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more »Dallaglio backs players for Commonwealth Games

Lawrence Dallaglio believes that every player has the right to demand to play Sevens at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in India – despite what their clubs might say.
Some teams are thought to be unhappy about releasing their stars for the event, which will be staged in the heat and humidity of Delhi next October right in the middle of the beginning of the Guinness Premiership.
But Dallaglio, who won the Rugby World Cup Sevens with England in 1993, believes there is no excuse for missing the Games, especially with the seven-man code on the brink of earning a place at the Olympics Games.
"If I was a player I would be sitting down with my coach - if I was a very good Sevens player - and almost insisting on it," he said.
"Players should be in charge of their own destinies - they don't need clubs telling them what to do all the time.
"I would have loved to have played in the Commonwealth Games. I was lucky enough to have played in the World Cup because rugby didn't exist in the Commonwealth Games then.
"It's about striking a balance but I don't know many clubs or organisations who would want to withhold any player the opportunity to play for his country."
Dallaglio this week joined the board of the Commonwealth Games England - a position he intends to use to attract the best to compete in India next year.
England are the only British nation to win a medal since Sevens made its debut at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur - losing to New Zealand in the final three years ago in Melbourne - and the former number 8 wants to use his passion for England, and rugby, to go one better in Delhi.
"I'm a busy boy and I've got a lot of things happening in my life but this is a challenge that stands out to me because I'm passionate about sport," he added.
"I'm a very passionate Englishman - and I believe we don't celebrate our Englishness in the way we should and there's no better way to celebrate everything that's good about England than on a big sporting stage like the Commonwealth Games."
In October the International Olympic Committee convenes in Copenhagen, with the inclusion of Sevens high on their agenda and an announcement due to be made on October 9.
The sport needs to receive a simple majority of members' support to earn a spot in the 2016 schedule and Dallaglio is confident of a positive decision.
"There's a demand for it - no doubt about it," added Dallaglio.
"You've only got to look at some of the successful tournaments in Dubai and Hong Kong - even in London they got 30,000 for the IRB tournament - so rugby has a huge place.
"The athletics stadium stays pretty empty for the first couple of weeks so why not fill it up for three days and have a fantastic tournament.
"Three days of watching Sevens is a lot of fun - it's fast and entertaining.
"More often than not we know who's going to be in the 100m final but in Sevens it's proper sport, true sport, because you can always get an upset."





COMMENTS
snns Sat 9 Oct 2010 03:04
can someone make a website with the peple the the commonwelth games !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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