Report: Rio 2016 to have greater impact for rugby than World Cup

This content was originally posted in 7DAYS UAE website at: Report: Rio 2016 to have greater impact for rugby than World Cup A new report published by HSBC suggests that rugby’s participation at Rio 2016 will have greater long-term impact than the recent Rugby World Cup. To mark the opening round of the men’s and women’s HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series at the Dubai Rugby Sevens, HSBC partnered with The Futures Company to produce “Breaking New Ground”, a detailed look at rugby’s evolution and growth as it stands on the brink of a game-changing year. The report’s findings: Global participation of rugby has more than doubled in less than a decade across the globe. There are now more than 100 full national member unions in World Rugby, and another 17 national associate members. The inclusion of men’s and women’s rugby in the 2016 Olympic Games has been a catalyst for both funding and development. World Rugby has invested more than £350 million across the game at all levels between 2009 and the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, reflecting its commitment to grow the rugby family and build a sustainable, inclusive future. Additional rugby funding has come from national Olympic associations. The number of women players has grown from 200,000 to 1.7 million in just last three years; and 30% – nearly a third – of the participants in World Rugby’s Get Into Rugby mass participation programme have been girls. Rugby sevens is opening up the game in new markets on every continent in the world. Inclusion in the Olympic Games is proof of this, but rugby sevens also features at all major multi-sports events, including the Commonwealth Games, Asian Games, Pan-American Games and Youth Olympic Games. Rugby Sevens Olympic Games inclusion is benefiting all forms of the game in terms of participation, profile and interest (15s, beach, tag and touch). Participation is at an all time high and several unions are combining high performance environments for fifteens and sevens to build their international competitiveness. What the experts say: World Rugby chairman Bernard Lapasset: “Olympic Games inclusion is transforming rugby worldwide. We are already seeing and converting the hugely positive and tangible opportunity of inclusion, and having our best men and women sevens players showcasing our exciting sport on one of the world’s biggest stages will enable rugby to engage and inspire new audiences around the world. Participation has already been dramatic. This will be a significant catalyst to further growth and we are ready to convert the opportunity.” 2003 Rugby World Cup-winning England coach Sir Clive Woodward: “Getting [rugby sevens] as an Olympic event is just colossal for the sport as a whole.  I think Rio will be a huge event and act as the springboard to take it really global. If you want to develop any sport then the funding is absolutely crucial, but the key thing about government funding for sport in a lot of countries around the world, is that it is heavily based whether it is an Olympic sport or not. Rugby has already realised that the Olympic seal of approval was a big, big step forward in terms of the international development of the game.” US sprint legend Michael Johnson: “With the Olympics there is no ‘next year’. Sports survive in the Olympics when the competition is seen as the best competitors in the world competing at their best. The teams need to understand the difference between the Olympics and a normal sevens competition. It is often a once in a lifetime opportunity, so preparation is everything. Mentally, knowing that there is no next year, creates a different type of pressure on the athletes.” Former England World Cup winner Jason Robinson: “I know through experience that any journey to the pinnacle of a sport can be tough, but you must take your opportunity when it comes. If you don’t, it’s gone in a flash. Rugby sevens has a golden opportunity to showcase its skill, speed and flare to new audiences. There will be players on show this weekend who will become household names around the world when a gold medal is put around their necks next August. I’d have loved that opportunity.”   Read the original story at: Report: Rio 2016 to have greater impact for rugby than World Cup