# Why isn't Rugby in the Olympics? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 8, 2000, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-rugby-in-the-olympics/32456 "2000-09-08T04:05:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![theuglytruth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@theuglytruth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/theuglytruth)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2000, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-rugby-in-the-olympics/32456/1 "2000-09-08T04:05:18Z")
Or at least I dont believe it is. Isn;t Rugby an international sport? ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2000, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-rugby-in-the-olympics/32456/2 "2000-09-08T04:22:04Z")
Yes, it’s an international sport, if you mean it’s being played in more than one country. But I do think the problem still might be its limited exposure worldwide. Then again, why the hell is Curling an Olympic sport, if that applies? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Cynical](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ee59a6/32.png) [@Mr.Cynical](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Cynical)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2000, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-rugby-in-the-olympics/32456/3 "2000-09-08T04:28:04Z")
Well, what sport is Australia introducing this year? Seems to me that this would have been the prefect time to make Rugby an Olympic sport. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Cynical](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ee59a6/32.png) [@Mr.Cynical](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Cynical)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2000, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-rugby-in-the-olympics/32456/4 "2000-09-08T04:30:51Z")
That is, unless I’ve just imagined that the host country gets to introduce a new sport during each olympics. Beach Volleyball, for instance. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Eaton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@Tom\_Eaton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Eaton)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2000, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-rugby-in-the-olympics/32456/5 "2000-09-08T04:31:05Z")
I’m no expert on rugby but they do have the Rugby World Cup which is held every four years like the Olympics. My guess is that the international rugby association (sorry, I don’t know the official name of it because I’m not a rugby guy) wants the focus to be on that particular competition, on which presumably it makes a good deal of money. FIFA, the international soccer (football, whatever) governing body, has a similar attitude regarding the soccer World Cup, which is why Olympic soccer is confined to teams made up of players under 23 years of age (plus a few ringers). Just because a sport is played internationally doesn’t mean it has to be in the Olympics. There are plenty of good international competitions in various sports. Personally I’ve always thought that the Olympics would be better if it didn’t include team sports at all, but only athletic competitions testing the limits of human physical achievement such as track and field, weight lifting, and swimming. The idea that the Olympics should be the most important competition in every sport is one I don’t really understand. ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2000, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-rugby-in-the-olympics/32456/6 "2000-09-08T04:37:43Z")
Welcome aboard Tom, and I think you’ve just provided us with the right answer. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2000, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-rugby-in-the-olympics/32456/7 "2000-09-08T04:56:26Z")
Rugby was an event in at several Olympic games starting in 1900 and including 1920 and 1924 when the U.S. took the gold. Why it was cancelled in or shortly after 1924, I do not know. Other events that have been cancelled include golf, cricket, and croquet. ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2000, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-rugby-in-the-olympics/32456/8 "2000-09-08T05:45:25Z")
Presumably the people that run international rugby don’t feel the need to bribe IOC members to get their sport included in the Olympics. I think now that if you are introducing a sport, it should have both men’s and women’s competitions and I don’t know how much women’s rugby is played internationally. There aren’t many single gender sports left in the Olympics (boxing, synchronized swimming are examples). ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2000, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-rugby-in-the-olympics/32456/9 "2000-09-08T05:47:50Z")
As an afterthought… Rugby officials probably aren’t too enamored of the IOC because many African nations boycotted the 1976 Games because a South African rugby team had been permitted to tour in New Zealand. Whether or not you thought that action appropriate, it is probably a big factor in the politics behind rugby becoming an Olympic sport. ---
**Author:** ![Kipper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Kipper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kipper)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2000, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-rugby-in-the-olympics/32456/10 "2000-09-08T06:43:41Z")
I can remember the 1987 Rugby World Cup when the US took pride in being the “current Olympic Champions”. ---
**Author:** ![London\_Calling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@London\_Calling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/London_Calling)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2000, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-rugby-in-the-olympics/32456/11 "2000-09-08T10:59:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mr. Cynical \* > \*\*Well, what sport is Australia introducing this year? Seems to me that this would have been the prefect time to make Rugby an Olympic sport. \*\* The only one that I know for sure is being introduced is Ballroom Dancing - can’t wait. Sequin city, baby 🆒 :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2000, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-rugby-in-the-olympics/32456/12 "2000-09-08T13:20:29Z")
Six years ago word had it that the International Cricket Council was going to make an application to the IOC to introduce Cricket during the Syndey Games. The Australians, IIRC, were the main sponsors of the application (I’ll have to check _Wisden 1994_ to make sure). Obviously they didn’t (a) prove that cricket was being played in enough countries, or (b) offer a bribe. Since “real Tae Kwon Do” (of a sort which is only practiced in South Korea, organised by a leader of the organising committee for the Seoul Games) is being introduced this year, I’m going to go for answer (b). ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2000, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-rugby-in-the-olympics/32456/13 "2000-09-08T14:36:23Z")
The SDMB rugger checking in. I know that I heard rugby was going to be an exhibition sport in an upcoming Olympics, but I’ll be d\*\*ned if I can find any info on it anywhere. Rest assured that if it does come back, the U.S. will no longer be the defending champions. On a side note, I will be attending Rugby World Cup 2004 in Sydney, so any Aussie SDMBers, get ready to have a Wisconsin boy teach you how to drink!! ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2000, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-rugby-in-the-olympics/32456/14 "2000-09-08T14:38:02Z")
Of course I meant 2003. ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2000, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-rugby-in-the-olympics/32456/15 "2000-09-08T14:49:30Z")
Guys, I think we ought to trust the expertise of **ChiefWahoo**. I mean, this guy lives and breathes Rugby. He plays rugby with [every possible thing that might function as a ball](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=26876) 😃 ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2000, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-rugby-in-the-olympics/32456/16 "2000-09-08T17:28:54Z")
Rugby is not on the schedule in Sydney as a demonstration sport. In fact, I don’t think there are any demonstration sports on the schedule. There weren’t any in Atlanta either. ---
**Author:** ![TomH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/90db22/32.png) [@TomH](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TomH)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2000, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-rugby-in-the-olympics/32456/17 "2000-09-08T18:24:08Z")
Cricket was included in the schedule for the 1896 Olympics, but nobody entered. In 1900, only Britain and France entered, after which it was dropped from the games. Britain won by 158 runs. ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2000, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-rugby-in-the-olympics/32456/18 "2000-09-08T18:41:29Z")
Ballroom dancing is not a sport, medal or demonstration, at the 2000 games. What ballroom dancing has done is become an officially recognized sport by the IOC. This means that it can start the application process to become an Olympic sport. The earliest it could be included on the Olympic schedule would be 2008. The organization that was recognized is called the International DanceSport Federation. It is run by IMG, a big sports agents’ group. ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2000, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-rugby-in-the-olympics/32456/19 "2000-09-08T19:10:24Z")
I found this regarding demonstration sports at the Olympics in the online archives of the [Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel](http://www.jsonline.com) > [@](#): > > Q: How does a new sport or event get added to the Olympic program? > > A: Starting in the year 2000, those sports seeking inclusion or currently on the summer Olympic program must meet the following criteria: men’s sports must be played in at least 75 countries and on four continents; for women, the sport must be contested in at least 40 countries and on three continents. The previously approved standards – which are in effect for the Atlanta Games – were 50 countries and three continents for men’s sports and 35 countries and three continents for women’s sports. New sports are admitted to the Olympic program at least seven years before the next Olympic Games and no changes are permitted after that time. For the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, the IOC has added the sports of triathlon and taekwondo. > > Several sports have had demonstration status at the Olympic Games, meaning the competitions were held but they did not have full medal status. However, after the winter and summer Games of 1992, there are no longer demonstration sports at the Olympic Games. Apparently, I dreamed the demo sport thing. I do think rugby meets the qualifications specified in the first paragraph. Shall we start a petition? ---
**Author:** ![CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crankyasanoldman/32/11670_2.png) [@CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrankyAsAnOldMan)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2000, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-rugby-in-the-olympics/32456/20 "2000-09-08T21:13:36Z")
Having had a long-time thing for ruggers (and so many exboyfriends on the local team, I’m too ashamed to go to games) I am now looking on ChiefWahoo with new, lustful eyes. leer leer. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-rugby-in-the-olympics/32456.md?page=2)