South Africa

SARU salute Rugby's Olympic spot

Friday, October 09 SA Rugby on Friday reacted with joy and excitement at the news that Rugby Union has been accepted by the International Olympic Committee as one of the two new sports for inclusion into the Olympic Games from 2016 in Rio de Janeiro.

The IOC voted earlier Friday in Copenhagen, Denmark, to include Rugby Union and Golf on the program for the Summer Olympic Games in 2016.

Rugby was voted in by a majority vote of 81-8, with one abstention. A four-day Sevens tournament for 12 men’s and women’s teams will be organised over four days.

Oregan Hoskins, the president of the South African Rugby Union, said, “This is a tremendous step forward for Rugby Union and one of the biggest days in the history of the Game. In terms of growing the game across the globe and attracting more players, Rugby’s inclusion into the Olympic Games cannot be underestimated.

“On behalf of SARU, we’d like to thank everyone, especially the IRB and Bernard Lapasset in particular, who has worked tirelessly to get Rugby back into the Olympics. Be assured that our Springbok Sevens team will be geared when the day comes in 2016 in Rio when they too will have the opportunity to push for Olympic gold.”

Paul Treu, whose Springbok Sevens team won the International Rugby Board’s World Sevens Series for 2008/09, was very excited by the news of Olympic inclusion.

“This is a wonderful occasion for Rugby and its future across the globe. Just think, in a few years’ time our top rugby players will share the same stage as world-class athletes like Usain Bolt, Michael Phelps and Yelena Isinbaeva,” said Treu.

“This would also mean greater support for rugby unions from their governments and national Olympic organisations, which will see the game grow even more.

“More countries will become competitive on the international stage – something we’ve already experienced in the IRB Series with teams like Kenya, Portugal and the USA doing very well. It would increase the footprint of the game.”

According to Treu, who’s been at the helm of the Springbok Sevens team since 2004 after also performing as a player for four seasons, he’s expecting a tough defence of their IRB World Sevens Series title after the news of Rugby’s Olympic inclusion.

“The game will attract more players and especially the so-called smaller teams will have more resources from which to pick their sides,” said Treu.

The Springbok Sevens coach added, “Sportsmen and women will have the option of pursuing Sevens as a viable rugby career option outside of the traditional 15-man code.

Apart from the IRB World Sevens Series, the Sevens World Cup and the Commonwealth Games, they now have the additional carrot of going for Olympic gold.”

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