News - 2009

Rugby Sevens to go for gold at 2016 Olympics
- IOC votes in favour of Sevens inclusion -

October 09, 2009, Dubai: The world's finest Rugby Sevens players will be packing for Rio in 2016 after the International Olympic Committee's decision today to include the sport in the Olympic programme.

Celebrations were in full swing at rugby clubs around the world after today's vote which also saw golf being included into the programme for the 2016 Olympics.

The decision to include Sevens in the Olympics is testament to the massive growth in the sport in recent years. And Dubai has played a significant part in this development. Last year's world record-breaking crowds of 50,000 per day at the Emirates Airline Dubai Rugby Sevens would certainly have caught the IOC's attention, as did the Rugby World Cup Sevens, also hosted by Dubai in March this year. That tournament made history in that it included 16 international women's teams for the first time.

"This is a very exciting day for the sport of Rugby Sevens," said Gary Chapman, President Group Services and Dnata, Emirates Group. "We are honoured that ours will be the first major Sevens tournament to be played following this decision. I am certain that the popularity of this year's Emirates Airline Dubai Rugby Sevens will go to show that the IOC made the right decision and that Rugby Sevens deserves its place at the Olympic Games in Rio in 2016," added Chapman.

The IOC's executive board voted to include rugby and golf in the Olympic programme two months ago, but that decision had to be confirmed by the IOC members at a congress in Copenhagen today, who voted overwhelmingly 81 to 8 in support of Rugby Sevens' inclusion.

Thanks to the majority vote there, rugby will make a return to the Olympic fold. The last time rugby teams competed in the Olympics was in 1924, when 15s was part of the programme, and the likes of South Africa, New Zealand, Fiji and England will certainly be looking forward to the opportunity of dethroning the USA as current Olympic champions.

Many of the famous names in global rugby have got behind the decision to include rugby in the Games. New Zealand 15s captain Richie McCaw told the IRB: "Playing for New Zealand and pulling on the All Blacks jersey have been a huge honour in my life. As a rugby player, to be able to do that at an Olympic Games would be just huge and something that every rugby player in this country would be motivated by."

England Sevens star, Sue Day, who competed at the Rugby World Cup Sevens in Dubai earlier this year added: "You play sport at the highest level to challenge yourself to be the best that you can possibly be and to compete with the best from all over the world, and what better stage to do that on than at the Olympics?"

Before 2016, however, there's plenty of Sevens action to enjoy and tickets for the Emirates Airline Dubai Rugby Sevens 2009 are still on sale at The Sevens ground on the Al Ain Road, Emirates headquarters, the Dnata Travel Centre on Sheikh Zayed Road and numerous Costa and MMI outlets as well as online through www.dubairugby7s.com and by calling Ticketline on 8004669. The Costa outlets where tickets are on sale are: Mall of the Emirates, Dubai Mall, Festival City and Al Wahda Mall, Abu Dhabi and the MMI outlets where they are available are: Al Wasl Rd, Ibn Battuta, Mall of the Emirates and Sheikh Zayed Road. The public is reminded that a valid alcohol licence is required to enter any MMI outlet.

For more details on the tournament, log on to www.dubairugby7s.com.