Women's rugby is well and truly entrenched into the Games culture now with the inclusion of women's sevens in the 2016 Rio Olympics and the recent announcement it will also be included in the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.
It was a day many believed would never come.
The rationale for its exclusion in the past was based on the claim that gender balance at the Commonwealth Games was achieved by combining men's sevens with women's netball.
Men's sevens has been part of the Commonwealth Games since 1998.
It has taken another 20 years for their female counterparts to join them.
A 20-year lag isn't too bad is it?
What was it that finally convinced the powers who be to let women who play the sevens version of rugby into the Commonwealth Games family?
Was it the sudden growth in the game's popularity since its inclusion in the Olympics?
Was it the support of women's sevens by the International Rugby Board? Was it the appearance, profile and personalities of the female players?
It was probably a combination of all of the above and it took 20 years for those around the table to realise that women's sevens is here to stay and it is only going from strength to strength.
The inclusion of women's sevens at the Olympics has definitely increased the mana and attraction of women's sevens and many of the Commonwealth countries are pretty good at this game irrespective of their gender.
If the Commonwealth wants more medals at the Olympics, it makes good business sense to use the Commonwealth Games as an opportunity to give athletes and teams a chance to test themselves in the competitive and intense environment of the Games.
Since the introduction of the IRB women's sevens series in 2012, the New Zealand women's team has performed exceptionally well.
It is the world champion, won both editions of the IRB world series, and recently won the Oceania sevens title in Noosa, Queensland, thrashing the Australians 31-10 in the final.
The Australian Rugby Union is hoping the inclusion of women's sevens at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in 2018 will have a positive impact on women's rugby in general, so if the gap between these teams that was on display in Noosa is anything to go by, they've got a long way to go.
Actually that may be a little arrogant as the Australian team won the inaugural women's sevens world cup, and it is likely to make a comeback.
Australia is dominating the transtasman netball battle at the moment, so maybe more players will follow in the footsteps of Kayla McAlister and the latest netball convert, Keisha Grant, and hang up their converse shoes for sprigged boots?
Multi-talented athletes like Grant will have to decide whether to stick with netball or take a chance on sevens.
The one thing that may make women's sevens the more attractive option is those Olympic rings - an exclusive club that netball is yet to be a part of.
Now that women's sevens has been added to the Games mix by both the Olympic and Commonwealth decision-makers, does men's netball get an invitation to the Commonwealth party?
One thing supporters and participants of netball played by men should keep in mind is ''never say never''.
It took 20 years for women's rugby to be included and, although this is a long lag period, it suggests nothing is impossible!
It won't happen overnight but it might just happen.
