however it will get a lot of exposure, it will help make stars of its players, it will get publicity for the players teams.

It will be extremely short sighted if RL does not look to have some impact.

can you imagine the news stories, Britain through to semi finals after Bath player x scores A try and Leicester player scores a DG.

It would be sad to see Gb win gold medal with a team made up of Wasps, sale, Bristol players. they then go on to feature in advertising, come and see the Rugby Sevens winners before a RU international game etc.

It would be much better if the news is about x from Wigan or St helens become the news story and the poster boys.

With nregard to rugby league players being involved, I doubt any rugby league coaches would be happy if they did as the Olympics take place during the season.

What's going to happen when the rugby union players are knocking bells out of each other weeks or even days before they start the season with their well paying clubs?

I've always thought the Olympics should be the pinnacle of your sport. Tennis, basketball and football are three sports which shouldn't be there.

A number of leading golfers have already said they wouldn't take part if it disrupted their preparation for an important tournament. Isn't the PGA Championship in August?
It's going to be a joke with the leading golfers absent.

No-one gives a rat's ass about these "peripheral" sports in the Olympics. Track and Field are the big draws. The Rugby Seven's will be over in a flash and quickly forgotten.

Go give your head a shake.

The olympics will be the BIGGEST sporting event EVER to take place in England.

There will be wall to wall coverageof all events on UK tv.
The news will all be about the olympics other than a major news event will anything else get mentioned.

The olympic sports will be in packed out stadiums.

There will be two or three days of the Sevens probably taking place in a full TWICKENHAM.

The successful teams will be all over the media.

TV will broadcast every match live because it is fast , exciting and people will want to watch it.

The people who are running it, playing it ie the RFU will milk it for everything they can get.

When it is over the winners possibly Britain will use it for advertising it would be a perfect set up for them to advertise their 15 a side brand.

Johhny Wilkinson is still the most famous rugby player in England was he the best, was he good, is a legend NO. It is because of one bloody drop goal .

I would be happier and RL would benefit if they were saying and the Olympic gold medal was won by Wigan Warriors Sam Tompkins or warringtons Richie Myler.

That is called advertising or thinking ahead not your insular ooh we are the better game small minded attitude.

Durham Giant, rugby (union) only comes into the olympics in 2016. That's Brazil, not the UK.

Except Londons 2012 and this starts '16 doesnt it?

Give his head a shake will you

Change the country and swap the maracana for Twickenham and the principal is still there.

OK. Granted - it'll get a fair amount of media attraction for a couple of days. How seismic is this for Rugby League? Not much, it really isn't. The RWC is more "damaging" by comparison because, [icompared to our crap effort[/i, it's a real World event.

Need to get in all the schools first!
There's still people within 20 miles of the 'heartlands' that don't have the foggiest that Rugby League exists.
At first I thought it daft but i'd be tempted to rebrand as 'League'.

Don't believe the hype. 192 countries play rugby union yet only 4 had a realistic chance of winning the world cup last time round.
in rugby league it's 2 from around 12.
Did you watch any of the last rugby union world cup? I did and it was pish poor. That's not blind bias, but a genuine observation. Argentina were a shining light as they tried to combat the kick kick kick of teams like Australia, England and South Africa.

In France and Catalonia they are known as rugby XIII and rugby XV.

Can you imagine the excitement a cross-code GB Rugby Sevens team would generate?

Don't shoot me for heresy but....

....perhaps this is the ticket to rejoin the codes?