Rugby union at the Olympic Games

Rugby Union has been a sport four times at the modern Olympic Games.

• 1900 Paris, France - Three teams entered - France, Germany and Britain. France won the gold, winning 27-17 against Germany, who received the silver medal. Britain lost 27-8 to France in the only other match, and gained awarded the bronze.
• 1908 London, United Kingdom - Two teams entered - Britain, the hosts, and Australia. Just one match took place, a straight final, won by Australia, 32-3.
• 1920 Antwerp, Belgium - Two teams entered - USA and France. The USA caused a shock by winning the only match 8-0 to take the gold medal.
• 1924 Paris, France - Three teams entered - France, USA and Romania. Each country played two games. Both France and USA beat Romania, who gained the bronze medal. France won 59-3, scoring 13 tries including four by the fine Stade Francais winger Adolphe Jaureguy. The USA then defeated Romania 39-0. The final took place at Colombes stadium, Paris on 18 May 1924 and the USA took the gold with a 17-3 victory before 30,000. The Americans, from Stanford University, scored five tries, (Farrish(2), Patrick, Rogers and Manelli), with a conversion by Doe. Gallau scored the lone French try. The match finished in uproar, when Gideon Nelson, one of the French reserves, was flattened by a walking stick. The crowd jeered at the American anthem, and the International Olympic Committee decides to discontinue events, such as rugby, which have attracted minimal entrants.

The future?

Discussions have taken place on re-instating rugby at the Summer Olympics, either as the full 15-a-side game or as the 7-a-side game. The IOC have already said that no new sports will be introduced for the 2008 Beijing games but sevens is one of five sports that could be selected for the 2012 games.

If it was reinstated as an Olympic sport, it would reach a much bigger audience than even the World Cup as people from non-rugby nations would see it (this would be similar to Ice Hockey at the Winter Olympics). It would also help some of the minor nations get funding.

However it might dilute the Rugby World Cup, the top players play too much rugby (there is only so much punishment the body can take) and the game would need to be competitive (there is a big gap between the major nations and the minor nations).

The advantages of a sevens tournament would be that the smaller nations would be able to compete, nations such as Fiji and Argentina are able to win sevens tournaments but wouldn't do so well at a 15s tournament. The tournament wouldn't take weeks to finish and the impact on players' bodies wouldn't be so detrimental. It would also not detract from the World Cup.

15s could be competitive with amateur players, even second-string professionals from the major nations would thrash first-string players from minor nations. But amateur players against amateur players would ensure a more or less level playing field. Minor nations could blood their best players in international rugby, plus there would be the opportunity to showcase their talent so that Super 12 / English / French clubs might sign up some of their players.

The other possibility is to take a leaf out of FIFA's book and restrict the age of players who are eligible to play in the Olympics. FIRA - Association of European Rugby runs some tournaments which would make suitable candidates.

It would take away from the World Cup to an extent, but perhaps minor nations would be better off playing in a competition where they had some chance of making progress and rejoining the World Cup when they are better able to compete.