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As the son of an international javelin champion, who was involved in two Games himself, Ryan has Olympics running through his blood. He says, “My dad was a reserve in two Olympic Games – 1948 (London) and 1952 (Helsinki). When I was younger I ran representatively and since I was a kid I have always had a dream to be in the Olympics. Even now I still hope that somehow in my career I will be involved in one of the Games in one way or another.”
Ryan joined the RFU in January and is an ex-school teacher. He says, “When I was teaching at St Edwards School in Oxford I taught Olympic history. I do admit to being a bit of an Olympic statto and can list every Olympic host city as well as odd and weird stories about each Games since 1896. I certainly had a bit of a reputation as being an Olympic know it all amongst the students but I enjoyed it.”
The 35 year old from Wimbledon, who is also Director of Rugby at Newbury, admits that he inherited a lot from his father. “I think I owe a lot in my career to him, and some of the determination and ambition that he must have had to get to that standard has rubbed off on me.”
Ryan flew into the USA from New Zealand on Monday ahead of this weekend’s IRB Sevens tournament in San Diego. He has already realised the potential for rugby to grow and develop in the country. “The organisers have done a great job of advertising the tournament and promoting it but as you walk around San Diego there is still a massive lack of understanding about rugby.
“We were at a tournament function last night and Dan Lyle, the former Bath and USA Eagles player, summed it up. He said that rugby in effect is a global game as everyone grows up passing a ball and tackling each other in their back yard and yet they don’t realise that they are playing rugby. And so it is just a case of America grabbing the opportunity that they have now and running with it. With Nigel Melville involved with USA Rugby they have a real chance now to make rugby grow in this country. Everyone in the rugby world wants rugby to take off in America as then it would become a truly global game.”
Spending the week training at the Olympics Centre (one of several located around the country used by all disciplines of Olympic athletes) has reinforced to Ryan how important the Olympics are to the Americans, and therefore the potential should rugby become an Olympic sport.
“The facilities are world class as you would expect from a country which has such a strong tradition and successful history in the Olympics. The centre is not lacking anything in terms of facilities – the pitches are like bowling greens and it is a great place for the squad to train. It is great to be able to train there and see just how spot on they are when it comes to the Olympics.”
“It is so important that rugby one day becomes an Olympic sport. At the moment America doesn’t pay very much attention to rugby as, other than the big four sports in this country, it is only the Olympic sports that get any attention. At the moment the IOC President is an ex-rugby international so hopefully he will do something about it. If sevens was made an Olympic sport it would have a massive knock on effect on the sport in this country and around the globe. Sevens fits perfectly into an Olympic timetable as it already does in the Commonwealth Games.”
England are drawn against the home side this weekend, (who are also the reigning Olympic rugby champions from over 80 years ago when rugby was an Olympic sport), and Ryan is well aware that they can be a tough opponent. “The Americans are really athletic and are highly organised. It is akin to how they would be structured in one of the big four sports like American football. There are a lot of team plays. We are pretty much an opposite as we are focused on game understanding and experience and that will hopefully help us against the host nation. From what they have done and how they have improved just from last year to this season means that I have no doubt USA will become a top tier rugby nation given the right funding and structure.”
Ryan is hoping that the Olympics centre will have a positive effect on his young sevens squad. “The squad have trained really well this week. All the concerns about jet lag that we suffered last week have now gone and the boys have been spot on. Everyone has settled in this week to each other and to having a new coach. We are all 100% focused on winning this tournament. Everyone hurt from losing in the quarter finals last week, albeit in a valiant effort, and everyone is determined to right those wrongs come this weekend. A win this weekend will stick us right back in the mix.”
England play in the IRB Sevens in San Diego this weekend (10th & 11th February).
Ends.
Rfu.com/sevens
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