New Zealand rugby's goal of winning two golds in Sevens at the 2016 Olympics has been boosted by a significant investment commitment from High Performance Sport New Zealand (HPSNZ), announced today.
The New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) thanked HPSNZ for its support in helping the All Blacks Sevens and New Zealand Women's Sevens teams achieve their Olympic dreams in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.
The All Blacks Sevens will receive NZ$1.2 million in 2013 and indicative support of the same amount for the following three years. HPSNZ has also committed NZ$800,000 to the New Zealand Women's Sevens team over 2013 and 2014.
"We're really excited to be part of the Olympic team for 2016 and this investment is a great boost to our plans to win two golds," said NZRU Chief Executive Steve Tew.
"The investment underlines the confidence HPSNZ has in our plans. The financial support, along with HPSNZ's considerable Olympic experience and the quality of its people, will go a long way to helping us realise our goals.
"Winning in Rio will need a team approach and our partnership with HPSNZ will ensure our athletes have the support they need to win gold in Rio."
Tew said the teams' Olympic plans were well on track.
"There is still a long way to go, but we are right where we expect to be at this stage in our plans and are really pleased with how the men's and women's teams have performed so far this season."
The All Blacks Sevens lead the HSBC Sevens World Series by 14 points, having won the recent South African round, while the Women's Sevens triumphed in Dubai in the first round of the new IRB Women's Sevens World Series.
"We're confident that our plans, combined with financial and other support from HPSNZ, will put our teams in the best possible position to win gold when they arrive in Rio in 2016," said Tew.
Source: www.irbsevens.com