USA Features

by Nigel Melville
Nigel Melville Direct blog 

The announcement that the sport of rugby will be included in both the 2016 and 2020 Olympic Games has already made an impact – on my already over worked inbox!

Messages from excited rugby players, coaches, administrators and fans from across the nation flowed in since the early hours of the morning when the results of the ballet were announced.

The vote (81 for and just 9 against) was an endorsement not only of the quality of rugby’s campaign, but confirmed the status of rugby as a truly global sport.

The IRB, lead by Chairman Bernard Lapasset and CEO Mike Miller, have delivered a faultless game plan, moments after the announcement we received a letter from Bernard thanking USA Rugby and all our constituents for their support during the campaign.

Of course, the announcement is just the beginning, the Olympic Games are several years in the future, we have four Rugby World Cups (15s), the Pan Am Games and a Rugby World Cup Sevens before then!

During the last few months we have been writing a strategic plan that was discussed with Congress and will be finalized in November with both the Board and Congress input. The plan covers all areas of the game and will support the direction and development of the game across the USA.

Once completed, this plan will be our road map; it will be a plan that all the rugby community must support and help deliver if we are to become one of the top rugby nations in the world. We have made progress, the game is growing in all the right areas, but we have to maintain the momentum.

On the USOC front, we submitted our membership application some months ago to raise our status, initially to Pan Am Games only, but today’s announcement will raise our status to full member.

Everyone asks about funding and support from the USOC, this will be available in due course. Our high performance plan will be submitted and areas of support will be discussed. The USOC has a wealth of experienced staff with specific expertise we can draw upon, they have training centers where our teams will be able to prepare to be their best and we can gain access to wide ranging developmental programs for coaches and administrators.

Today’s announcement will enable us to raise the bar quicker than has currently been possible. It will also bring recognition for the sport at every level, high schools and colleges, youth programs, parents, media and sponsors. Interest in the sport will be elevated, it is our role to provide the resources and support to enable all programs to grow.

These are exciting times for the sport of rugby, I am looking forward to working with all our rugby community to achieve our dreams of Olympic Gold!

I wonder how many players woke up this morning and thought, 'Maybe I could be selected for the 2016 Olympic Games.' – I also wonder how many athletes who haven’t picked up a rugby ball yet thought the same?

This week, Leonard Peters (former Chicago Bears) and Dallas Robinson (sprinter) trained with the USA Select XV as they prepared for their game this weekend against the Argentina Jaguars – a sign of things to come perhaps?

For more of Nigel's blog visit Nigel Melville Direct.

With an impressive resume as player, coach and administrator, Nigel David Melville took over as CEO and President of Rugby Operations of USA Rugby, the National Governing Body of the sport in America, in 2006.  In addition to his full time job promoting the sport in the U.S., Melville has launched his own blog, Nigel Melville Direct, to further the discussion and his passion for what it will take to make the U.S. a great rugby playing nation.

CLICK HERE to read more on Nigel Melville

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