English rugby is in its strongest position in years and World Cup winner Jason Robinson believes it will only get stronger with the introduction of sevens rugby at the Olympics.

England won their first Grand Slam in more than a decade at the weekend and Robinson was part of the side that last achieved the feat 13 years ago, before going on to score a crucial try in the World Cup final later that year.

And Robinson believes the best is yet to come for English rugby as he expects this summer’s Olympics in Rio to have a significant impact on the sport.

“The World Cup is brilliant and is seen by a lot of people but when you look at the Olympic Games, there is no bigger sporting event worldwide for coverage,” Robinson said.

“And because sevens is so exciting and the standard of players is fantastic and it is so competitive, it is going to make the spectacle even greater.

“The Olympics will be great for sevens rugby but it is also good as an introduction for the non-rugby fan. If you see sevens for the first time it is a more simple game to follow.

“If you take someone who has never watched rugby before to a XV’s game they will struggle to pick it up due to the technicalities of the breakdown, scrums and line-outs but sevens is all about pace. The line-outs and things like that are shorter because they just want the ball in play and there are always loads of tries, there is great footwork and exceptional players.

“Add in to that Rio and the Carnival, sevens is all about that; the fancy dress, what it brings and people love it. They go in the morning and stay all day.”

Interest in rugby union is at an all-time high after the hugely successful World Cup and it will be breaking new ground when rugby sevens is included in the Olympics for the first time in Brazil.

And Robinson has seen firsthand the rise of the shorter format of the game both on the global stage at the HSBC Sevens World Series and at grassroots level at the Rosslyn Park HSBC National Schools Sevens, where last week he helped coach children and sign autographs at the world’s largest schools rugby tournament in the world.

The 41-year-old said: “If you look at the Rosslyn Park HSBC National Schools Sevens there were more than 8,000 grassroots players out there playing. It is phenomenal and when you look at sevens rugby in general – where there are competitions all over the world – sevens rugby is thriving.

Robinson is recognised as being one of the most exciting players in rugby’s history – across both codes – but while he won the greatest prize union has to offer, he admits to being jealous of the current England sevens players.

“You might meet players who have won Six Nations, British and Irish Lions tours and World Cups but the Olympics will be a first for players,” he said.

“If only I was 20 years younger because I would love to have the chance to win an Olympic medal.”

In Rugby Seven’s biggest year the next generation of rugby stars, inspired by the Rugby World Cup, from more than 650 teams descended on Rosslyn Park HSBC National Schools Sevens to start on their own journey and break new ground http://www.rpns7.co.uk/