Rugby: Olympians to take field

New Zealand Olympians will be celebrated during the halftime break of the test between the All Blacks and the Springboks in Dunedin on Saturday.

Ten Olympians, including gold medal-winning rowers Mahe Drysdale, Hamish Bond and Joseph Sullivan, will be welcomed on to the field at the break to recognise one of New Zealand's most successful Olympic campaigns.

Cyclist Alison Shanks, BMX silver medallist Sarah Walker, yachtsman Peter Burling and rowers Juliette Haigh, Rebecca Scown, Peter Taylor and Storm Uru are the others in the group.

"Our Olympic and Paralympic athletes have succeeded on sport's greatest stage and all of New Zealand should be proud of their achievements," New Zealand Rugby Union chief executive Steve Tew said.

"We're really pleased to provide this opportunity for Otago sports fans to celebrate their success."

Rugby - in the form of sevens - returns to the Olympics in Rio in 2016.

"We are incredibly excited about this opportunity and we are determined to be on that podium," Tew said.

"There's no doubt New Zealand's successes in London will inspire our players. Our planning is already well under way, but I am sure there is much we can learn from the performance of our Olympians in London and we will be working closely with the New Zealand Olympic Committee and Sport New Zealand to ensure we send the best prepared teams to Rio."

 

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