The Kangaroos could be in a position to go for gold in 2032.
Rugby league will face stiff competition in achieving its objective. About 25 sports are considered staples of the Olympic program,such as athletics,swimming and weightlifting. Others,such as sevens rugby or new Tokyo inclusions climbing and skateboarding,will have their status constantly reviewed.
Cricket officials are pushing for the T20 format to be included in the Olympic program,Netball has claims despite minimal male participation,while surfing’s future isn’t guaranteed beyond the 2024 Games. Rugby’s Olympic future is clouded beyond 2028 and there will be obvious questions raised about whether league Nines is too similar a sport to rugby sevens.
“I think they can[coexist],but I’m confident that our product is better,” Grant said.
“I’d like to see us both there because that would only help us with product differentiation.
“I think we have more countries,which most people don’t realise. We have less countries at the competitive or elite level,but we have more countries by way of participation.
“We’ll be working in earnest to achieve that outcome.”
IRL chairman Troy Grant on league becoming an Olympic sport
“We’ve got 40-odd currently ranked,but we’re building. I took a call from Macedonia today to start their membership component. We are a growing sport.”
If unsuccessful in becoming a fully-fledged medal event,there is the prospect of becoming a demonstration sport,although the Games haven’t included those since 1992.
IRL is poised to release an international calendar that will include participation in the Pacific Games,a World Cup in France in 2025 followed by one likely to be held in North America or the Pacific in 2029. However,the 2021 edition in the United Kingdom remains clouded given Australia has yet to sign a participation agreement due to health concerns.
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Asked if the 2021 World Cup would go ahead without the Kangaroos,Grant said:“That’s a question for the World Cup committee,the UK government and us in partnership. We’ll cross that bridge if we need to.”
Netball Australia chair Marina Go said the sport would make a compelling case for Olympic inclusion in 2032.
“Netball internationally has been thinking about this for some time,” Go said.
“It’s one of the few sports where Australia has been the world No.1 for most of its existence and in 2027 we will celebrate the centenary of netball.
“It’s also a sport where African countries have a better-than-average chance of claiming a medal,because South Africa is strong and it’s also played in the Pacific.
“If the Olympic committee wants to look at a diversification of countries that can win medals,which I believe it does,then netball has to be right up there.
“We have a Fast5 version of our game and for rugby to enter the Olympics they did it through rugby sevens,but we also have a traditional format.
“If they want gender diversity,engagement by women and girls in terms of participation and viewership,this is a sport that has to be on that stage.
“We will be gunning hard.”
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