What has the IRB ever done for Brazil?

Spotlight on: Rugby development in Brazil

The Brazilian Rugby Union has wasted no time in beginning its preparations for the first Olympic Rugby Sevens tournament, which will be staged in the South American country in 2016. The International Olympic Committee’s vote to include Sevens in the Olympic Games came just one week after Rio de Janeiro was selected as the 2016 Host City.

Following the vote in October 2009, the Brazilian National Olympic Committee has set aside funding to support the development of Women’s Sevens in Brazil. The funding comes as a direct result of Rugby’s re-inclusion in the Games and reflects the growing stature of the Brazilian Women’s Sevens team, which ranked an impressive 10th at the Rugby World Cup Sevens 2009 in Dubai. Brazil are also six-time South American Women’s Sevens champions and their success over recent years has helped to grow the profile of Rugby in Brazil.

Team member Emily Barker said: “After the 2009 South American Championships, everybody suddenly realised that the Brazilian Women’s team are really good and we are now starting to get a lot more TV coverage and people know now about us.” Not to be outdone, their male counterparts have also been making rapid progress. In 2010, Brazil’s Men’s Sevens team beat the USA for the first time ever and also conquered Uruguay for the first time in 50 years.

Both the Men’s and Women’s Sevens teams have benefitted in recent years from specialist coaching from some of the top Argentinean coaches. The programme is also a focus area for the IRB, with South America Regional General Manager Hernan Rocou Oliva working closely with the CRBu.

The Union’s main strategic goal is to increase awareness of Rugby in Brazil, with the Pan American Games in 2011, World Cup Sevens 2013 and Rio 2016 Olympic Games identified as specific targets. This effort will be supported by significant funding from the IRB’s Major Markets fund, which aims to assist targeted development and spread the Game in all its forms.

IRB reaffirms commitment
   Funding aids global expansion

The Global Strategic Investment Programme continues to help fund Rugby’s phenomenal growth. Development highlights in 2009 included the funding of a High Performance Centre in Samoa following last year’s Tsunami, a new artificial pitch in Tbilisi, Georgia, continued High Performance funding in Argentina and the establishment of a Major Markets fund to invest specifically in Brazil, Russia, India, China and Mexico. 

Source: http://www.irb.com/mm/document/newsmedia/mediazone/02/04/11/58/2041158_pdf.pdf 

  

Dear IRB, please keep the cash coming this way, so that the Brazil Womens national team no longer has to take their clothes off and pose for money-raising calendars... wait, let me think this one through...  

...OK, we'll take the cash, and put clothing on the finely-honed bodies of the men's Keep Walking team instead, everybody wins!

  

 

Source: http://www.rugbymania.com.br/2009/ver_noticia08.asp?codigo=2741