John Kirwan, the Rugby World Cup winning All Black, believes that Rugby Sevens is the key to unlocking rugby’s true potential as a global game.
Speaking in Hong Kong ahead of the Cathay Pacific / HSBC Hong Kong Sevens, Kirwan said: “Sevens is fundamental [to the growth of the game]. We do not have a global game… yet. Sevens will be the global game whilst Fifteens will be the international game.”
In four years, Rugby Sevens will become an Olympic sport at the Rio Games and Kirwan, the ex Coach of Japan, is excited about big nations realising the potential of the game following the Olympic inclusion.
Kirwan added: "America has been the so-called sleeping giant and the question has always been ‘when will we be able to unlock this?’ Well it’s just been unlocked! America will be a Sevens country within the next four years."
