Australian rugby and golf officials have welcomed the return of the two sports to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. The International Olympic Committee voted on Friday to include both sports on the program for the 2016 and 2020 summer Games.
Each received majority support in separate votes by the IOC after leading athletes and officials from both gave presentations to press their case – including a video-taped message from Tiger Woods.
Golf was approved 63-27 with two abstentions. Sevens Rugby was voted in 81-8 with one abstention.
Rugby will organise a four-day tournament for 12 men’s and women’s teams.
Golf will stage a 72-hole strokeplay tournament for men and women, with 60 players in each field.
The vote was a reversal of the IOC’s decision four years ago to reject golf and rugby’s inclusion in the 2012 London Games.
The Australian Rugby Union immediately welcomed the historic decision.
“This is a wonderful moment for our game, and a momentous decision by the IOC,” ARU boss John O’Neill said in a statement.
“There is enormous status attached to being an Olympic sport.
” … All our players, men and women, from those at the grassroots right through to the elite levels, can now have Olympic Games selection as an ambition. They can dream of climbing a medal dais, of receiving a gold medal.
“I know the younger players in our Wallabies squad will see it as a challenge to force their way into the sevens squad in 2016.”
World Cup-winning Australian women’s sevens captain Cheryl Soon was in Copenhagen as part of an International Rugby Board delegation that delivered a 20-minute presentation to the IOC assembly prior to the ballot.
“We want to play alongside the world’s top athletes,” she told the gathering.
Golf Australia CEO Stephen Pitt said the decision would allow golf to introduce itself to a whole new audience.
“The Olympic stage will give golf an unparalleled level of attention and interest and allows us to highlight the benefits golf brings to individuals and the wider community,” Pitt said in a statement.
ALPG CEO Warren Sevil added: “Women’s development and participation was a specific consideration of the IOC in determining which sports were included from 2016, and we are now ready to reap the benefits through attracting more juniors, girls in particular, to golf.”
Rugby and golf both made their Olympic debuts at the second modern games in Paris in 1900.
Golf was only played again at the 1904 St Louis Games, while rugby featured three more times, making its last appearance in the 1924 Paris Olympics.
Australia competed just once in the rugby competitions, in 1908, and won the gold medal.
Friday’s vote was also a victory for Jacques Rogge, the IOC president who was re-elected to a final four-year term just hours earlier and who had supported the sports’ inclusion.
“Time will show your decision (on the new sports) was very wise,” Rogge said.
Quentin
Guest
Unfortunately for NZ, inclusion of the sevens in the Olympics will slowly spell the death of all other NZ sports due to the media's fascination with rugby over any other sport. 90% of the media's sport focus here is on rugby, during winter & summer. An All Black pulling up with a hamstring strain during training for a game in two weeks time will always be ahead of for example a grand slam tennis final, or world record 100m!
circus
Guest
Angus The Americas (North and South America) is, I think, considered by the IRB as one region in rugby. From my reading of the IRB press releases following the IOC announcement, their aim is to spread to growth of rugby world-wide. Therefore, they don't automatically want the 12 best teams but the best regional spread. At the recent Asian Sevens in Shanghai, South Korea defeated Japan in the final. China were third. China won the women's sevens. Other countries which participated included The Philippines, Kazakhstan, Thailand, India and Sri Lanka. There should be a 12th spot available but whether Australia would qualify against countries such as Tonga, Tunisia, Portugal is debatable. We would need to put more resources into the 7s format and stop our Super 15 sides hoarding 33 players each.
Angus Boyle
Guest
If qualification was limited to two per region, does South and North America get counted together as Americas? Therefore, two from Europe, Africa, Asia, Oceania, Americas, plus the host nation? If so, there would still be one place available, perhaps for the next highest placed team in the preceding IRB World Series? Giving Asia two automatic places would benefit China enormously but would probably not reflect playing standards in the men's game at least.
circus
Guest
Angus Agreed!
Angus Boyle
Guest
I just noticed one point, however, Circus. If we can't match the fabulous Fijians even if we include leading Wallabies, what hope have we of ever beating current World Champs Wales, and the other three semi-finalists from Dubai of Argentina, Portugal or Samoa?!
Angus Boyle
Guest
Circus All good points!!
circus
Guest
Tifosi The tournament in Rio de Janiero for men's and women's 7s (12 teams each) will take place over 3 days. BY contrast 16 men's teams will compete over 2 days at the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi next year. The compactness of 7s was the strength of its bid. It means that at any Olympics - the main stadium, which is free in the first week of the Games before the athletics takes place - can be totally utilised and to full capacity. I understand that Brasil has already agreed that Rugby 7s will take place at the 90,000 Maracana stadium, between the opening ceremony and the final of the football competition (and before the closing ceremony). That means with two sessions per day a total of 540,000 are likely to attend. With television exposure that will be a very good result for rugby. The 70,000 Joao Havelange stadium, however, will be used exclusively for athletics. Over 80 countries participated in each of the men's and women's qualifying rounds for the 24 team men's and 16 team women's IRB 7s World Cup in Dubai in 2009. The finalists for 2016 will be selected from regional championships - Europe, Asia, Oceania, the Americas and Africa. Brasil, of course will be an automatic qualifier - in any event its womens team is in the top 4 in the world. It's highly unlikely that Australia's mens team will qualify as only 2 countries from a region can participate. Fiji, New Zealand and Samoa (not forgetting Tonga) are well ahead of Australia's rugby 7s team. Even if Wallabies of the likes of Matt Giteau, Digby Ioane and James O'Connor were to take part in an Australian team, they couldn't match the breathtaking skills of the Fijians - the 'dream team of rugby 7s. Hopefully Australia's women's team which took out the IRB World Cup will continue the good work in Rio. As to the host city I think rugby is quietly happy that Brasil got the nod. The hardest places for rugby to make an impact are Australia, the United States, Canada and Ireland where they already have confrontational team sports. A country the size of Brasil (190 million) might throw up a few athletes who like to run with the ball.
Tifosi
Guest
Golf at the olympics? Pass As for rugby 7’s, congratulations but I would like some opinions from the rugby guys. I notice at the 2010 Commonwealth games Rugby 7’s will be over in 2 days. Is that the sort of time span it takes to host a tournament? If so, will it be a case of blink and you will miss it? To maximize exposure one would think you need the games to be played over as many days as possible. Also did the IRB have a preference for a host city? I would have thought Chicago would have been their preferred choice to try and boost the game in the USA. It appears it will be 12 teams in the men and women. Will teams be invited to it ie the traditional rugby countries plus brazil or will they have a proper qualifying tournament so that minnow teams at least have a chance of playing. Lastly, I can only hope that countries will use proper 7’s players. I would hate to see Wallabies or All blacks who don’t play 7’s make a claim for a squad place just so they can go to an Olympic games. Would be unfair on the guys who play it day in/day out.