A memorable season for women’s Rugby is on track to come to a thrilling conclusion at Rugby World Cup Sevens 2013 in Moscow at the end
of this month when the top 16 Sevens teams will compete for the top prize.
The women’s competition made its debut at Dubai 2009 and immediately made a big impact with the sheer level of competitiveness and broad
geographical spread.
That event, where Australia were crowned champions, demonstrated not only the vast strides made by Rugby but also what additional excitement,
drama and entertainment Rugby Sevens would bring to the Olympic Games.
Four years on and Rugby Sevens is now an Olympic sport, gearing up to
the pinnacle that is Rio 2016 and an opportunity for the best men’s and women’s players to showcase their talent on the world’s biggest sporting
stage.
There is little doubt that 2013 has been a watershed for the women’s
Game. The successful inauguration of the IRB Women’s Sevens World Series, a global qualification process for Rugby World Cup Sevens and
new nations qualifying (Fiji, Ireland and Tunisia) have capped a remarkable 12 months that has also seen the IRB step up its development
and administration programmes to ensure that women’s Rugby maximises the Olympic opportunity.
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IRB Chairman Bernard Lapasset said: “The ‘Olympic effect’ has been massive and perhaps nowhere has it been felt more keenly than in the
women’s Game where participation, awareness and competition have all been boosted.”
“There are now more than one million women and girls actively playing Rugby in 118 nations – a fifth of the total playing population – while
participation is booming in countries such as USA, Brazil, China and the Netherlands.”
“Of course such strides forward require investment in time, funds and direction and the IRB is committed to ensuring that women’s Rugby
continues to thrive and reach out to new players, audiences and commercial partners through its brand of exciting, geographically
diverse and highly competitive action, underpinned by Rugby’s character-building values.”
“All eyes will be on Moscow and I believe that fans will be in for a real treat as we will witness yet another step up in terms of
competition and performance. These are certainly exciting times for women’s Rugby.”
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