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The date was 1 November, 2015, the occasion the World Rugby Awards the night after New Zealand had won their third Rugby World Cup title, and if you listened carefully you could almost make out a collective in-take of breath as the host spelled it out eloquently: “in a little over 270 days our finest athletes will be lining up on sport’s grandest stage, at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.” There were quizzical looks and even astonished guffaws from some, while among those ‘in the know’ smiles broke out and necks craned in search of the tables full of All Blacks to scan any hint of a let-on from the likes of Sonny Bill Williams. Later on that night, when Sonny Bill was questioned about whether he might fancy a crack at becoming the next Bond, he gave a very short and polite two-letter answer. Had he been asked instead whether he’d be trying out for a rugby 007s role at the Olympic Games the answer would almost certainly have been different, with Williams having already YEAR IN REVIEW 2015 WORLD RUGBY 13LEFTRugby’s return to the Olympic stage is a huge leap forward for the gameLEFTJonah Lomu first came to the world’s attention in sevenscommitted to New Zealand’s sevens programme for 2015-16.And this is where the fascination lies: while the very best in women’s rugby are already playing sevens, in the men’s game household names are now set to throw their hats in the ring. And equally fascinating: in an era of sevens specialists it might even turn out to be a relatively chastening experience for them.The day of rugby’s acceptance by the IOC was one of the sport’s finest and is now all the more poignant with the passing of the great Jonah Lomu. When Jacques Rogge, then the IOC President, announced in Copenhagen back in October 2009 that rugby sevens had been accepted overwhelmingly, Lomu was one of rugby’s team of seven who stood to punch the air and celebrate a triumphant success. Having such a giant of the game, rugby’s first household name, there and a key part of rugby’s presentation was a giant coup – especially as Lomu, like fellow lobbyist Agustín Pichot, had performed heroics for his country in sevens, as well as in 15s.Lomu would have moved heaven and earth to be there in Rio, not so much to see the fruits of his own labour as to see a new beginning, and arguably the most thrilling and enticing leap forward for the game since it declared itself open 20 years ago. Rugby stars will aim to emulate the late great Jonah Lomu by turning their attentions to sevens in the year the sport makes its long-awaited return to the Olympic stage. EXCITEMENT BUILDING AS OLYMPIC RETURN LOOMS LARGE