Friday, June 19, 2009

Olympic sevens?

My rugby news alerts have pointed me to buckets of articles on the seven sports vying for inclusion in the 2016 Olympic Games - because, of course, one of those seven sports is rugby sevens.

This article is one of the best I have seen (and not just because it's titled "Rugby has best shot at Olympic glory"!). It clearly lays out all seven sports and the advantages and disadvantages each one has to being one of the two chosen for Olympic inclusion.

Here's what it says about rugby:

RUGBY

What: The International Rugby Board is proposing men's and women's tournaments of 12 teams in the faster, short-format, seven-a-side version.

Why it's out: It was dropped in 1924, but it's now hard to find a compelling reason why it wouldn't work as an Olympic sport.

Why it's in: The sevens game is fast, exciting and popular worldwide. The recent sevens World Cup drew 760 million viewers from 141 countries. The sport would attract new sponsors. The IRB has promised to drop its World Cup if it becomes an Olympic sport.

Chances: Excellent. Probably the odds-on favourite.


Go rugby!