It's looking good (bad) for Rugby (missing the word union everywhere) 7's to join the olympics in 2016.

But should league teams be allowed to enter so that 2 teams rep a country

Like in some winter sports you have

GB1 and GB2

So why not have

GB1 - Union
GB2 - League

You can keep it as union 7's

No doubt the league teams would win but I doubt they get a look in at joining.

Given that the Olympics are usually held in the late summer/early autumn, I can't see too many SL coaches being prepared to let key players disappear off for three weeks to go play in a sevens competition.

www.olympic.org/en/content/The-I ... t-Session/ Not heard the word "union" said once.

www.olympic.org/en/content/The-I ... t-Session/ Not heard the word "union" said once.

They should have it as tag and have everyone involved.

SL coaches would not have these problems. The Olympics are for amatuers.

It would appear then that 'Rugby Sevens' is a completely different sport than 'Rugby Union' - I don't think it's much for us to worry about. Can you really see the kids in Rio giving up football to play this over any other sport?

Im sure I read somewhere that League players could be selected. Think it was one of the coaches when they were talking about it last a few months back. Think he said something about he'd have no prejudices if League players stuck their hand up for selection

Are they? Someone should point that out to Roger Federer and Lionel Messi...

If the NRL put forward a team to the Australian Olympic Committee.....I wonder what would happen.....

Out of interest do you think that would happen and what do you think the outcome would be if it did?

and Tiger Woods

It'd be refused entry at border control for being a bunch of crims.

Not since the advent of open professionalism in athletics, the admission of tennis, association football, basketball, etc etc etc

Even some Barla teams would hammer some of these so called rugby teams.

I think if the BOC try to stop league players being selected then their should be some serious protests and questions raised both in parliement as to why they should keep their funding and at the IOC as to why certain sportsmen were being discriminated against.

And I would hope any SL coach would be happy to see his players represent their country, especially in the greatest, most prestigious sporting event in the world.

And given the publicity it would give RL to see how dominant our players would be (given past displays) I would thought the RFL would be pretty keen on it too.

It will be interesting to see which people get the team/coaching jobs for the GB Olympic teams too.

Rugby League should offer their players up for selection

to have our best players playing on the biggest stage in sport would be great for the sports profile.

I sooner see snooker and darts in the olympics.

Mens singles
Mens Doubles
Mens Team

Womens Singles
Womens Doubles
Womens Team

Mixed Doubles
Mixed team


Gold medals aplenty me thinks for team GB

I think I've discussed this with someone in the know a few years ago.


Apparently the team involved would need to be ratified by the national governing body of the sport in question. So for instance in Swimming, the team is put forward by Swimming Australia (Or what ever they call themselves).


Now having said that, if there was a push in Australia even just by the media to include League players who put their hand up and wanted a run, I think it would make things really uncomfortable for the ARU.

The ARU would obviously say "If you want to play, you have to sign a wider, long term contract to play rugby union" but the court of public appeal would have a lot to say about any sevens team that left without League players that they knew would walk in such a title.

If you were going to pick the best Sevens team for "Rugby" players from Australia, you wouldn't even have a second look at the dross that the ARU has on their books.

For once the same thing applies (in terms of playing standards) in the UK too.

I am really p....d off with this as it could really damage our great game forever.

How's that then?

Because it will give that Godawful game even more exposure than it already has now and personally i would absolutely love it if that game died a horrible death

Without looking up on Google:
Who won men's Gold in the new discipline of BMX in the 2008 Olympics?
Who won women's Gold in the new discipline of 3000 metre steeplechase in the 2008 Olympics?


Forgettable isn't it?

they banned me from playing

You'll also find that the Rugby Sevens competition has far more in common with rugby league than you'd imagine.

You'll also find that the word "union" tends to be missed from the "Rugby Sevens" banner.

Put simply its bare bones rugby, the sort of plays that are common in both codes, yes there are line-outs to restart after the ball goes into touch but they are simple affairs with two or three players involved and are very quickly taken, more like a throw-in at football.

There is no play-the-ball but that is mainly because a player who has been tackled simply releases the ball immediately, there could be rucks but they rarely form simply because there are not enough bodies and no team wants to commit four players to a ruck leaving only three dangerously exposed - you find that tackles are made and the ball is away far quicker than either "normal" code achieves.

All in all its an entertaining game to watch and should not be compared to either code, its a code on its own.