Rugby 7s Added to Pan American Games

Via Goff (no subscription required for this post):

Rugby Added To Pan American Games
The Associated Press

Rugby union and racquetball were added to the list of sports that will be played in the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Mario Vazquez Rana, president of the Pan American Sports Organization, or PASO, made the announcement Wednesday in the organization’s general assembly in Rio de Janeiro, where the 2007 games begin Friday.

Rana said no sports would be dropped at this time, increasing the number of events to 36 in 2011.

Rana also said baseball and softball were guaranteed for the games in Guadalajara, dismissing some earlier reports that they would be dropped.

International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge said the addition of rugby union to the Pan Ams opens the doors for the sport in a future Olympics.

“It’s closer than ever,” he said.

Rana said the possible addition of rugby as an Olympic sport “was not bad news for baseball … which would have its chance.”

Racquetball was played in the previous three editions of the Pan Ams before being dropped for Rio de Janeiro.

Participating Nations:
Argentina, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Bolivia, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Canada, Cayman Islands, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Saint Kitts and Nevi, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, United States, United States Virgin Island, Uruguay,
Venezuela

-The questions posted on Goff were if this included women’s rugby as well….pretty cool!

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