Golf and Rugby Sevens into the 2016 Olympics

[BCWWF]

What does everybody think? I've never seen a Rugby Sevens game, but it sounds like it was a great addition. It's expected to fill up the stadiums and add an exciting new sport that should turn some heads. Hopefully it gives countries like Argentina who are under-represented a chance to compete for a medal.

Not sure what I think about golf. I think it works as an Olympic sport, but in general I fear it will be too similar to the Olympic tennis tournament. I would have preferred to see either karate or squash, both of which are widely played and would have incorporated a lot of new countries that are underrepresented.

Thoughts?

[Supreme Olajuwon]

Sevens will be tremendous. Can't wait. And yeah underrepresented countries will be helped by this. Not sure why you picked Argentina because they usually send a ton of people but places like Fiji and Samoa definitely benefit.

[BCWWF]

Maybe I'm off, but I don't remember any Argentinians in the 2008 Olympics other than soccer.

[BCWWF]

And I used them as an example because I know they are a rising power in the Rugby Union, at least. Just assumed they might be OK at sevens as well.

[Emperor Smeat]

They had a basketball team in the last Olympics as well but in terms of medals, they don't win much as a country overall

[BCWWF]

Oh yeah, they're one of the basketball "powers", if you can call them that.

But yeah, South America in general is terribly under-represented (as well as India and south Asia). That's pretty much the reason Rio won the 2016 Games.

[Bad Company]

And I used them as an example because I know they are a rising power in the Rugby Union, at least. Just assumed they might be OK at sevens as well.
I wouldn't call them a rising power, the Argentinian side has been competitive since the 80s.
As stated, this will give pacific island countries a great boost, but realistically, as we will see a lot more 15's stars playing in the olympic 7s, the medals will likely be between NZ, South Africa, England, and Australia. Fiji and Samoa with an alright chance, and France, Wales, Kenya, and Argentina being outside chances.

[Supreme Olajuwon]

I think Wales and England will be on the same side for the Olympics right? Scotland too. They all compete for Great Britain. That side should be loaded.

[Team Sheep]

I wouldn't call them a rising power, the Argentinian side has been competitive since the 80s.
As stated, this will give pacific island countries a great boost, but realistically, as we will see a lot more 15's stars playing in the olympic 7s, the medals will likely be between NZ, South Africa, England, and Australia. Fiji and Samoa with an alright chance, and France, Wales, Kenya, and Argentina being outside chances.

Oi Wales are World Champions at 7's :cool:

But yeah it will be Great Britain.

[BCWWF]

Good point by Supreme. I know Team GB never competes in soccer out of fear that FIFA uses that to stop England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland from competing separately. I wonder how rugby sevens does that.

Also, this is random, but it's funny how lacrosse is the newest sport being pushed in America this decade, yet the rest of the world plays field hockey. That's America I guess though.

[Mike the Metal Ed]

Good point by Supreme. I know Team GB never competes in soccer out of fear that FIFA uses that to stop England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland from competing separately. I wonder how rugby sevens does that.

We already have an all Britain and Ireland rugby team (albeit not 7s), so it's not a huge difference to the way normal union is played and rugby union isn't run by a senile Swiss buffoon that hates everything about Britain.

[Team Sheep]

Nah rugby would never be under threat of having to play as Great Britain.

[Supreme Olajuwon]

LONDON, Oct 9 (Reuters) - World champions Wales and England have welcomed Friday's decision to include rugby sevens in the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in 2016.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) added rugby sevens and golf after a vote of members in Copenhagen. Rugby was last played at the Olympics in Paris in 1924.
"This is an important day in Welsh rugby history and certainly delivers a major boost to our Rugby Sevens ambitions," said Joe Lydon, Welsh Rugby Union's (WRU) head of performance and development.
"The exposure rugby sevens will get from inclusion in the Olympics will draw many new people into the sport and that has clear benefits for the whole of Welsh rugby."
Wales won the men's title at this year's rugby sevens world championship in Dubai in March, beating Argentina in the final while Australia took the women's crown.
Welsh players will compete with those from England and Scotland for a slot in the British team for 2016.
England's Ollie Phillips, who was voted the IRB's Sevens Player of the Year, said the abbreviated form of rugby would provide a fantastic spectacle at the Olympics.
"It's fabulous news and I was doing cartwheels round my flat," he said in an RFU statement.
"As someone who has been involved in Sevens for a number of years and seen how the World Sevens Series has grown, for it now to be an Olympic sport is amazing. It's the pinnacle of sport."
Rob Andrew, the RFU's Elite Rugby Director, said: "Sevens will be an invaluable addition to the Olympics.
"As proved in the Commonwealth Games, the IRB Sevens World Series and through its own Rugby World Cup, it is a thrilling spectacle that captivates the fans," he added.
Rugby sevens received 81 votes in favour of inclusion at the Olympics with just eight votes against.


http://www.reuters.com/article/olympicsNews/idUSL963690920091009

[El Vaquero de Infierno]

I don't get how any of those equestrian "sports" are ever in the olympics. The biggest pile of wank.

[Emperor Smeat]

Apparently equestrian sports originally were for the nobility/rich in the Olympics but were only "show" events and not competition. Only reason it staid in the Olympics is because later they included civilians and then decided to hold competitions to make it more interesting.

[Bad Company]

Show jumping and 3 day eventing is ok I rekon, but dressage shouldn't be a standalone event.