Rugby became an official Asian Games sport in 1998 in Bangkok, Thailand
The Sevens game originated in the Scottish Borders in 1883 and the first Melrose Sevens was held at the famous Greenyards ground, after which the game quickly spread throughout the Borders and far beyond. The establishment of the Rugby World Cup Sevens (1993) was the inevitable consequence of the game's global expansion, and the IRB World Sevens Series, launched in 1999, has introduced the game into many new territories. Since its inception the IRB Sevens has been played in 16 countries worldwide, and more than 50 countries have participated. In fact, for the RWC Sevens 2005, qualification tournaments involved 86 countries. At both the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester and the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, the Rugby Sevens attracted more than 100,000 spectators, second only to the numbers watching athletics. Rugby Sevens was on the short list to become part of the 2012 Olympic Games in London, but narrowly missed selection. Rugby became an official Asian Games sport in the 13th Asian Games in 1998 in Bangkok, Thailand. 
