics......7's yes maybe but I can't see the advantage in having another world 15 a side competition.

[shasta]

Just don't see the point in having rugby in the Olympics......7's yes maybe but I can't see the advantage in having another world 15 a side competition.

Couldn't agree more. But I suppose The Wallabies could be perennial Tri Nations champions. The Kiwis and Saffers would have to rest and recondition their top squads for years at a time.

[Em-Forcer]

The Kiwis and Saffers would have to rest and recondition their top squads for years at a time.

I was going to say that!!!

Just don't see the point in having rugby in the Olympics......7's yes maybe but I can't see the advantage in having another world 15 a side competition.

I too couldn't agree more. 7s would be brilliant; it tends to be a completely separate squad of players - so it wouldn't mess up the 15s rugby calendar - or young players who I'm sure could benefit from the experience.
15s would be too long for the Olympics, you wouldn't get full coverage of the matches and it would get lost amongst everything else.
7s is short, snappy and attractive to those who don't otherwise follow rugby so it might really help to raise the profile of the game. If it took place over 2 or 3 days before the athletics kicked in it would probably get some decent airtime.

[travelling_gerry]

yeah....def 7's.....was the most popular event at the Melb Commonwealth Games