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!

Golf - Odds 5-1

Having featured twice in the Games, back when the world was still black and white, it has Olympic heritage and is global - rugby? featured four times - check global - check. A 72-hole strokeplay tournament would bring feature stars such as Tiger Woods' caddy, alongside big TV audiences and sponsors’ cheques the size of a driving range. Fancy a bit of strokeplay anyone? Let's discuss that while we watch a Sevens game, shall we?

Squash - Odds 6-4

Good game to play, but watching it is a bit pointless unless you're a hawk. Let's watch two people smash around a tiny ball traveling at 160mph - "Did you see that?" - "Aehm, nope".

Baseball - Odds 2-1

There is a Major drug issue in the Major League Baseball, hence the name. Also they have a world league and the USA just keeps winning it every time! They are the only country represented in it? Really? Anyway, the sport was kicked out for London 2012 - now they're hoping for a negative b-sample and a way back in. Look at those odds!

Softball Odds 2-1

Topping the Olympic scrapheap in 2005 alongside fellow bat swingers Baseball, it has a strong case as all female sport and want's back in! They've got big bats and are not afraid to use them - the bookies know that and are scared!

Karate Odds 2-1

100 million participants worldwide are ready to kick your butt to get their sport included, but how many martial arts do we want at the Games, really? Judo, Tae Kwon Do, Wrestling, Boxing, Fencing, Archery - let's add Karate and make that Seven! Seven? Wait, we've got a better idea.

Roller sports Odds 4-1

The busy IOC members like hanging out with their children and grand children and stroke of genius decided they want to add some youthful colour and get the kids to like them more. But, as has been mentioned, they are very busy and got it a bit wrong, because the sport they consider features road racing but not skateboarding or roller hockey - "Mom, I'm going outside for a bit of ROLLER SPORTS" Boooring! Does it have a lobby? No, the kids are too cool to care and too busy skateboarding. Hello, the odds are the same as rugby's!

Jacques Rogge, the IOC president, hopes the recommendations will include rugby sevens! No, apologies, he hopes the recommendations prepared in Berlin in August will be ready to go for the final voting in Copenhagen in October. This strategy is designed to avoid a repeat of the fiasco in Singapore in 2005 when Rugby and Karate had made the final two, but no sport was voted in despite two available slots following the exclusion of the bat swingers after the Beijing Games. Yes it was a fiasco, a knock on over the try line! Rugby was rearing to go and ready to rock the London Olympics 2012, but no it got kicked into touch and to the back of the queue.

Now you the rugby world have a responsibility to get on your Olympic Togas and kick up a fuss for our great game! Phase 2 is August and Phase 3 October - we have a bit of time to get the numbers up and rugby's name in the mix - we have to and can DO IT! Wanna bet? Crouch touch and pause - ENGAGE!

here's how: olympic-rugby.org/engage.html

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