By Nick Butler at the Main Media Centre in Nanjing

France, Bernard Lapasset's own country, triumphed in the boy's rugby sevens competition ©Getty ImagesInternational Rugby Board (IRB) chairman Bernard Lapasset has hailed a "special, emotional and historic" moment for the sport as the dust settles here two days after the conclusion of the first Olympic rugby sevens tournament.


It is also 90 years since rugby in any shape was played at the Games, with the 15-a-side version appearing for the fourth and last occasion at Paris 1924. 

In a competition that was notable for the success enjoyed by countries outside the traditional rugby heartlands, including girl's bronze medal winners China, Australia got the better of Canada for female gold before France defeated Argentina to win the boy's final, 45-22. 

Most of the matches took place in front of large and vocal crowds at the Sports Park Rugby Field, with many locals keen for an opportunity to catch a glimpse of a sport due to make its senior Olympic debut at Rio 2016.

"It was a very special, emotional and historic occasion for the global rugby family and the players and the competition was exciting and played in the shared values of the Youth Olympics and rugby," said Lapasset.

"The future is certainly bright for global rugby and we can now look forward to delivering a rugby sevens event at the Rio Games that is great for the Olympics, great for rugby and great for Brazil."

IRB President Bernard Lapasset alongside IOC chief Thomas Bach and Athlete Role Model Heather Moyse ©IRBIRB President Bernard Lapasset alongside IOC chief Thomas Bach and Athlete Role Model Heather Moyse ©IRB


The tournament continues a strong few weeks for the sport following the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, where a recprd crowd of 171,000 filled Ibrox Stadium across the two days of action, breaking the previous highest attendance for any sevens tournament. 

But, beyond merely showcasing the sport, here in Nanjing the IRB has also worked in partnership with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Organising Committee to deliver wider development programmes designed to boost the sport further.

This included the "Get Into Rugby" participation programme that has already introduced more than 3,000 local boys and girls into the sport over the last three years.

Based around the twin aims of participation and enjoyment, a number of coaching clinics were put on in local schools in the city, with the presence of Canada's Heather Moyse, a two-time Winter Olympic bobsleigh champion, who also competed in the 2006 and 2010 editions of the Women's Rugby World Cup, a further boost.

"There is no doubt that rugby sevens will be a hit at Rio," said Moyse, who was here during the tournament as an IOC Athlete Role Model.

"We have witnessed a great competition that has captivated the locals, provided our young players with an incredible experience on and off the field and showcased rugby and its character-building values to the world.

"Rio is going to be a great event, it will be massive for rugby's growth and there is no doubt that our top players are looking forward to it."

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