USA Rugby made the historic announcement this week that it has become an Olympic Sport Member of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC).

The USOC Board made the decision on Saturday following a thorough review of USA Rugby’s operations and organisation.

This latest development follows on almost one year after last year's IOC Session in Copenhagen voted Rugby Sevens into the sporting programme of the Olympic Games in Rio, in 2016.

USA Rugby had been an Affiliate Sport member of the USOC since 1998 but the International Olympic Committee’s vote on 9 October 2009 opened the door for this new membership status.

“This is great news for USA Rugby. Since the announcement that rugby would return to the Olympic Games we have developed a strong partnership with the USOC and look forward to making a positive contribution to the Olympic family in the future,” said USA Rugby Chief Executive Nigel Melville, who was present for the USOC meetings in Colorado Springs along with USA Rugby Vice Chairman Bob Latham.

“The Game of Rugby is growing at an incredible rate as thousands of young Americans are picking up the ball and running with it for the first time and dreaming of Olympic glory in 2016 and 2020,” Melville added.

The United States men’s Rugby Sevens team will participate in the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico next October, and will also compete on the IRB Sevens World Series, including the USA Sevens tournament in Las Vegas in February 2011.