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of natural ecosystems and provide a place for environmental education and outdoor leisure for the public.Rugby has also managed to crack Brazil, with a match being broadcast on national television for the first time in April. It is a major breakthrough for a sport that, before the Games, was virtually unknown to Brazilians but now has 60,000 players in more than 300 associations.A carnival atmosphere is expected at the Deodoro Stadium for the rugby AN OLYMPIC EDUCATIONAs well as the tangible changes, the Games are also inspiring educational opportunities. Transforma, the Rio 2016 Organising CommitteeÕs educational project, has combined sporting values with the day-to-day activities of the cityÕs students.Transforma has already reached more than five million students in 10,058 schools across almost half of the towns in Brazil. As well as promoting Olympic values and teaching how they should be applied in daily life, the project also introduces students to less well-known sports in Brazil such as badminton, fencing and hockey, sevens tournaments, and will be mirrored across a diverse mix of venues located in four clusters across the host city Ð Barra, Copacabana, Deodoro and Maracan‹. From beach volleyball on the sands of the Copacabana to athletics in the Olympic Stadium, a flavour of Rio de Janeiro will be brought to each Olympic competition and will provide a source of inspiration for the athletes.To ensure that the competitions run smoothly, Rio has held test events for every sport ahead of the Games through its extensive Aquece Rio programme. It has served a vital role in highlighting necessary adjustments to venues and operations, and results have been positive, with the gymnastics test event in April attracting more than 6,000 spectators per day.40,000Hours of training courses provided to local PE teachers by the ‘WE HAVE BUILT ATransforma programmeFANTASTIC LEGACY FOR THE CITY THAT WAS ONLY POSSIBLE THANKS TO THE OLYMPIC GAMES’EDUARDO PAES, MAYOR OF RIO DE JANEIROAbove The Olympic Games have helped the growth of rugby in BrazilLeft The gymnastics test event brought large crowds to the Rio Olympic Arena34 OLYMPIC REVIEW RIO 2016 PREVIEW