With the introduction of golf and union 7s at the next Olympics should the RLIF push for RL whether 9s or 13 a side to be at the Olympics?

Surely it would increase participation numbers and SL attendances if we did well in it. It would also be an opportunity to develop the game in new areas!!

International RL isnt a big thing in our sport but if it was part of the Olympics it could be great!

I understand its right in the middle of the SL and NRL season but for it to be competative in the Olympics GB, NZ and Aus would have to have age restrictions as not to disrupt the league too much.

Thoughts?

It's no surprise that the administrators of Union have managed to get their sport included, yet I bet league didn't even try?

We're just lucky there was no Union in this olympics or they would have had a great boost.

It will never happen. The game is not big enough and never will be. The only nations to enter would be, GB, AUS, NZ, France, PNG, Samoa and Tonga. That just wouldn't justify adding another sport.

To be honest I think having Golf and 7's in there is stupid. No sport should be in the Olympics unless that is the ultimate goal in your sport. Football, Tennis etc should be dropped as well.

What about Canada, usa, Norway, the cook islands, Italy and south Africa to name but a few who have plenty of domestic players to choose from and would benefit greatly from Olympic inclusion?

However wasn't there talk of us being in the commonwealths soon?

In order to compete in the olympics a sport has to be played by men in 75 countries or 40 countries by women. Also must be played on 4 continents.

This is just to be considered to be an olympic sport.

75 countries?! Can't see it happening any time soon then.

It doesn't happen for most sports, but it doesn't stop them.

Which sports at this Olympics do you reckon "don't qualifY" under the 75/40 ruling?

It depends what level you consider. If you say for example virtually every country in the world has bicycles, so all forms of cycling is fine. But if you say it's only countries with regulation cycling tracks, bikes and timing systems, you'd be short I reckon.

Take Union for example, there is no way it's played to any decent level in any more than 20 countries. How they get 75 I'll never know.

The Olympics is about taking part......regardless of the standard of the participants.

Union which BTW I tried to avoid discussing by mentioning THIS OLYMPICS, ranks 96 international teams in the 15 man game....the majority of these teams are made up of amateurs/ex pats, but the FACT remains that the game is played and the countries are ranked. Here are some of the international matches planned for the next 12 months in the international game......it is an active sport in the eyes of the IOC.
[urlhttp://www.espnscrum.com/scrum/rugby/match/fixtures/international.html[/url

Is there anything to say League players can't be selected for the 7's?

I don't think so, but can you see Super League/ NRL clubs releasing players for the Olympics when it comes to the business end of the season?

No I can't but there's obviously no need for 2 codes of a rugby format at the olympics

Could use a similar concept as swimming and have League 9's and 13's, Yawnion 7's and 15's and every possible combination including the 7/9/13/15 Medley

Probably 25 to 30 medals available and after no more than 2 Olympics we could herald Sam Thomkins and the Greatest Olympian.......

Was thinking about this the other day. I've hated the idea every time I've seen anything written about it, but perhaps a "hybrid" 9s tournament could work for the Olympics, to showcase the best players from both codes. For any form of RL to be in the Olympics though the main sticking point would definitely be that neither the NRL or the SL would want their top stars released in the middle of the season.

Going off the medals Australia have won, I am suprised they are not championing this already......

Personally I agree with the other posters and the Olympics should not have football, tennis, golf (which will be at Rio), Rugby etc.

Completely agree. I had no interest in the football at all. IMO it's not an Olympic sport if a gold medal isn't the absolute pinnacle that everyone is striving towards. Football, tennis, golf and rugby in particular all would have 4 or 5 trophies that people would consider more important than an Olympic medal.

golf? at the olympics? really?

Until we make rl 9's a regular competition at club and int level it does not deserve to be in Olympics. Would love to see more club and world 9's comps played. We should have a world 9's ever February played in Oz and an invitational 9's during the season.

They are different sports that share the same shaped ball and part name. Should football and Gaelic football have a merged sport at the Olympics? If they can have beach volleyball and normal volleyball no reason you can't have two codes of rugby.

GOLF!!!! FFS. I only watch the athletics, the rest can go hang for me.

We could just have CC players in , that would keep the rest of the world out.

Whilst not totally agreeing they should be there the best events for me have been:
Canoe Slalom
BMX'ing (Yes I am GenX!)
Archery

Never watched any of them before but seeing as I am laid up following a knee op got to watch more of the Olympics this time than ever before. Some of the other events are actually very entertaining!