London Out Loud - Left in the lurch

Rugby is right up there with football in terms of popularity at least throughout Western Europe.

Yet despite this, the international Olympics body has consistently overlooked the sport.

This could be attributed to the fact that in a large number of countries, it is considered a boorish, barbarous game.

Meanwhile rugby-mad countries - such as the UK, Ireland, France, South Africa and the Oceania states – consider the game a definite symbol of strength and bravery.

So, despite the fact that the rugby union managed to enter the Olympic Games in early twentieth century, a lack of worldwide recognition and interest at the time meant that it was dropped.

The first British team to play Olympic-level rugby was Moseley RFC at the 1900 Games in Paris.

In the three-team-tournament, they were beaten by eventual champions France and also abandoned their second game against Germany.

And while a major rugby tournament was planned for the 1908 London Olympics, only Australia showed an interest in the idea.

Eventually, only one game was played between Great Britain and Australia where the former suffered a humiliating 3-32 defeat.

Rugby was included again in the 1920 and 1924 Olympic Games, but no British teams participated due to schedule clashes.

In 2005, The Rugby Sevens missed the chance to get into the 2012 Olympics.

But as the sport becomes more popular in countries like Argentina, Japan, Namibia and even United States, it may not be too long before the game makes it onto the Olympic roster.

Unfortunately, cricket has never made it to the Olympics.

The ‘second most popular sport in the world’ (so says a Wikipedia entry) like golf, has failed to make it because of “mismanagement, incompetence and a lack of interest...”

The only Olympic connection the gentleman’s game can boast this year is the fact that Lord’s cricket ground will host the archery event in 2012.

Therefore Lord’s, considered the Home of Cricket, is getting a multi-million pound face-lift. But the game’s future as an Olympic sport still remains uncertain.