2019 Club 7s Handbook: 7s Working Group of the Performance Game Board (Section 3)
The 7s Working Group was put together by Alex Magleby, with input from the USA Rugby National Office and the chair (Steve Lewis) selected to oversee the group. The group includes:
Steve Lewis - coach for multiple programs over the years at Club 7s Nationals (going 18-4, including three straight 5-1 records), including most recently Bulldog Rugby; founding member of the Northeast ODA; MCAA 7s coach; coach of the Army women's 7s program; former head of PRO Rugby
Chris Ryan - coach for Schuylkill River; former WNT 7s assistant coach; coach for Atlantis Rugby (and heavily involved with Atlantis over the years); Princeton women's coach; winner of 7 national championships; coached with greats such as Signes, McCoy, Steinberg, etc.
Howard Kent [Chair] - widely hailed as the top 7s administrator; has been at over 2/3rds of Club 7s finals and ran the Frontier Region 7s for many years as well as the NSCRO 7s; widely credited for advocating and reforming the 'series' approach to qualification; founder of the Denver 7s program; known to be formerly affiliated with the Denver Barbarians. Currently the USA Rugby National Club 7s Commissioner.
Joanne Liu - coach and founder of Scion; built the program 'from the ground up' first finishing 15th at Club 7s in 2013 and winning the event in 2016; extensive work to build up an academy system to link programs to youth/college; former Navy women's 7s coach.
Carmen Farmer - started playing rugby in 2012 for Severn River Women's Rugby Club in Annapolis, Maryland; earned her first cap for the Women’s Eagles at the 2013 IRB Nations Cup; following Women's Rugby World Cup 2014, she joined the Sevens program at the Olympic Training Center; selected to the 2015 NACRA Sevens Championships team that qualified the U.S. for the Rio 2016 Olympic Summer Games; Silver Medalist at the Toronto 2015 Pan Am Games; made her Women's Sevens Series debut during the 2015-16; selected to Team USA's 12-player squad for the 2016 Olympic Games.
Nick Ricono - a veteran rugby referee, was first appointed to the USA Rugby National Panel in 2011; current USA Rugby 7s Referee Manager; experience in talent identification and development of both referees and referee coaches which is used to guide the USA Rugby 7s Referee Pathway Program; long background with Southern California Rugby, USA Rugby, and World Rugby.
James Wilber [ex officio] - employee of USA Rugby since 2012; experience in eligibility, tournament sanctioning, and membership services prior to appointment as manager of USA Rugby's National Championship Series; currently serving as Senior Events Manager, Competitions; tournament director or on-site employee of over 100 USA Rugby events and competitions, inclusive of the Club & College 7s National Championships & Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018
3.2. 7s Working Group Powers & Authority
See: Performance Game Board Terms of Reference
Steve Lewis - coach for multiple programs over the years at Club 7s Nationals (going 18-4, including three straight 5-1 records), including most recently Bulldog Rugby; founding member of the Northeast ODA; MCAA 7s coach; coach of the Army women's 7s program; former head of PRO Rugby
Chris Ryan - coach for Schuylkill River; former WNT 7s assistant coach; coach for Atlantis Rugby (and heavily involved with Atlantis over the years); Princeton women's coach; winner of 7 national championships; coached with greats such as Signes, McCoy, Steinberg, etc.
Howard Kent [Chair] - widely hailed as the top 7s administrator; has been at over 2/3rds of Club 7s finals and ran the Frontier Region 7s for many years as well as the NSCRO 7s; widely credited for advocating and reforming the 'series' approach to qualification; founder of the Denver 7s program; known to be formerly affiliated with the Denver Barbarians. Currently the USA Rugby National Club 7s Commissioner.
Joanne Liu - coach and founder of Scion; built the program 'from the ground up' first finishing 15th at Club 7s in 2013 and winning the event in 2016; extensive work to build up an academy system to link programs to youth/college; former Navy women's 7s coach.
Carmen Farmer - started playing rugby in 2012 for Severn River Women's Rugby Club in Annapolis, Maryland; earned her first cap for the Women’s Eagles at the 2013 IRB Nations Cup; following Women's Rugby World Cup 2014, she joined the Sevens program at the Olympic Training Center; selected to the 2015 NACRA Sevens Championships team that qualified the U.S. for the Rio 2016 Olympic Summer Games; Silver Medalist at the Toronto 2015 Pan Am Games; made her Women's Sevens Series debut during the 2015-16; selected to Team USA's 12-player squad for the 2016 Olympic Games.
Nick Ricono - a veteran rugby referee, was first appointed to the USA Rugby National Panel in 2011; current USA Rugby 7s Referee Manager; experience in talent identification and development of both referees and referee coaches which is used to guide the USA Rugby 7s Referee Pathway Program; long background with Southern California Rugby, USA Rugby, and World Rugby.
James Wilber [ex officio] - employee of USA Rugby since 2012; experience in eligibility, tournament sanctioning, and membership services prior to appointment as manager of USA Rugby's National Championship Series; currently serving as Senior Events Manager, Competitions; tournament director or on-site employee of over 100 USA Rugby events and competitions, inclusive of the Club & College 7s National Championships & Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018
3.2. 7s Working Group Powers & Authority
See: Performance Game Board Terms of Reference
