Forget for a moment the difficulties of selecting a seven from the three home unions and the Ulstermen in the Ireland team. The idea of taking part in the Olympics will appeal to the top competitors. Valuable Dallaglio and company will want to enjoy the Olympic experience as much as Tim Henman and Greg Rusedski did when tennis joined the Olympic family. The idea of taking part in the Olympics will appeal to the top competitors Alastair Hignell Forget also the problem of finding time for the combination to train and opposition for it to play against. Concentrate instead on whether the sport of rugby, any more than the sport of tennis, has a place at the Games.
Most sports build their calendars around the Olympics.
For individuals like Redgrave and Lewis, Olympic titles represent the pinnacle of achievement. As such, they are far more valuable than World Championship medals. But tennis has its Grand Slam and rugby has its World Cup. They're the central points in a calendar which can only be distorted by the insertion of the Olympics. Soccer has solved the problem by ignoring the Games as a serious senior competition.