Former Australia coach Eddie Jones is in no doubt what a successful campaign by the International Rugby Board to get Sevens added to the Olympic Games programme would mean for the sport as a whole.
Jones, now head coach of English Guinness Premiership side Saracens, believes the inclusion would not only benefit developing nations like Russia or China, but all those at the top of the world game.
“If Rugby went back to the Olympics it would certainly give an impetus to the sport,” Jones said ahead of this week's debate on Rugby's campaign for inclusion on Total Rugby Radio.
“I think you would see countries like China and Russia embrace the sport as a major sport, put funding into it, run development programmes and we would see a lot more kids playing the game and a lot more countries competing at the global level.
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Eddie Jones, Former Wallaby coach - Rugby's Olympic drive
“I think for the bigger countries what it would probably do is just give a bit more emphasis to their Sevens programme, because the Sevens programme then would be a very important part of each of the rugby programmes in those countries and again open up more opportunities for good young players to play the game at the highest level.”
For Jones, the benefits of Olympic inclusion are clear to see, but what about the other side of the coin and what Sevens and Rugby in general would bring to the spectacle of a Games?
“Well I think it would bring a fantastic team sport to the Games.
“I think the thing about Rugby is in its essence it is a simple sport but it has the complexity of tactics, not only in 15s but also in Sevens, and to have another game like that at the Olympics would only make good viewing.
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“I think Sevens has created its own niche. It is certainly a game that has its own flavour, it's a high speed, high skilled game and for those players with the right physiques and right skill level it gives them a great chance to play the game globally and at a high level.”
Jones doesn’t have to look far to see the impact that playing Sevens at the top level on the IRB Sevens World Series can have on a player, with USA captain Chris Wyles plying his trade at Saracens.
“What it does it just encourages their open skill development, their lateral vision development, their ability to look for space and then use that space.
“Chris is a good example of a guy who has really benefitted from playing for the American Sevens team and coming back to us and winning a starting spot at Saracens because of his greater range of skills.”
Rugby and the Olympics. From Thursday 15 January this week's Total Rugby Radio show comprises a debate on Rugby's current bid for Olympic re-inclusion - featuring IRB Chief Executive Mike Miller, former England Sevens captain Simon Amor, now in charge of the women's team, Reuters Olympic correspondent Karolos Grohmann and former USA captain Dan Lyle, now Tournament Director at the USA Sevens.
