Olympic Rugby petition
Roar Guru By Harry Kimble, 1 Jun 2009 Harry Kimble is a Roar Guru
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- International Olympic Committee, International Rugby, Olympics, Olympics rugby, Rugby sevens, Rugby Union
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As the deadline approaches for the vote by the International Olympic Committee about which new sports to include, the worldwide Rugby community is gearing to let them IOC know that Rugby should be one of them.
Several weeks ago a petition was made up and is aimed at getting as many Rugby supporters around the world to add their names to it and for the petition to be presented before the vote to the IOC members.
The English Sevens Rugby team unveiled the petition at the conclusion of the IBB London Sevens last week.
Already South Afric’s Jean de Villiers, Englishman, Lawrence Dallaglio and Argentine, Augustin Pichot have spoken out about being in favour of Rugby’s inclusion in the Olympics.
At the conclusion of the 2008 IRB World Rugby Sevens in Dubai, a 14 minute video was released showing the merits of Rugby for IOC consumption.
Now all Rugby supporters can add their names to the petition by going to the website and adding your name.
Already over 12,000 names are listed and all are urged to contribute to the list. Of the names already on the list, most are not from the traditional Rugby countries but from the emerging nations.
The top 10 in order are Germany, USA, Spain, Brazil, England, Portugal, Poland, Netherlands, South Africa and Georgia.
Your help in adding your name to the petition can only help the emerging Rugby nations whose only hope of fostering the game in their countries is with government assistance and that can only happen if Rugby is an Olympic sport.
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June 1st 2009 @ 5:18pm
MVDave said | June 1st 2009 @ 5:18pm | Report comment
Rugby is a minor sport in all but a handful of countries around the world, Rugby 7s is a cut down version of the real game which shouldn’t be considered otherwise why not Futsal or 20/20 Cricket?
Handball is already in the Olympics and safe, Rugby is trying to get in and therefore needs to put forward a compelling argument to get in…Rugby 7s isnt a compelling argument IMO. Rugby by and large is a Commonwealth game apart from a few of countries eg France
June 1st 2009 @ 5:21pm
Working Class Rugger said | June 1st 2009 @ 5:21pm | Report comment
Well Rugby has it best opportunity in the upcoming vote. The IOC boned both Softball and Baseball ( yawn) so there is a opening. And crucially &’s in very entertaining where you don’t need to know the rules immediately to enjoy the game. Plus it can either run as a 2 or 3 day format so it’s a very flexible option.
June 1st 2009 @ 5:23pm
Working Class Rugger said | June 1st 2009 @ 5:23pm | Report comment
France, Germany, Georgia, Russia, USA, Argentina, Uriguay, Chile. Could keep going if you like.
June 1st 2009 @ 5:23pm
Pippinu said | June 1st 2009 @ 5:23pm | Report comment
Dave
the Olympics is littered with events only played in a handful of countries – or that are only winnable by the wealthy countries.
As I said, the fact that half a dozen Pacific countries can participate as equals is as good an argument as any for including a new sport (and piss off all those sports that exclude the bulk of the world).
June 1st 2009 @ 5:23pm
Working Class Rugger said | June 1st 2009 @ 5:23pm | Report comment
Russia are bidding for the next WC 7′s in 2013.
June 1st 2009 @ 5:31pm
MVDave said | June 1st 2009 @ 5:31pm | Report comment
Pip
Agreed there is plenty of crap in the games (not to those participating however) but why add more…so the Pacific Islands can win some medalis?? Not sure how the cut down version of Rugby adds credibility to the games? Rugby 7s is made up to give smaller countries who follow the game a chance.
If they are going to try and put a new sport in then at least put the real game forward, not a cut down version, next they will want touch football in (not a bad game actually). If full on Rugby cant fit into a couple of weeks schedule too bad, all the other sports do.
June 1st 2009 @ 5:38pm
Working Class Rugger said | June 1st 2009 @ 5:38pm | Report comment
You can’t possibly fit the pool matches and finals into a two week event. The highly physical nature of the game won’t allow it. Seven’s isn’t as confrontational more atheletic based so it a perfect fit for the contemporary games. The reasons they axed Softball and Baseball was due to lack of participation in terms of the sexes and that they consumed too much of the calendar.
June 1st 2009 @ 5:38pm
Pippinu said | June 1st 2009 @ 5:38pm | Report comment
Dave
The Olympics is meant to be about nations participating in the greatest show on Earth, but in truth, the majority of events are geared towards Western nations and China – the vast bulk of nations are actually excluded from participation by default.
So to have a team sport where 6 to 8 of some of the most marginalised nations on Earth can compete as equals is a great boon (note: I’m saying participate as equals, I’m not saying to do it so they can win medals – that perogative exists only for Western nations at the moment).
June 1st 2009 @ 5:39pm
MVDave said | June 1st 2009 @ 5:39pm | Report comment
“France, Germany, Georgia, Russia, USA, Argentina, Uriguay, Chile. Could keep going if you like.”
What is the point here?
June 1st 2009 @ 5:39pm
circus said | June 1st 2009 @ 5:39pm | Report comment
The IRB’s proposal is for Rugby 7′s – 16 men’s and 12 women’s teams – to be played over 3 days in the first week of the Olympics at the main Olympic stadium before the athletics competition commences, ie fill a giant stadium for 3 days that would otherwise remain empty.
Rugby 7′s is competing against a shortlist of other sports for inclusion – baseball/softball, karate, golf and roller sports. If Rugby 7′s is selected, the IRB has said it would no longer hold a 7′s World Cup every 4 years so that the Olymipics would be the pinnacle for 7′s (the yearly IRB 7′s series would continue however).
Rugby 7′s is already played (or has been given approval to be played) at the Commonwealth, Pan American, African, Asian and World Games. The IOC will make the decision on which sports (if any) to include in the 2016 Olympics at its meeting in Copenhagen in October this year.
BTW FIFA has indicated that it will downgrade its participation in the Olympics to under 21 level (from under 23) and with no over-age players allowed.