General Rugby league for the Olympics?

[Northern_Union]

Theres a petition for league to be included as a demonstration sport for the 2012 London games which has started in france. Click on the link and add your name to the petition to hopefully get league onto the world stage.

https://www.petitiononline.com/rugby21/petition.html

 

[playdaball_old]

i SIGNED IT BUT DON'T THINK IT'LLL HAPPEN.

What is the criteria for a sport to be included in the oLYMPICS? i.e. - does it have to be played in so many countries etc

 

[Northern_Union]

Not entirely sure but if you look at sports like beach volley ball, synchronized swimming,handball and under water hockey then you have to think league has a reasonable shot at it.

 

[attila_the_gorilla]

I just don`t like these dumbed down version of 7 a side and stuff. At least those should be played on a smaller size pitch.

 

[Mone_old]

I just don`t like these dumbed down version of 7 a side and stuff. At least those should be played on a smaller size pitch.

That would sort of defeat the purpose.

 

[Northern_Union]

Yes now that i think about it Mone is correct, to play 7's or 9's on a small pitch would defeat the purpose of 7's and 9's.

 

[Mone_old]

Conditions for entering a sport into the summer Olympics are quite tenuous:
It must fulfill amongst other conditions:
that a proposed sport need to be widely practised by men in 75 countries on four continents and by women in 40 countries on three continents.

Lol I thought you were joking about underwater hockey, we would have to be light years in front of them!!!

 

[Northern_Union]

Along with afiliated nations i think we could just about make the 75 nations rule. However, were no where near the 40 countries playing womans league, we'd be lucky to make 10.

Perhapes the Commonwealth games might be more realistic?

 

[Mone_old]

We should if they are serious be automatically in the CG's, which commonwealth countries dont play League?

 

[attila_the_gorilla]

That would sort of defeat the purpose.

I WANT to defeat the purpose. In fact I see no purpose there at all. Sevens rugby is the most boring sport in the universe, but only because it`s played on a full-sized pitch. Of course the trouble is that it`s not economical to create custom-sized pitches just for a demonstrational sport.

 

[Mone_old]

It would be impossible to have a full 13 a side tournament of that size spaced over 2 weeks.

 

[attila_the_gorilla]

Well they do it in soccer, with a lot more teams.

But I don`t mind 7 or 9 a side, but played on a full pitch has nothing to do with the real game at all. Maybe they could have some sort of beach rugby league instead hehe.

 

[Mone_old]

Well they do it in soccer, with a lot more teams.

But I don`t mind 7 or 9 a side, but played on a full pitch has nothing to do with the real game at all. Maybe they could have some sort of beach rugby league instead hehe.

Haha, yeah they do, I didnt think of that.

 

[Kid-Dynamite_old]

Na, as much as I love Rugby League the olympics is not the place for it!

As I believe it is not the place for sports like baseball, soccer, basketball etc. I love the Olympics for individual efforts, and I think the Olympics should predominantly be about the individuals.

 

[Mone_old]

You should see it not so much as it becoming an Olympic sport but using the Olympics as a stage to showcase our game.

 

[attila_the_gorilla]

Well it`s a great way to make the game known globally... As an exhibition sport at the Olympics, it could do wonders for the growth of the international game.

 

[Kid-Dynamite_old]

You should see it not so much as it becoming an Olympic sport but using the Olympics as a stage to showcase our game.

Yea, sure. but I just think team sports have there time in the sun with there World Cups etc (major tournaments)

I think the Olypmics is a time for sports like Athletics and swimming etc to have there time in the sun. Because when else, apart from the Olympics (or Commonwealth Games) do these kind of sports really get much attention!?

 

[Mone_old]

The athletic world champs are a close second to the O's (in matter of importance) and televised if not live then delayed in nearly every country in the world, boxing is hugely televised, and the swimming world champs are pretty big also.

 

[Kid-Dynamite_old]

The athletic world champs are a close second to the O's (in matter of importance) and televised if not live then delayed in nearly every country in the world, boxing is hugely televised, and the swimming world champs are pretty big also.

Do you have figures to back this up!? I'm not saying it's not televised, I'm saying that not as many people watch these sports if it's not the olympics.

Boxing is heavily televised?!?! Only for people who are prepared to pay to watch it on pay-per view!

 

[attila_the_gorilla]

That`s professional boxing you`re talking about, KD. The amateur boxing world champs are a big event, and like Mone said, the IAAF World champs in athletics is massive, and it`s held every two years, since 1983. Before that, though, they only had the Olympics, but now it`s a huge event. Maybe we don`t see a lot of these things in NZ.