A rope ring is called a grommet and they are incredibly useful on a sailboat! Anything you need to connect or attach can be easily setup using a grommet. Once you have a few of them you will soon find uses for them and then need even more grommets for other uses you have found around the boat!
I use this very same technique to make the deadeyes that hold up our synthetic standing rigging. This grommet, made with a Möbius Brummell Splice is incredibly strong and will stand up to whatever challenges you can throw at it!