Rugby will be taken to a "new level" thanks to Rio 2016, World Cup winner claims

Rugby World Cup winner Dan Luger feels rugby will be taken to a "new level" by being part of the Olympic Games ©Getty Images

Rugby Sevens making its Olympic Games debut at Rio 2016 will take the sport to a “whole new level”, 2003 Rugby World Cup winner Dan Luger said here today, adding that the shorter format of the game was a major factor in rugby’s development worldwide.

Luger, who was part of the England squad which famously lifted the Webb Ellis trophy thanks to Jonny Wilkinson’s last-gasp drop-goal in the final against hosts Australia, made 38 appearances for his country during his career and also represented his nation at sevens level.

He was a member of the team which won the prestigious Hong Kong Sevens Tournament in 2006 and competed for England at the 2002 Commonwealth Games on home soil in Manchester.

Rugby sevens was added to the Olympic Programme at the International Olympic Committee Session in the Danish capital Copenhagen in 2009 and Luger feels it will be a “great addition” to the world’s largest multi-sport event.

“Sevens is a great advert for rugby and it is coming into the Olympics at a great time,” Luger told insidethegames.

“It’s only going to help grow and grow the sport as it will get more people involved in watching it.

“Sevens typifies everything good about rugby - it’s fun, fast and usually a party atmosphere and it will be a great addition to the Olympics.

“Of course I would love to have represented Britain at the Olympics but there’s nothing I have missed out on in rugby and I have no regrets.”

Luger also believes that England, which is currently staging the Rugby World Cup, has “once again proved their capability of hosting big sporting competitions” following the success of London 2012 and branded this year’s tournament as the “best in history”.

Dan Luger was part of the squad which won the 2003 Rugby World Cup in Australia thanks to Jonny Wilkinson's last-gasp drop-goal ©Getty Images

This comes despite his country becoming the first hosts to exit the competition at the group stage, something he feels is a “real shame” but he doesn’t expect the buzz surrounding the ongoing tournament to fade.

“So many people who have never watched rugby have got involved with it and we haven’t seen one empty stadium,” the former Harlequins, Perpignan and Toulon winger added.

“I don’t think the tournament will suffer because England are out.

“But it is a real shame and the biggest loss is for grassroots rugby as children would have been inspired had England gone further.”

Luger, who scored 24 tries in 38 appearances for England, had some strong words for the English Rugby Football Union (RFU), who opted to cap attendances at the London Sevens at 35,000 per day from 2016 onwards, a significant decrease on the 115,000 who descended on Twickenham Stadium over two days this year.

The RFU’s decision followed complaints from local residents about drunken behaviour, prompting them to install reduced bar hours from next year’s event, and they have also taken the bizarre step of banning fancy dress.

Luger feels the problem can be solved by switching the venue away from its current home at Twickenham, the national rugby stadium in England, to another facility somewhere in the country.

“It’s a crying shame that they (the RFU) have stopped it being a festival,” he said.

“It’s narrow-minded and short-sighted from them and they should look at moving it somewhere else to get that party atmosphere back.”