FANS from across the globe can watch live and on demand action from the men's and women's tournaments at next month's Rugby World Cup Sevens 2009 through the official tournament web site, it was announced today.

A RECORD worldwide television for the Rugby World Cup Sevens in Dubai next month is set to give the sport's Olympic chances a major boost.

August 28 - The race to host rugby's showpiece tournament for women has kicked off with the International Rugby Board today launching the tender process for the 2014 World Cup.

HAVING rugby as part of the Olympics would help make it more commercially successful, the sport's chief executive claimed today.

A DEMONSTRATION rugby tournament may be played at Twickenham before the 2012 Olympics as part of the International Rugby Board's (IRB) latest effort to return the sport to the Games for the first time since 1924, it was reported today.

July 2 - Gordon Tietjens (pictured), the coach of New Zealand's successful rugby sevens team, has said that the sport is the perfect fit for inclusion in the Olympics.

Rugby sevens campaign to be included in the 2016 Olympics has received a boost after it was confirmed that there were no positive drugs tests at the World Cup in Dubai earlier this year.

AUGUST 10 - JOHN O'NEILL, the chief executive of the Australian Rugby Union, said today that he is confident his sport will be readmitted to the Olympic Games in 2016.

SEPTEMBER 19 - NEW ZEALAND captain Richie McCaw (pictured) has thrown his support behind rugby union's efforts to win back its place in the Olympics after a 92-year absence.

AUGUST 22 - THE International Rugby Board (IRB) are to introduce a new rule that clubs must release players to take part in the Olympics if it is accepted on to the Games programme for 2016.

May 25 - Several more leading international rugby players, including South Africa's Jean de Villiers (pictured), have backed the sport's bid to regain its place in the 2016 Olympics after 92-year absence.