Turning point for rugby sevens – US ready for Olympics-inspired revolution
USA Eagles captain Madison Hughes says Americans will go crazy over the sport once they see it at its best in Rio
The United States rugby sevens team are on the verge of something special. Not only are they bent on Olympic glory but the players realise they are sitting on a gold mine in terms of exploding the game in their home country.
The defending Olympic champions, led by London-born skipper Madison Hughes, know that a strong run in Rio will help sevens capture the hearts of an American public fed on a high-energy diet of American football, basketball and baseball.
A lot of people in the US watch the Olympics and they will see the sevens and hopefully kids will say that’s the sport I want to play
Sevens has long played a support role for 15s in terms of popularity but Hughes believes this could be the year the shortened game establishes itself as a globally accepted sporting code in its own right.
“I really think the Olympics has massive potential for the growth of rugby sevens,” said Hughes. “It’s an attractive sport even if you don’t really know the intricacies of rugby. There are a lot of elements of the more popular sports in the US in rugby sevens.
“I’m sure people will see sevens at the Olympics and think that’s awesome and want to see more of it. A lot of people in the US watch the Olympics and they will see the sevens and hopefully kids will say that’s the sport I want to play.
“I can see massive growth for sevens and many years down the line we can look back at 2016 as the turning point for rugby sevens.”
