Our fourth installment of Olympic rugby Expert opinions takes us to South America. Today’s expert Esteban Duffour from Argentina’s Olivos Rugby Club, has a plenty of experience in the Sevens format.

He shares his vision of Argentinean rugby if Sevens features at the Games and makes a passionate case for Rio as host city for the 2016 Olympics which should see rugby re-introduced to this exciting stage.

Esteban having played many years and tournaments around the country he realized that the organizational structures needed improving.

Tournaments were overlapping unnecessarily so www.7Aside.com.ar was born as a website that provides synergies between organizers and players. Now organizers can promote their event and Esteban created what is basically the Seven Aside Community of Argentina. Their slogan couldn’t be more fitting: 'How much sevens are you going to play this year?' – ‘Cuanto Sevens Vas a Jugar Este Año?”.

Always on top of all things rugby, Esteban signed olympic-rugby.org as number 1914.

Olympic-rugby.org: Sevens is clearly in your blood. How good do you think the chances are Sevens rugby will convince the Olympic decision makers? The bookies odds apparently are 4:1.

Chances? HUGE! We Argentinean Rugbiers are convinced that Rugby will be Olympic. Our former captain Agustin Pichot has been flying the flag before the IOC. I trust he will give everything to make International Rugby be heard. I believe all Argentinan and Latin American people would agree that there is no sport more in line with the Olympic principles than rugby and if it comes to the crunch, we will all scrum down and push for inclusion together.

After rugby be Olympic in 2016, I expect rugby to be more professional by 2020. With increaded media broadcasting rugby I hope will be challenging Soccer, or at least be the 2nd biggest world sport. I think the 2020 Olympics will be extraordinary with a worldwide audience on TV or the Internet following the magic of Sevens rugby. This question makes me daydream about a massive 2020 Olympics opening in Buenos Aires with a lot of rugby, balls everywhere, magic, magic, magic!

OR: That is the South American passion we expect! How do you think will rugby in Argentina change should the Olympic bid be successful?

Here in Argentina rugby is still an amateur sport. Even though the country has a high level of rugby, it still is not yet professional enough for players to fully focus on it and make a living. Players work, study, or sometimes both.

This year the PLADAR program got launched. PLADAR is a program which gives travel allowance to the higher level players - about 50 players have been identified. All of these improvements come as a result of the Puma’s great performance during the RWC 2007.

Also in order to be more competitive internationally, the Argentinean Union aims to be part of the 4 Nations, sorry, Tri Nations. Rugby will grow on grassroots level and I envision children playing rugby in parks, and rugby being taught in Public Schools.

If Rugby becomes Olympic, we will receive government funding and support, and more campaigns to encourage youngsters to play will be realised. Also more international tournaments will improve relationships with fellow rugby countries as well as improve the rugby of all involved.

OR: Finally, with Rio de Janeiro, Madrid, Tokyo and Chicago bidding to host 2016, which of the cities would you most like to travel to, to watch Olympic rugby and why?

No doubts about this questions, it has to be BRAZIL!

None of the countries has got a high level of Rugby, so I’d prefer Rio de Janeiro because of its beaches, its music, its atmosphere, its beautiful women (Garotas!). I have just recently been there and it was fantastic

Seriously speaking and with the regional, South American rugby interests in mind, Brazil would certainly promote the sports growth in an amazing way.

Besides that, Brazil is close, and like here or in South Africa, we people like to do sport in parks, and on beaches it has a tremendous sports culture.

Brazil has got the infrastructure, big stadiums, and offers a lot of parallel activities. I think I speak in the name of all Argentinian people, otherwise most of us couldn’t go see the Olympics Games. So my vote goes to Rio, and Ipanema´s garotas – the beautiful ladies on Ipanema Rio’s main beach.

OR: Brazil should send you to the IOC to make their case! You certainly have us convinced. Thanks for taking the time.

ED: No problem at all and congratulations to olympic-rugby.org - I hope more and more people get behind this great initiative.

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