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the three competitors with the lowest total score.Peter Dawson, President of the International Golf Federation (IGF), believes that “excitement is really mounting” and is hopeful that the sport’s increased global exposure following its return to the Games will help it grow throughout the world. “We began this project of bidding for golf to return to the programme of Olympic sports because so many small countries – small in golfing terms – really needed some help to grow the game,” he says. “They said to us, ‘Look, if we could get golf into the Olympic Games it would give us extra exposure, extra government support, extra popularity for golf.’ And that’s already beginning to show through in so many countries that I visit around the world.” According to IGF data, there are approximately 60 million golfers in more than 120 countries, making it one of the world’s most popular sports. But the IGF is keen to use the unprecedented exposure of the Games to increase participation in countries that do not already have a strong golfing background. “By being exposed to the tremendous audience that the Olympic Games attracts, we hope to bring more fans and in turn more participants to golf,” explains IGF Executive Director Antony Scanlon. “Based on the experiences of other sports that have taken this journey, we know that this does not happen straight away, but the Rio 2016 Olympic Games will provide great foundations for golf to build upon.”The IGF is also hoping to leave a significant golfing legacy in the host country. The newly constructed course in Rio’s Barra da Tijuca district that will host the competitions is set to become a public facility after the Games, enabling more people in the host city to access the sport than ever before.According to Alexandre Rocha, only the second Brazilian to compete on the sport’s leading PGA Tour, golf will enjoy a boost in Brazil through the creation of public facilities such as the Olympic course. “All golf courses in the country are part of private clubs, which makes it join them and play the sport,” he says. “It’s great that Rio’s Olympic Golf Course will be public; it’s an example to be followed.”In the build-up to Rio 2016, the IGF has also helped launch Rio StreetGolf, a schools and communities social legacy project that aims to break down sporting and social barriers and highlight the key values of golf – honesty, respect and integrity. Rio StreetGolf uses adapted golf balls and clubs to make the sport possible in any urban environment, and will see more than 15,000 children and adults participate through school and community programmes, as well as four high-profile tournaments in central Rio de Janeiro. The 2016 Games are also set to provide rugby with the chance to grow around the world. While the traditional 15-a-side version of the game was part of the sports programme at four editions of the Games between 1900 and 1924, the Rio 2016 competition will feature the Olympic debut of the high-octane sevens format. Played by two teams of seven players on a full-size pitch, with two halves of seven minutes, the high-intensity matches are sure to attract a lot of attention.“Rugby returns to the Olympic Games summer programme next year in Rio de Janeiro for the first time in 92 years and we expect that the sevens event will add significantly to the entertainment value and excitement of Rio 2016,” says World Rugby President Bernard Lapasset. “We are really looking forward to showcasing our exciting sport on the biggest sporting stage of all.”According to Mark Egan, World Rugby’s Head of Competitions and Performance, being on the Olympic stage is vitally important for the sport. “It’s massive for rugby to be part of the Olympic Games,” he says. “It opens up rugby to schools and educational institutions that will see it as an Olympic sport on the Olympic stage. That gives it more credibility.”Like golf, rugby is aiming to boost participation levels around the world – and the sport is already witnessing record growth before a try has even been scored in Rio de Janeiro. According to World Rugby, participation numbers have increased by more than 2.6 million since 2011, with 7.2 million people now playing the game across the federation’s 120 national member unions. “We’ve had a huge boost in interest in rugby, particularly through the National Olympic Committees (NOCs),” explains Egan. “There are 80-plus NOCs which are not that familiar with rugby, so there’s been a huge amount of interest at that level and t veryexpensivetoepevery expensive to e pic e AboveA rugby pitch was opened on Rio’s Copacabana beach in June60 OLYMPIC REVIEW