Sevens primed for Olympics

Sevens primed for Olympics

9 Dec 2008

Sevens rugby could be included as an Olympic sport at the 2012 London Olympic Games.

International Rugby Board (IRB) Sevens tournament director, Beth Coalter, said the chairperson of the IRB, Bernard Lapasset, was lobbying the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to have Sevens instated as an Olympic sport.

The IRB expects to have an answer from the International Olympics Committee (IOC) by October 9 2009.

“There’s a possibility that we will be able to take part as early as 2012,” Coalter told Die Burger.

“The winners won’t receive medals though, but will play demonstration matches only. If these trials in London are a success, there is a strong possibility that Sevens rugby would be included in the 2016 Olympic Games as an official Olympic sport.

“With Sevens rugby you have two days of extremely exciting action. The big stadium in Beijing often stood empty during this year’s Games. When Sevens rugby was played at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, spectators filled the seats.

“The profile of Sevens rugby would be raised considerably by being part of the Olympics, meaning that participating countries would also receive the support of their governments,” explained Coalter.

Speaking of the World Cup in Dubai (5-7 March 2009), Coalter said: “After the Dubai tournament, we went back to the drawing board to see how we could improve. One change to be implemented is that we will also have 16 women’s teams to go with the 24 men’s teams at the World Cup tournament.”


862 Comments

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  • 1.Puma: Reply to this comment
    9 Dec 2008, 08:13 am

    Sevens Olympic dragons

  • 2.Irish Devil: Reply to this comment
    9 Dec 2008, 08:18 am

    What a good idea.

  • 3.Omo for Luke's Puke: Reply to this comment
    9 Dec 2008, 08:18 am

    much more exciting than say, the marathon or 20km walk.

  • 4.Irish Devil: Reply to this comment
    9 Dec 2008, 08:33 am

    #3 Omo for Luke’s Puke:
    The 20km walk is the highlight of the Olympics. :lol:

  • 5.Puma: Reply to this comment
    9 Dec 2008, 08:35 am

    #2 Irish Devil: Hi Irish how you mate? Yes I too think its a good idea. I would give medals though even if the 7′s are demonstration matchs at 2012.

  • 6.Puma: Reply to this comment
    9 Dec 2008, 08:36 am

    #4 Irish Devil: lol.

  • 7.Die Ontvanger van Inkomste: Reply to this comment
    9 Dec 2008, 08:39 am

    Het julle al julle belasting betaal?

  • 8.WPsuipspan: Reply to this comment
    9 Dec 2008, 08:41 am

    Maybe if USA or China was a good sevens rugby nation then it would have been at the olympics already.

  • 9.Irish Devil: Reply to this comment
    9 Dec 2008, 08:42 am

    Good thanks and you? Love this time of the year. Not much going on. No money to spend – **** time for all.

  • 10.DonutDunning: Reply to this comment
    9 Dec 2008, 08:42 am

    Been hoping for this for a long time.
    The XV man game isn’t really viable in an Olympic format due to the downtime required between games, but this would be one of the highlights of any Olympics.
    I guess I shouldn’t be that excited from a country standpoint, as even Kenya are better than the Aus 7s team, but I’d love to watch a tiny country like Fiji get Olympic gold.

  • 11.DonutDunning: Reply to this comment
    9 Dec 2008, 08:43 am

    #8 WPsuipspan: USA, another team better than the Aussie 7s… :(

  • 12.It is just a game: Reply to this comment
    9 Dec 2008, 08:44 am

    What’s the point if the winners wont receive medals.

  • 13.Irish Devil: Reply to this comment
    9 Dec 2008, 08:45 am

    #12 It is just a game:
    Pointless

  • 14.It is just a game: Reply to this comment
    9 Dec 2008, 08:47 am

    #13 Irish Devil: Yes, I mean the Olympics is about going for gold.

  • 15.DonutDunning: Reply to this comment
    9 Dec 2008, 08:47 am

    #12 It is just a game: Pointless I guess, but hey it would be better than 90% of the **** at the Olympics.
    Seriously apart from swimming and track (and field sometimes), how many events do people actually bother watching?

  • 16.Irish Devil: Reply to this comment
    9 Dec 2008, 08:57 am

    #15 DonutDunning:
    Gymnastics

    #14 It is just a game: Right

  • 17.Puma: Reply to this comment
    9 Dec 2008, 08:59 am

    #9 Irish Devil: lol. I know its not the rugby season here but its our summer holidays that now so its a great time of year here in SA. Not sure if you watch the cricket but we still have that to look forward to from next week. Our cricket team are in Oz for a few months.

  • 18.It is just a game: Reply to this comment
    9 Dec 2008, 09:00 am

    #15 DonutDunning: Womans hockey and synchronized swimming. :)

  • 19.Irish Devil: Reply to this comment
    9 Dec 2008, 09:02 am

    #17 Puma:
    Ireland cricket sucks. They beat Pakistan in the world cup though. We have declared a public holiday because of this. :lol:

    Watch any sport. Do you think you have a chance of beating the once mighty Ozzies

  • 20.Dawn: Reply to this comment
    9 Dec 2008, 09:02 am

    #18 It is just a game:

    Curling.

  • 21.Puma: Reply to this comment
    9 Dec 2008, 09:02 am

    #13 Irish Devil: Irish if its going to be a Olympic sport then maybe Ireland will find a sponsor for your country to play 7′s again. Scotland have a sponsor and they really are dreadful at 7′s.

  • 22.Irish Devil: Reply to this comment
    9 Dec 2008, 09:04 am

    #20 Dawn:
    Is that the stuff you put in your hair?

  • 23.Puma: Reply to this comment
    9 Dec 2008, 09:06 am

    #19 Irish Devil: LOL. Yes that was great when Ireland beat a big cricket playing country.

    We have a chance in beating the Oz side. Our cricket has been good this year. Nel is injured though I do wish he was in the squad but we do have some really great players there. Hope we can beat Oz. We had a draw in India and just look at Oz they could not win there and look at England they are playing really bad in India. So think we could do it. But the Oz at home are very, very hard to beat.

  • 24.Irish Devil: Reply to this comment
    9 Dec 2008, 09:06 am

    #21 Puma:
    Definetly punting 7′s, but as you say sponsors are not too willing to sponsor a losing team.

    #20 Dawn:
    Hurling Dawn hurling

  • 25.Irish Devil: Reply to this comment
    9 Dec 2008, 09:07 am

    #23 Puma:
    Well let’s hope so

  • 26.Dawn: Reply to this comment
    9 Dec 2008, 09:08 am

    #24 Irish Devil:

    Curling is the Olympic sport.

    Hurling is the Olympic sport in Ireland.

  • 27.It is just a game: Reply to this comment
    9 Dec 2008, 09:09 am

    #20 Dawn: Watching some winter sport to get my mind of this heat wave that’s bombarding Cape Town might not be a bad idea.

  • 28.Brads: Reply to this comment
    9 Dec 2008, 09:12 am

    Winning a Gold in 7′s would mean a damn sight more to the atheletes, both men and women, than a Tennis Gold would!

    Tennis and golf, which will never be accepted, are poor excuses for representing the best of the best at an event like the Olympics.

    7′s has a global circuit in the mens game at a national level, we just need to see it spread to a womens version to make it a water tight addition to the Games schedule .

    .

  • 29.Puma: Reply to this comment
    9 Dec 2008, 09:14 am

    #24 Irish Devil: The Scots are getting a hiding in almost all the 7′s games and they have a sponsor. Maybe Ireland need to look who is the sponsor there. Every rugby playing nation was there playing except Ireland. Its a shame that. They need to get a team back into 7′s.

    I hope so too Irish. We never play our cricket really well in Oz but hoping we do this time. I just always remember that one day game played here at Joburg. Where they got 435. All I thought was its game over. Went out for our first half when we started as thought we never had a chance. Came back and there was Gibss and Smith still in and smashing them all over the park. Now that was probably the best one day game I have ever watched. We eventually won 438. I also enjoy the tests and we are getting so much better there than we had been. So hoping we can give them a good game there too.

  • 30.EEE: Reply to this comment
    9 Dec 2008, 09:16 am

    Morning all………

  • 31.the peanut gallery: Reply to this comment
    9 Dec 2008, 09:17 am

    mmmmmmm. women’s pole vault.

    oops. caught me dreaming there.

  • 32.EEE: Reply to this comment
    9 Dec 2008, 09:18 am

    #29 Puma: Agree Puma, think this is our best chance ever of maybe scraping a win :wink: would love to wipe the smug smile off Ponting’s mug!!!!

  • 33.Puma: Reply to this comment
    9 Dec 2008, 09:19 am

    #27 It is just a game: Enjoy the heat mate. Its summer and you have the most beautiful beaches there to go and swim in. Just think of your winter and you wont want the heat to go just yet. No serious I don’t enjoy it that hot either. Jeez the cape can get hot in the summer months.

  • 34.EEE: Reply to this comment
    9 Dec 2008, 09:19 am

    #29 Puma: and that game at the wanderers was awesome!!!!!!!!

  • 35.EEE: Reply to this comment
    9 Dec 2008, 09:20 am

    #33 Puma: give me the heat anyday…..cannot stand winter…..sommer get depressed

  • 36.Puma: Reply to this comment
    9 Dec 2008, 09:21 am

    #32 EEE: Morning EEE. Yeah me too. Now thats the team I want our country to beat in cricket more than any other. I hope we do well. How come the Aussies never ever travel over Christmas? They are always at home. Not fair that. We should have had them over here this time at Christmas then we travel there after. We always travel there for now then the come around end of Jan here. What is happening to Nel? Heard he is injured. Pity as he really gets up the Aussies noses.

  • 37.Irish Devil: Reply to this comment
    9 Dec 2008, 09:23 am

    #26 Dawn:

    Yep. They brush the ice and then that thing moves into the circle. It is so tense and exciting.

  • 38.Puma: Reply to this comment
    9 Dec 2008, 09:25 am

    #34 EEE: That game at wanderers was probably the best one day game I have ever watched. What a thriller that was. Cant get better than that and to beat the Aussies too. Now that was even better.

    #35 EEE: Yes give me the heat anyday to the ice cold weather. But 35 is just a little hot for me. I like it around 28. Now wont complain. Braai time, swimming time. I do love the summer.

  • 39.Irish Devil: Reply to this comment
    9 Dec 2008, 09:25 am

    #30 EEE:
    Oh hello

  • 40.EEE: Reply to this comment
    9 Dec 2008, 09:26 am

    #36 Puma: Apparently he is injured a sfar as I have heard……dont think that Steyn will show them any respect either, they must just not allow the convicts to get up their noses!!!!

  • 41.It is just a game: Reply to this comment
    9 Dec 2008, 09:27 am

    #33 Puma: It’s not just the heat that’s worrying to me (beer is a good remedy for that), but we also had a couple of fires in the greater Cape Town area.

  • 42.Puma: Reply to this comment
    9 Dec 2008, 09:29 am

    #40 EEE: Pity Nel is injured. He adds that bit of excitement. They D. Steyn is just as aggressive when he bowls and he really looks like thunder too. Aussies have not faced him yet. Hope he is up to his best like he was towards end of last year and the start of this year.

  • 43.Puma: Reply to this comment
    9 Dec 2008, 09:30 am

    #41 It is just a game: I heard that. My brother and sister live down there. The Cape always get the fires when its this hot. I hope they can stop it soon this time.

  • 44.EEE: Reply to this comment
    9 Dec 2008, 09:32 am

    #41 It is just a game: I know it is so sad, apparently lots of ‘fynbos’ lost

  • 45.Puma: Reply to this comment
    9 Dec 2008, 09:40 am

    Cheers all have to go out. Chat later.

  • 46.Irish Devil: Reply to this comment
    9 Dec 2008, 09:42 am

    #45 Puma: Cheers

  • 47.RedBull : Reply to this comment
    9 Dec 2008, 09:42 am

    If sevens ever becomes an Olympic sport then obviously the best players will be selected to play in this tournamanet – I mean gold medals are on offer.

    So in theory that mean that the tokoloshe Aplon will lose out to say Habana and Ryno will lose out to say JPP and Ebershon will lose out to say Pienaar .

  • 48.EEE: Reply to this comment
    9 Dec 2008, 09:44 am

    #45 Puma: cheers

  • 49.EEE: Reply to this comment
    9 Dec 2008, 09:46 am

    #47 RedBull (formerly RedLion): and true to form Aplon had a few shockers although for the best part he did okay, saw him make a few knock-ons

  • 50.Irish Devil: Reply to this comment
    9 Dec 2008, 09:47 am

    Time to do some work. Speak later

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