The International Rugby Board have announced the shortlist for the 2009 Rugby Photograph of the Year - check out the pictures by clicking here.

Which one gets your vote? Jeremy Duxbury's effort of grassroots (or should that be mudroots) rugby in Fiji is my favourite - but can any of you do any better? Feel free to send in your efforts to news@scrum.com and I'll publish the best here on the blog

We're all familiar with Stade Francais' fashion crimes but it appears other sides are keen to grab a share of the limelight. Cardiff Blues led (?) the way with their specially-produced kit for the Heineken Cup (top right) which should stand them in good stead should they be called on by the United Nations for some peace-keeping duties.

But there's no such excuse for Ospreys (centre) and Biarritz (bottom) who set their sartorial standards at the beginning of the season - but none of them tasted defeat in the opening round so I dare say they won't be bothered to the extreme like Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson was by his side's infamous grey strip.

A quick look at the opening round attendances illustrates the fact that the stench of 'Bloodgate' that soiled last year's competition has done little to quell the public's thirst for the competition. The packed houses at the RDS, Franklin's Gardens and Welford Road underlined the appeal of the tournament while only Super 10 side Treviso (2,800), Welsh region Scarlets (8,062) and Glasgow (3,111) failed to attract a crowd in excess of 10,000. The Italian side's upset of Perpignan is sure to bolster the attendance at their next game at Stadio Comunale di Monigo so should the Scarlets' hard-fought victory over Brive. While Glasgow's crowd was at least above average for the Magners League side.

The Round 1 total was an impressive 152,000 spectators - the third highest in the history of the tournament. At this rate the tournament should welcome its 10,000,000th fan sooner rather than later in the pool stages.

And whilst we're on the subject - congratulations to Toulouse speedster Vincent Clerc on claiming the all-time Heineken Cup try-scoring record. His brace against Sale took him past the well-travelled Dafydd James but he cannot rest on his laurels with Leinster's Brian O'Driscoll and Shane Horgan poised just behind him in the list.

Bring on Round 2!

	Rio's inhabitants will have little trouble in getting into the Sevens vibe © Getty Images

These were the words of Mike Miller, general secretary of the International Rugby Board, earlier this week as he and chairman Bernard Lapasset launched their final push for Olympics inclusion. I am delighted to report that their efforts ended with a ringing endorsement from the International Olympic Committee in Copenhagen earlier today.

Those of you familiar with Mr Miller may find it hard to imagine him partying with the best of them on the golden sands of Copacabana but he, Lapasset and the rest of the bid team deserve a few drinks and then some for their efforts over the last few years to get us to this point. It took a monumental effort and the IRB must be applauded for the care they have taken and for the precision of their campaign.

This decision really could be a major springboard for the sport in terms of development and broadening its appeal - the IRB currently have 116 members but there are 205 nations within the Olympics. Hong Kong and Dubai have long been party central when it comes Sevens but they are set to make way for what the IRB has promised will become the pinnacle of the shortened version of the game.

Sevens still has to live up to its billing when 2016 rolls around and I have no doubt it will and in doing so will cement its place in the Olympic programme. For those who have witnessed the colour and carnival atmosphere at any of the stops on the IRB Sevens World Series or any of the five Rugby World Cup Sevens tournaments will also vouch for that.

Olympics inclusion does bring with it one headache for some of the world's leading unions. As with the 27 other sports in the Summer Games (including golf that also got the nod for 2016), England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland will compete under the Great Britain banner. As a result the Rugby Football Union and their Welsh and Scottish counterparts will need to come together in a quest for medal glory while the Irish will be part of a unified side from the Republic.

Who will coach the side is a major decision to be made some time in the future and it will then be up to that man to decide the breakdown of his squad. At the moment he would be spoilt for choice with Wales having won this year's Rugby World Cup Sevens crown and England one of the leading sides in the IRB Sevens Series. Scotland were also semi-finalists in the last two events of the 2008-09 season so there will be no shortage of applicants for the job of spearheading Team GB's challenge. In addition, the lure of the Olympics may tempt some of the big names in the 15-man game to throw their hats into the ring. Watch this space.

The decision to award the 2012 Games to London sparked a debate within the UK's football community and in fear of a being made to form a unified team at the FIFA World Cup, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland opted out. As a result an England side will compete under the Team GB banner in three years time. But there is no danger of such pressures coming into play in 2016 with European rugby's leading exponents. They will embrace the chance to win Olympic gold together; safe in the knowledge their Rugby World Cup status is assured.

And who is my tip for Olympic gold? Well, the United States are current Olympic champions thanks to their victory at the 1924 Games in France and do not be surprised if they 'defend' their crown in Rio - you heard it here first!

Rugby is once again showing its charitable side with a worldwide effort being mobilised in the wake of the recent tsunami that hit the Pacific Islands.

More than 170 people died last week when a tsunami triggered by a quake measuring 8.0 hit Samoa, American Samoa and Tonga. The Pacific Islands have long been a fertile breeding ground for top-class players and their influence is now evident across the rugby-playing globe. As a result it was no surprise to see the rugby community rallying around and leading the aid effort.

The Samoan national side are scheduled to tour Europe later this year with clashes against Wales, France and Italy with fans being urged to dig deep. The Welsh Rugby Union is planning to use the match to highlight the plight of the islanders in a bid to encourage support for the relief operation and their French counterparts are planning to do the same.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the world the Australian Rugby Union have made a cash donation and also launched a series of fund-raising initiatives including a collection at Thursday’s informal trial match. The ARU have also pledged training and playing equipment to help the nation on “the road to recovery”.

The New Zealand Rugby Union were also quick to organise collections during the Air New Zealand Cup but sadly a lucrative Test clash against Samoa was missing from the All Blacks’ 2010 schedule.

On the domestic front, London Welsh are planning to turn their Championship clash with Cornish Pirates on October 17 into a fundraiser and hope to have former Samoa internationals Apollo Perellini and Trevor Leota amongst those at Old Deer Park.

Click here for more details on how you can help.

Sky Sports' award-winning coverage is for the most part an attractive mix of in-depth analysis and bar-room banter that only rarely drifts into smugness. And with a feast of top-class rugby to convey the broadcasters must expand their commentary team from the usual faces/voices of Miles Harrison and Stuart Barnes.

As much as I respect the professional standards of Harrison & Barnes it is with delight I hail the return of Mark Robson (pictured) to my television. I presume the Northern Irishman is slated to be on the microphone at some point this weekend be it at a most-likely cold and wet Ravenhill on Friday night, an equally bracing Firhill on Saturday or perhaps Welford Road on Sunday - that is unless he has fallen victim to a hate campaign I stumbled across.

It appears the not-so-dulcet tones and funny turn-of-phrase of Robson, who was a class mate of the equally loquacious golf analyst David Feherty, is to everyone's liking.

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NOTE - He produced these two laugh-out-loud soundbites during his coverage of last season's competition and he features regularly in our Quote Unquote archive:

"Justin Harrison is not a patient man. I think he struggles to untangle the Christmas lights without losing it."

"That's the sort of pass you give to someone who's just eaten your last Rolo."

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An online petition calling for his head can be found on the web without too much trouble - thankfully it is a couple of years out of date but the 50 or so signatures should be ashamed of themselves! OK, he may be liable to the odd mistake or misplaced comment but this cannot detract from the colour he brings to some of the, shall we say, lesser battles in the quest for the Heineken Cup crown.

Robson, who can also boast that former Tennis-babe Ana Kournikova once wallked out on him in the middle of an interview, will be no stranger to most who will have no doubt witnessed his work on the BBC, Eurosport or Sky and it is a safe bet that he has many more fans than detractors. Long may he add colour to the Heineken Cup.