Chinese rugby players hope for Olympic inclusion.

Summary: China's rugby enthusiasts are hoping Olympic inclusion can transform the sport in the country.

Few people will be worrying over next month's decision on the inclusion of rugby in the Olympics as the band of enthusiasts who have run the sport in China for the last twenty years.

Such is China's obsession with Olympic success that a vote from the International Olympic Committee to add sevens to the schedule for the 2016 Games would transform the "olive ball game", as it is known in Chinese.

Rugby would immediately attract central government funding and, more importantly, become a sport at China's quadrennial National Games, which in turn could lead to the establishment of teams in most of the country's 31 provinces and regions.

Currently, the China Agricultural University is the heart and soul of Chinese rugby. The university launched mainland China's first rugby team after a professor returned from studying in Japan in 1989.

For coach Zheng Hongjun the popularity of the sport could grow if they get the right Olympic decision.

"If rugby manages to get into the Olympics there will inevitably be a great development in China," Zheng said.

"The state will pay more attention to it so rugby can enjoy a quick expansion all over the country as the sports schools' provincial teams will be launched one after another.

"And we will eventually see professional players being produced by the state sports structure."

China joined the International Rugby Board in 1996 and played their first test against Singapore the following year, but in recent years they have been focusing almost exclusively on sevens.

"It's less expensive, more fitting with Chinese people's speed, mobility and relatively smaller body size and, significantly, it's an Asian Games event," said Zheng.

China won a bronze medal when sevens made its Asian Games debut in 2007, inspired by captain and current coach Johnny Zhang.

"I was very excited when I heard rugby might enter the Olympics. We would be able to pay to take part in tournaments abroad, and would not have to wait for invitations with offers of accommodation," said Zhang, China's star player.

"My life would be much easier. We would no longer be short of money and all back-up stuff such as medical care and scientific research would be guaranteed."

The changes may come too late for Zhang, who plans to retire after next year's Asian Games in Guangzhou, but he has already claimed his footnote in the record books as the leading points and try scorer in the history of the Hong Kong Sevens.

It is hoped in the future there will be kids from all over China hoping to become the next Johnny Zhang.

Independent Television News Limited 2009. All rights reserved.

Independent Television News Limited 2009. All rights reserved.

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