Shawn MacKay is no stranger to the magic of a Rugby World Cup Sevens, having been part of the Australian squad which narrowly lost 24-20 to New Zealand in the Melrose Cup semi-finals of the 2005 event in Hong Kong.
However next year in Dubai the 26-year-old will not be leading Australia’s men as he did on the IRB Sevens World Series last season, but rather coaching his country’s first ever women’s Sevens side in the inaugural women’s competition.
Australia secured their place at RWC Sevens 2009 by winning the Oceania Sevens in Samoa two weeks ago with an unbeaten record after overcoming Samoa, Fiji (twice), Niue and New Zealand (twice) and MacKay is under no illusions as to the importance of that title success.
Not only, though, from the perspective of developing the women’s game in Australia and around the world, but also in helping to realise the International Rugby Board’s goal to secure the reintroduction of rugby into the Olympic Games.
“I think it is massive [that Australia have qualified], especially for women as they don’t have a higher place in the rugby union role in Australia and getting a side like that out there for the first World Cup is a massive achievement and something that can be moved forward,” MacKay told Total Rugby.
Sevens: A great spectacle for the Olympics
“And seeing how they are trying to get the Olympics to recognise Rugby Sevens, I think the World Cup in Dubai having both men’s and women’s sides is going to do great things for the Olympic Committee to look upon.
“Hopefully one day there could in the Olympics be a women’s Sevens and a men’s Sevens, which I think would be a great spectacle.
“Definitely this is the starting point. I think great things can happen here, seeing the growth in the game over a few years in Sevens with the men’s World Series, I couldn’t see there not being a market for a Women’s World Series a few years down the track.
“Especially if it was viewed as a world sport, which rugby is, but a world sport to be put on an Olympic stage, I think it would be great for men and women alike.”
Click here to find out how you can help the International Rugby Board to spread the message that the sport of Rugby should be included in the Olympic Games.
