Kirwan says 2016 inclusion would trigger Asian boom

TOKYO: Japan coach John Kirwan has made an impassioned plea for the inclusion of rugby sevens at the Olympics, saying it would be a catalyst for the growth of the game in Asia.

Rugby and golf have been shortlisted for inclusion at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics and await a final decision from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in Copenhagen this week.

"Olympic inclusion would have a massive effect on the growth of the game across Asia," former New Zealand great Kirwan said on Monday. "This is a real opportunity to engage new rugby markets, take the game to new communities and get more men, women, boys and girls playing the sport."

Rugby, which featured in four of the first seven Olympics until 1924, proposed its smaller version in its pitch to the IOC.

"Rugby sevens is the perfect tool to do that. It's fast, exciting, unpredictable ... and a favorite with sports fans," said Kirwan.

"It also gives the ability for so-called smaller rugby nations to compete at the top level against established nations and beat them - we've seen plenty of evidence of that."

Japan will host the 2019 rugby World Cup but South Korea's victory at the inaugural Asian Sevens Series last month provided an example of the shorter game's potential for upsets.

New Zealand have been the dominant force in international sevens for the past decade, often not having to rely on drafting in their All Blacks.

The Japanese have traditionally flown the flag for rugby in Asia, hosting a successful junior world championship earlier this year before earning the right to stage the 2019 World Cup.

But Kirwan has lobbied hard to make the game truly pan-Asian.

"In an Asian context you would see more central funding through governments and expansion of rugby onto the curriculum in schools (if Olympic access were granted)," he said.

"That is very exciting and essential to the continued development of the game.

"In China, Korea, Japan and Kazakhstan there would be more investment in development programmes from a young age - more people playing the game and an unprecedented media and TV platform through playing on the world's greatest stage."

The IOC will make its decision on Oct 9.

Reuters

(China Daily 10/06/2009 page11)