Lacrosse, motorboating, racquets (a version of the Basque sport pelota played with a tennis-style racquet), croquet, roque (an adulteration of croquet), polo, real tennis and most successfully tug-of-war have all played their part in the modern Olympics.

Tug-of-war had its place in the sun between 1900 and 1920 and is unlikely to return to the Olympic stage but the same cannot be said for other sports. Golf, cricket and rugby union each graced the Games in the early part of the 20th Century. In Paris in 1900 cricket made its only appearance at Olympic level. Britain, as expected, won the gold medal ahead of France.

An end to Olympic exile for another sporting product of the erstwhile Empire - rugby - could be on the cards much sooner. The criteria for a return to the Olympic calendar are well in place. The oval ball may even yet grace the 2004 Games in Athens for the first time since the 1924 Paris Games.

Golf, in contrast, is an individual sport and that would make it an easy candidate for the Games - assuming the multi-million dollar fatcats who dominate the game would be interested in a tournament that would earn them only a medal and a title. Then again the tennis players compete.