England Rugby legend Will Greenwod excited for rugby 7s at the Olympics in ...

England rugby legend Will Greenwood believes Sevens’ inclusion in the Olympic Games will take the game to new heights worldwide.

Rugby Sevens makes it’s Olympic debut at the Rio Games in 2016, and the 2003 World Cup winner says it is the best thing that could have happened to the game.

Speaking during a visit to Dubai, where he was a star guest at the annual Emirates Long Lunch, Greenwood said: “Sevens is fantastic – as a sport to play and watch, and as an event, especially here in Dubai.

“It’s profile and reputation has made great progress thanks to the HSBC World Series, and now the IRB Women’s World Series too, but the Olympics will take it to new levels.

“Sevens is great in that you get countries taking part in international competitions where rugby is still very much a development in progress, like Kenya, Spain and Brazil, who I see are hosting a round of the women’s series this season.

“Now that the sport is in the Olympics it will hopefully mean more attention being given to rugby in those countries, and that can only be a good thing for the future of Sevens, and hopefully for rugby overall.

“Sevens will be fantastic at the Olympics, and I’m sure the fans will make it a wonderful atmosphere in terms of passionate support and colour.”

Meanwhile, Greenwood says he is not surprised that the Emirates Dubai Rugby Sevens continues to grow year on year.

“It’s a fantastic three days, and it is not just the top quality of the rugby, which you see at all the World Series events, but for the occassion – it’s a terrific event to go to, and everyone has such a great time.

“Again, it does brilliantly to promote the game to new audiences, because you don’t have to be a rugby fan to go there, it’s an event, it’s where you’d go with your mates, or where you’d happily take your family for a great day out.”

And with the Olympics in mind, Greenwood says competition is going to get more intense over the next few seasons. He said: “New Zealand have been, and are, fantastic in Sevens, as they are in the 15 a side game.

“But I think that more support from governing bodies for Sevens squads, as they realise how much good it is doing for the game worldwide, will mean standards rise and teams start to catch up, making it more competitive and more exciting.

The Emirates Dubai Rugby Sevens takes place between November 28 and 30 this year. It hosts round two of the HSBC World Series, and is the opening round of the IRB Women’s World Series. Tickets go on sale on September 30. For more information, visit the tournament website: www.dubairugby7s.com.

 

 

Article source: http://www.espnscrum.com/england/rugby/story/194311.html

England Rugby legend Will Greenwod excited for rugby 7s at the Olympics in ...