News - What's been happening?

The impressive Russian Bears came back from a 19:0 deficit to beat France 26:19 in the thrilling cup final of the the European finals tournament played in Hanover, Germany on the weekend. Italy edged the in form Spain for the 3rd spot.

Portugal, the defending champions came 7th, disappointing for the team that had impressed throughout the World 7s Series. Russia claiming the title is of course great for the proud and disciplined team, but it is also great for rugby.

click below for more on the ladies final and more photos

Campo of course is one of world's rugby legends and one of the all time Australian rugby greats. He has always been the guy to tell it like it is, so it was about time he started his own online video show aptly called the www.11thcommandment.tv

This week Campo goes all out calling the South African Coach a muppet who maybe should start up his own circus. Campo also has his say about the curious case of Lote Tuqiri and is loving Roger Federer smashing in 50 aces in the Wimbledon finals.

After chatting to us on twitter, Campo also came on board backing rugby's Olympic bid, saying 7s is a spectacular sport that definitely should be in the Olympic Games. Well, there you go, heed the 11th Commandment and ENGAGE!

See 2.10 minutes into the video - enjoy the Campo show

With the European rugby season on break rugby heads everywhere combine their passion with a bit of sun and sand at fantastic beach rugby tournaments that are being played all over the show.

Recently 60 teams met at the Flemish Beach Rugby Tournament in Oostende, Belgium which was again a fantastic event with just the right amount of off the field mayhem and on sand rugby. They say, sand has it's own rules, but rugby is rugby and the hundreds of players got right behind olympic-rugby.org and sent us this amazing photo.

The olympic-rugby.org petition has exploded onto the scene and all of you have helped make it fly! Yes, this is only the beginning, but it has already attracted rugby stars from pretty much each and every top team out there, some of them even joined our outrageous Olympic Toga campaign (check it out here)and many more will follow!

As you know, we have the current 7s World Champions Wales on board, the South African Sevens team - who are the IRB Seven series winners are also there, as is one of their stars and IRB Sevens player of the year nominee Mpho Mbiyozo. (See all our friends here)

Bob Skinstad who was part of the Springbok World Cup Winners 2007 has been a legend for rugby's Olympic cause (watch the video) and now we have our latest top class buddy in Cheryl Soon, who captained the Australian Sevens team to World Championship glory in Dubai earlier this year.

Read Cheryl's take on rugby's presentation to the IOC and why it pays to make a noise for our sport!

International Rugby Board president, Bernard Lapasset aka King Tackles, is leading the rugby team - or better rugby's team that is presenting Rugby Sevens' case for inclusion in the Olympic Games to the IOC’s Executive Board in Switzerland today and he brought his eight stud boots and a serious game plan!

Lapasset will be joined by a number of very useful team mates one of whom is Cheryl Soon, captain courageous of the Australia Sevens team that won the Women’s Rugby World Cup Sevens earlier this year. We say: "Give her the ball, she's good!" Cheryl is fully backing olympic-rugby.org and has added her name to the petition - they don't call her legend for nothing!

The IOC receives presentations today by seven - a sign? - bidding sports, which are rugby sevens, rugby sevens, rugby sevens, rugby sevens, rugby sevens, rugby sevens and rugby sevens.

Sorry, wrong script, we meant baseball, golf, karate, rugby sevens, softball, squash and roller sports - roller what? This shortlist will be cut down to two by the IOC's executive board's mighty sword at a meeting on August 13 in Berlin - it is a 15 member board by the way - ahaaa! A magic rugby number we hear you scream! Our spies tell us golf and rugby sevens are leading the race because the IOC aims to include one individual sport and one team sport that is open to both sexes.

But then there are also the bookies who's odds look slightly different - cooking up odds is a dark art, but you have to give it to the wizards, they know their stuff and don't want to go out of business! Let's have a closer look at the relative probabilities of this seven horse race:

Rugby sevens - Odds 4-1(Ring the alarm!)

Fast and exciting to watch, bound to fill the biggest stadiums and boost TV ratings. Right now the IOC are wondering: Is there really a rugby lobby out there? You have the answer to that question! In fact, you ARE the answer! Sign the Petition! Spread the word! Wear a Toga! Get people to sign! ENGAGE!

Want to know the rest of the odds

Springbok legend Bob Skinstad chatted to Bodo, one of of the olympic-rugby.org guys about rugby and Olympic rugby - he also signed the petition of course!

Imagine rugby at the antique Olympic Games way back in 300 BC. Back then the Greek Gods were calling the shots and wouldn’t they have just loved the sport? How about the Trojans taking on the Spartans who would no doubt have dominated the tournament, with Ares, the God of War at openside flank, Zeus, the God of Thunder at inside center and Athena the Goddess of strategic battle and wisdom as their head coach!

About time rugby returned to the great heights of Olympos, the famous mountain that was the ‘home of the Gods’ in ancient Greek mythology.

To get it there, we have to dress the part in true outrageous 7s rugby style! So here it is! You’ve asked for it now you’re gonna get it:

Olympic-rugby.org has started the Olympic Toga campaign – which will be your weapon of mass awareness. Put on that bed sheet and take rugby to the Games!

Check Sébastien Tillous-Borde (French international) and Philip Christophers (England international) leading the charge! Ironically both play for French club Castrès ‘Olympiques’ and they are living rugby’s Olympic dream big time! Absolutely sensational!

Bob Skinstad, the 50th Springbok captain, who was of course also part of the famous South African side that won the 2007 Rugby World Cup in France, signed the petition this week and fully backs the olympic-rugby.org initiative. Like so many Springbok stars, he also played Sevens for his country.

The IRB is ready to cut its Rugby 7s World Cup, for the possibility of seeing the game played as part of the Olympics from 2016.

"The Olympic Games are the peak of sporting achievement, and the Olympic Games would be the pinnacle for Rugby 7s." IRB president Bernard Lapasset said on Tuesday during rehearsals ahead of its presentation to the IOC Executive Board in Lausanne next month.

South Africa claimed the World Seven Series title today by advancing to the quarter finals of the last series tournament - the Edinburgh Sevens. The Springboks also made it to the Edinburgh Cup final, but Fidji denied the fairytale ending to SA's excellent season, by hanging on to win the thrilling game. Fidji's victory also moved them to second spot in the overall standing, pushing past England in the last second.