Brazil vs New Zealand

[didds]

"Statistics: The only science that enables different experts using the same figures to draw different conclusions."

You'd be the one with the Statistics degree to back that claim up then? ;-)

Didds B.Sc. (Hons) Computer Science & Statistics

 

[Lee Lifeson-Peart]

yet rugby was a Olympic event in 1918, 1922 and 26 If I am correct.....

This is the USA team that won the rugby gold

No you're not, the Olympics were in 1920, 1924 & 1928.

Correct the USA are the reigning Olympic Rugby Champs, from 1924 I think.

 

[dave_clark]

the 15 man game will never be in the olympics - the players would never have time to recover between games. i quite like that sevens is going to be included (if non faster higher stronger sports must be), solely because many countries will only support (and fund) sports that are in the olympics. likewise, T20 cricket should be included. and darts.

there, that's my three sports taken care of

 

[OB..]

If the rugby world cup and the annual world rugby sevens circuit isn't reaching out and interesting "new" nations then being in the olympics won't.

Having rugby in the Olympics means exposure to people who would not normally bother even to turn the TV on for the RWC. It also means many countries will start funding it and that will increase interest.

 

[OB..]

No you're not, the Olympics were in 1920, 1924 & 1928.

Correct the USA are the reigning Olympic Rugby Champs, from 1924 I think.

In 1900 (Paris) France, Gemany, and GB competed in the rugby, finishing in that order.
In 1908 (London), only Australia and GB took part. GB was in fact Cornwall, the County Champions, who lost in the only match.
In 1924 (Paris) the contestants were USA, France, and Romania. France took their defeat by USA very badly, booing throughout the game and the awards ceremony.

Daniel Carroll won gold with Australia in 1908 and then with USA in 1924 - the only person in any sport to win gold with two different countries

 

[Ian_Cook]

I think I am probably the ONLY rugby affiliated person in the world that doesn't want rugby in the olympics. Its not needed. If the rugby world cup and the annual world rugby sevens circuit isn't reaching out and interesting "new" nations then being in the olympics won't.

No you're not. I don't think it should be there either, but I understand why any sport would want to be a part of it.

Firstly, its the biggest sporting event in the worlds; bigger than any world cup in any individual sport.

Secondly, there is the matter of funding. Tier 2 rugby countries that have the fiscal and population potential to grow the game, such as the USA and Canada, will find it easier to get corporate and government funding for rugby if it is an Olympic sport. Smaller countries where the game is popular will also find funding easier to get. both Samoa and Fiji, for example have never won any kind of Olympic medal despite participating in seven and eleven games between 1956 and 2012. They will see rugby as a "golden" opportunity to set that to rights in 2016.

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