Over two days last month Dale Roberson helped coaches and players from across South America learn the game of rugby sevens in Sao Paulo.

His presence was welcomed given the sport will be part of the program when Brazil hosts the Olympics in two years time.

Roberson enjoyed his time playing for the Bathurst Bulldogs, wearing blue and  yellow for four years before taking up 

his current position as the Australian Rugby Union’s Rugby Sevens Game Development Manager.

It has allowed him to participate in overseas adventures as he help spread the sevens game. It is a format he believes creates an easier pathway into rugby union than the 15-a-side format.

“I played for the Bathurst Bulldogs from 1997 to 2000 and prior to that I was a border at Saint Stanislaus’ College,” he said.

“I hadn’t been to South America. I was really keen to go over there and experience the culture and see what strength they had in rugby.

“Rugby is well established in the sevens form over there. There’s more strength in the women’s and men’s sevens game than that of the full 15-a-side game.”

Over the course of two days Roberson worked closely with coaches on good teaching techniques as well as helping players develop their game.

“The program came about from government funding. We were there to strengthen ties with Latin America and to provide education on the sevens for their coaches,” he said.

“It was a good chance to get a cross-section of their coaches from Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Chile and Argentina. We talked about creating paths for sevens and how they could be applied to them.”

Roberson believes the game will gain a big boost in popularity on the back of its Olympic debut at Rio de Janeiro in 2016.

It will also give the South Americans a good chance to see the biggest areas they can improve.

 Roberson added it was fun to see the differences in playing styles between what he witnessed in Brazil and what he was involved with during his time at Bathurst.

“They’ve always struggled against football. But with the sevens coming into the Olympic Games at Rio, it’s hoped that sevens can help grow the game of rugby worldwide,” he said.

“Within the sevens game it’s easier to get more players playing at a higher level. They got to see it all put into practice when they were invited to come and watch our women’s side.

“They definitely have their own flair. They have good evasion skills and have a lot of speed. Where they are lacking though is probably the ability to read the game. 

“That’s something a lot of people in Australia get an early understanding of through things like touch football.”

The trip also had a dual purpose, created through the Council on Australia Latin America Relations to help strengthen economic and political relations with the region through the teaching of the sevens game.