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'We'll bin World Cup for Games slot'

Sevens bosses will ensure Olympics is the top competition if they get the green light

If rugby was admitted into the 2016 Olympics, it would sound the death knell for the World Cup Sevens, as the Olympics would then become the high point in the game's calendar, International Rugby Board chief executive Mike Miller revealed yesterday.

'We won't allow a situation, like in other sports, where there is something more important than the Olympics. My recommendation would be to make the Olympics the World Cup of rugby sevens,' he said.

The IRB will adopt a two-pronged approach - emphasising the growing presence of women playing the game, and the promise that the Olympics will be the pinnacle of the sport - when it tries to convince the International Olympic Committee (IOC) next year that rugby sevens should be admitted into the 2016 Games. Miller also said the inaugural Women's World Cup Sevens - to be played alongside the men's tournament in Dubai next March - would boost rugby's chances of inclusion as a medal sport at the Olympics.

'There was some suggestion that one of the drawbacks when we put forward our case in Singapore last time was that we didn't have a competition for women. That has changed now with the World Cup in Dubai next year,' Miller pointed out.

Rugby sevens, squash, karate, golf and roller sports put forward their case for inclusion into the 2012 Olympics in London at the IOC Congress in Singapore in 2005.

IOC president Jacques Rogge had previously said no new sport would be included unless existing sports dropped out. The IOC voted out baseball and softball in Singapore and there were high hopes among the rugby community that sevens would be included for 2012.

But those hopes were dashed. Although IOC delegates voted that squash and karate should be the replacements, they failed to give these sports the required two-thirds majority, leaving the 2012 Olympics in London with only 26 sports.

'The IOC has changed the rules and new sports need only a clear majority to be included. We think rugby sevens has a good chance as it brings a youthful audience and fans willing to travel in force,' said Miller.

The IOC Congress will meet again in October 2009 in Copenhagen to revisit this issue. Rugby authorities are confident their case has been strengthened in the past four years.

'The presence of rugby sevens in the Asian Games, Commonwealth Games and the Pan American Games [in 2011 in Guadalajara, Mexico] will give us a huge boost. We are also making attempts to be included in the All African Games.

'We feel we are a good fit with the Olympics. Rugby used to be played at the Olympics, while the founder of the modern Olympic movement, Baron Coubertin, was a rugby player,' Miller said.

Rugby - 15-a-side - was an Olympic sport in 1900, 1908, 1920 and 1924 - the last two gold medals being won by the United States.

On Friday, squash legend Jahangir Khan, president of the World Squash Federation, said his sport had a strong case 'when you consider the millions of people around the world who play the sport'.

Squash and karate garnered more support in Singapore, but Miller was confident rugby sevens would have a strong case. 'Rugby sevens has grown in the last few years. More people know about the sport and it is vibrant and popular,' he said.

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