Olympic Rugby Champions
4 Comments »11th October, 2003; Category: General
Did you know that the United States of America are the current Olympic Rugby Union Champions ?
Hard to believe huh ?
Well, it’s true, they won at the Olympics in 1924, and Rugby Union hasn’t been played at the Olympics since then !
Rugby needs to be in the olympics again. I live for the sport and
there is nothing I would love more that to see both womens and mens
rugby be in the olympics. It would be awesome
Any idea about the process of getting it reinstated?? Count me in for the effort!
Its way past time for Rugby to be reinstated as an olympic sport. It fulfills all requirements to be an olympic sport. It has been a well-established for decades now throughout Europe, Africa, Australia, Asia, South America, and is enjoying a grass-roots renaisance in N.America and the US. Serious international competitions featuring apex athletes and embracing long national traditions abound.
Secondly, in an olympic atmosphere constrained by economics, rugby would prove to be popular because of international passion for the sport and the ability to stage it in existing stadiums. There may be worries that the massive American advertising market would be missing. As stated earlier though, Americans are starting to embrace the sport. This is especially true on the nation’s many campuses. Thus it could be expected that Americans would embrace coverage. Coca-Cola would have nothing to fear.
The heads of the many amature and professional leagues and associations around the world MUST make this case to the IOC (especially the South Africans, New Zealanders, Australians, and English). Backed by the passion of millions, they are the ones who have the resources to do this. Neglecting an Olympic movement would be akin to cowardice.
I think you need to get each Country’s Olympic Committee talking to their own Rugby Union. Then you need to convince each OC to dump another team sport to make room for it. Olympic athlete numbers are currently at their peak and the only way someone gets in is for someone else to get cut. And it is up to the grass roots member OC’s and their respective sports peak bodies.
Interesting to attempt it though. What would you cut? I’m all for axing Syncronised Drowning and Rythmic Baton Tossing – but that would not open places for pitch sports.