• • Facebook
  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • Technorati
  • Reddit
  • Stumble Upon
  • Furl

The International Olympic Committee have announced that Rugby Sevens and Golf are the two sports shortlisted for potential inclusion at the 2016 Olympic Games.

The 15-member executive board reviewed all seven sports’ presentations and revealed that Rugby Sevens and golf have been chosen in the meeting in Berlin today.

The final decision will not be made until the 106-member assembly meet in Copenhagen on October 9 but this announcement brings Olympic inclusion one step closer.

IOC President Jacques Rogge said: "There was a secret ballot on all the seven sports in the same system we use for the decision of the host nations.

"The two sports we have proposed are not yet in the programme until the session validates them in Copenhagen - but I hope they will be."

Rugby union, which was last played at the 1924 Olympics in the full 15-a-side format, would return in the faster, short-format seven-a-side version for both men and women.

It is already part of the Commonwealth Games and demonstrated it could hold the tournaments concurrently at the Rugby World Cup Sevens in Dubai in March. 

Sevens has run a tenacious campaign since missing out on the last programme in 2005, making much of its appeal to the corporate market and the compact format of a sevens tournament means it could also comfortably be scheduled in the main Olympic stadium in the first week of the Games.

Bernard Lapasset, President of the IRB, said: “We would like to thank the IOC Executive Board for selecting Rugby Sevens from what are seven strong and diverse sports. We recognise the significance of this milestone in our campaign but are also mindful that the ultimate decision rests with the IOC members when they meet in Copenhagen on October 9 2009.

“The Olympic Games would be the pinnacle of the sport for all our athletes and the Rugby Family, providing the opportunity for the best men’s and women’s players in the world to showcase their talent on the world’s greatest sporting stage. The international Rugby community is united behind Rugby Sevens’ campaign and we now look ahead to October.”

Have your say on the announcement on the UR7s forum.