World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont hailed rugby sevens successful introduction to the Olympics as a potential game-changer for the sports global popularity.The games abbreviated version was a smash hit in Rio as Fiji won their first ever Olympic medal by claiming the mens title and Australia won the womens competition.Research for World Rugby, the games governing body, has revealed the first Olympic rugby tournament since 1924 attracted nearly 17 million new fans in six core markets.Speaking to the Press Association at World Rugbys annual conference in London, Beaumont said: The Olympic tournament was a phenomenal success and we are already seeing the results at grass-roots.The key now is to build on the increased interest in our sport and well be spending 20 percent more on developing the game in the next four-year cycle -- sevens will be a massive part of that.Sevens can be a great introduction to 15-a-side rugby, and fifteens can be a great way into sevens, but we know sevens is the ideal vehicle to grow the game.The former England captain said his next challenge will be to make sure rugby sevens maintains its Olympic status, as it was introduced -- along with golf -- on a two-Games basis in 2009.Beaumont met senior International Olympic Committee staff in Japan last month when he was visiting the hosts of the next Rugby World Cup in 2019 and the next Summer Olympics a year later.A decision on whether to add rugby sevens to the core programme will be made by the IOC in Peru next September, with Beaumont confident that the IOC will approve the permanent addition of two 12-team tournaments for 2024 and beyond.We are not presumptuous about our place in the schedule at all but I think we delivered a great event in Rio, the 64-year-old Englishman said.Whenever I met an IOC member in a hotel restaurant or lift during the first week in Rio they would quickly look down at my accreditation to see who I was and usually say nothing. But after Fiji won, well, everybody wanted to congratulate me on the amazing tournament.World Rugbys Rio impact research was conducted by Nielsen Sports in Australia, France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States, and was based on online surveys before and after the Games.It found that Olympic status had grown the sports reach, particularly with women and the 18-24 age group. It also found that rugby outperformed other sports on the Olympic programme in terms of growth in interest after Rio 2016, with an average increase of 10 percent.In terms of the television, nearly four in 10 18-24s in the UK watched as Great Britains men claimed a silver medal and the women lost the bronze medal match in Rio, while World Rugbys social media fan-base grew by 670,000 during 2016.Cheap Nike Shoes For Sale . Jay Feely kicked a 41-yard field goal in overtime, and the Cardinals edged the Tennessee Titans 37-34 in overtime after blowing a 17-point lead late in the fourth quarter. Nike Shoes Sale . White came in fourth place in the event. He was the two-time defending gold medallist. The gold medal went to Swiss snowboarder Iouri Podladtchikov. https://www.wholesalenikeshoesauthentic.com/ . LeBron James and Chris Bosh didnt need any more. Williams scored 11 points in 10 minutes, Alan Anderson scored 17 points, and the Brooklyn Nets finished the exhibition season with a 108-87 win over the Miami Heat on Friday night. Cheap Nike Shoes Authentic . Pettersen, winner of last years Evian Championships, had nine birdies and three bogeys, holding off a series of challengers led by Marion Ricordeau of France. The second-ranked Norwegian made her season debut after missing the LPGA Tours opening event last month in the Bahamas because of a shoulder injury. Cheap Nike Shoes From China . Varlamov made 33 saves and Ryan OReilly had a goal and scored in the shootout as the Avalanche beat the New Jersey Devils 2-1 on Thursday night.Editors note: After a busy first half of the 2016 MLB season, Joe Peta takes a look at both the good and bad for all 30 teams to find overvalued and undervalued clubs from a betting perspective. He also projects each teams second half. This is the entry for the Washington Nationals. Records reflect all games played through Sunday. All statistics are through each teams 81st game. Season-to-date pricing adds the implied win probability from the money line of each teams first 81 games and converts it to 162 games.Washington NatioonalsVegas projection: 89.dddddddddddd5 wins My projection: 87 wins Current record/pace: 54-36 (97-win pace) Season-to-date pricing: 94.4 winsWhats gone right: After a disappointing 2015 campaign, which left them as underdogs to retake the division crown they captured in 2012 and 2014, Washington has returned to playing mid-90s-win baseball -- and thats probably in line with their true talent level. ' ' '