Olympics: Sevens turned down as IOC wields the axe

The IRB says the International Olympic Committee has missed a chance to modernise the Olympics by denying the sport of sevens entry to the 2012 Games.

Rugby sevens was on a shortlist of five sports for possible inclusion in the Olympics after baseball and softball were axed yesterday from the 2012 London Olympics.

"There has been much talk in the sporting world about the need for the Olympic Games to move with the times and be relevant to today's youth, athletes and society," said IRB president Syd Millar. "The IRB put forward a strong case that rugby sevens reflects the future."

London's Games will now feature 26 sports rather than 28 after IOC members rejected proposals to replace the two with squash and karate, two picked from the original five.

Reaction in the US to the elimination of baseball and softball ranged from disappointment to outrage.

"It was a bad call. Very disturbing," said Tommy Lasorda, the former LA Dodgers manager who led the US squad to the gold medal at Sydney in 2000. "I can't believe they would drop baseball and softball, two very big sports played throughout the world. I haven't heard one reason why they're doing this."

The two sports failed to win a majority of votes at a meeting of the IOC in Singapore and became the first sports to be eliminated from the Games in nearly 70 years.

Baseball and softball will remain on the agenda for the 2008 Games in Beijing and could be reinstated for 2016.

- AGENCIES