Rugby bosses are upbeat about their hopes of Olympic inclusion after making their final presentation to the International Olympic Committee.

A top-level delegation featuring executives from the International Rugby Board and prominent men's and women's Sevens players presented Sevens rugby's case in Lausanne, Switzerland, overnight.

IRB president Bernard Lapasset was joined by the sporting body's secretary general Mike Miller, Agustin Pichot, former captain of the Argentina Sevens and 15s team, Cheryl Soon, captain of the Australia Sevens team that won Women's Rugby World Cup Sevens earlier this year, Humphrey Kayange, captain of the Kenya Sevens team and Anastassiya Khamova, one of Kazakhstan's top female players, a referee at Rugby World Cup Sevens 2009.

Rugby is one of seven sports which will be voted on by the International Olympic Committee in Copenhagen in October 2009 for inclusion in the Olympic programme beginning in 2016.

"Our team was very excited about presenting to the IOC executive board today," Lapasset said.

"Our rehearsals as a team in the last few weeks were very beneficial and I feel that we left a positive impression of a united and committed team with the members.

"We shared our Olympic vision and highlighted Sevens' case for Olympic Games inclusion, which we firmly believe would be good for the Olympic Games and good for rugby.

"We are committed to the continued global growth and development of the sport and its values and it is this aim that underpins our current campaign to secure the introduction of Sevens in the Olympic Games, beginning in 2016."

Miller added: "We believe that Sevens has much to offer the Olympic movement.

"We would bring a modern, youthful and skilful sport that can be added easily, efficiently and cost-effectively to the Olympic programme.

"The Sevens format; seven players per team, two seven-minute halves, 24 matches a day; is made for television, made for sponsors and most importantly loved by fans and players alike."

The IRB has previously been unsuccessful in its bid for Sevens to be introduced as an Olympic medal sport in time for the 2012 London Games.

However, the IRB has increased confidence that its campaign for 2016 would be successful given the increased competition on its Sevens World Series and the success of this year's men's and women's Sevens World Cup.

One of Sevens' strong selling points is that it would thrust a host of nations who are not usually medal contenders, including the Pacific Island countries, into the spotlight.

Kayange said that would benefit both the Olympic and rugby as a whole.

"Rugby World Cup Sevens in Dubai showed that the so-called smaller sporting nations can compete with the biggest in the world," Kayange said.

"Countries like Kenya, Zimbabwe, Samoa, Tonga, and Uruguay proved they are capable of beating the best.

"Playing at an Olympic Games would offer these countries a real chance of medals and a further opportunity to be part of the global sporting family.

"Sevens supporters are like nothing I have seen before. They are passionate, dedicated and love sport.

"I know that once an Olympic Sevens tournament has finished, the Rugby fans would stay and enjoy all that the world's greatest sporting celebration has to offer."

Australia captain and Rugby World Cup Sevens 2009 gold medallist Cheryl Soon added: "All my teammates and colleagues on the Sevens circuit play at the highest level of our sport.

"We want to play alongside the world's top athletes competing at the highest level of their sport. It would be a privilege to do so."

The IRB has employed a host of current and former greats, including Jonah Lomu, to spread its message for inclusion to the IOC.