New Zealand captain Richie McCaw is the latest star name to throw his support behind the International Rugby Board's campaign for rugby to be re-admitted into the Olympic Games.
The All Black flanker believes that if Rugby Sevens were to be included on the Olympic programme in 2016, then the Game's leading players would back the competition.
"I think for a Rugby player to go to the Olympics, that is the ultimate in sport," insisted McCaw. "You look at all the other sports that people do, like world champs are good but it is the Olympics that really are the one.
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"Obviously the [Rugby] World Cup is pretty significant, but I think it would make the Game hugely global, it would bring in the Americans and all that and the Olympics drawcard would expand the whole game worldwide.
"It would be something to be added to the calendar that would be great I reckon if it happened."
McCaw, who will play for the Barbarians against Australia in the Olympic Centenary match at Wembley in December, added: "There's the Sevens at the Commonwealth Games and it's a big thing for a rugby player to go to that, so if they could do something like that it's a big thing all players would aim for."
Rugby is Reaching Out
Rugby is one of seven sports campaigning to be admitted to the Olympic Games programme along with golf, baseball, softball, karate, roller sports and squash.
The last time Rugby featured in the Olympics was at the Paris Games of 1924 when the United States won the gold medal. The USA Wheelchair Rugby team's success in Beijing recently, therefore means they are the reigning Olympic and Paralympic champions.
Last month the International Rugby Board attended the Beijing Olympics as an IOC recognised Sports Federation as part of the ongoing proactive campaign to have Rugby re-admitted into the Olympic Games.
The International Rugby Board believes that the Olympic Games, the world's largest sporting stage, can provide the stimulus for the continued global growth of the Game and its development in new and major economic markets.
As a key element of the campaign, the IRB has launched a short promotional film. Titled ‘Reaching Out’, the film showcases Rugby’s compelling case for Olympic re-inclusion. This film is proving very popular on YouTube.
Click here to find out how you can help the International Rugby Board spread the message that the sport of Rugby should be included in the Olympic Games.
