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Rugby is one of five sports that could be voted
into those Games at the International Olympic Committee's
session in Singapore if one of the current 28 sports is dropped.
It was an Olympic sport up until 1924, has long
made clear its wish to be readmitted.
At the moment, rugby's presence is felt at the
Commonwealth Games and it also has its very own World Cup
competition.
And it is this global appeal that rugby's governing
body - the International Rugby Board (IRB) - is counting on
to push rugby sevens for inclusion in the 2012 Olympics.
"The IRB have made a very strong case for
inclusion in the Olympics and we've had very positive feedback,"
said Mark Egan, head of IRB's rugby services.
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Rugby was on the Olympic programme
at Paris in 1900, London in 1908, Antwerp in 1920,
and Paris again in 1924. Shortly after the Paris
Games, it was cancelled as an Olympic sport.
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Rugby came close to being included
in the 1988 Games in South Korea.
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The sport is played by men in over
100 countries in five continents. It is played
by women in some 52 countries in five continents.
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The huge turnout and success of events like
the Rugby World Cup Sevens as well as the Commonwealth Games
has proven that rugby would be a strong and popular addition
to the Olympic programme, and add value to the Games.
“We bring a great game, we bring sponsorship,
we bring huge number of spectators and at the Commonwealth
Games, we have the largest number of spectators, in Manchester.
So we're bringing and adding value to the Olympics, not taking
from it,” said International Rugby Board president Syd
Miller.
The continued global growth and appeal of sevens
rugby has been highlighted in the past year by the involvement
of 32 countries in the 2004/05 IRB Sevens, and the fact that
86 teams competed in the sevens World Cup in March.
The sevens game has become vastly popular as
it gives smaller countries like Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, and
the likes of Fiji and Samoa, a chance to take on the
top powerhouses in the world.
It will be a general boost to the game if rugby
is readmitted. And after an 80 year absence, it’s about
time rugby returns to the Games.
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