Date: August 12-13, 2017
Location: National Sports Center, Blaine, Minnesota Men's Final Standings 1. Rugby Utah Selects 2. Denver Barbarians 3. Washington Athletic 4. Belmont Shore Rugby 5. Old Blue of New York 6. Bulldog Rugby 7. Chicago Lions 8. Life West Gladiators 9. Dallas Rugby 10. Metropolis Rugby 11. Santa Monica Dolphins 12. Optimus Rugby 13. Charlotte Rugby 14. Beltway Elite 15. Schuylkill River Exiles 16. Austin Huns Women's Final Standings 1. Seattle Atavus 2. San Diego Surfers 3. Life West Gladiatrix 4. Scion Sirens 5. New York Rugby 6. American Rugby Pro Training Center 7. Chicago Lions 8. Northern Virginia Rugby 9. Glendale Merlins 10. Orlando Rugby 11. Beantown Rugby 12. Austin Valkyries 13. Minneapolis Rugby 14. Atlanta Harlequins 15. Philadelphia Rugby 16. Tempe Ninjas Article by Alex Solomon | Originally published at usarugby.org  Photo by Travis Prior | KLC Fotos BLAINE, Minn. - The Atavus Academy zigged and zagged its way to six straight USA Rugby Emirates Airline Club 7s National Championship victories, including a 26-14 win in the Women's Cup Final over the San Diego Surfers.
Up against the two-time National Championship-winning Surfers, Atavus managed to put a converted try on the board before San Diego got its hands on the ball. The Surfers finally got their chance to go on the attack following the restart, and the always-reliable Tia Blythe got her side into Atavus' half. From there, Eagle winger Kelsi Stockert vicously fended off a defender before scoring under the posts. Megan Foster converted the try, and the Final would go into the half tied, 7-7. Article by Alex Solomon | Originally published at usarugby.org  Photo by Travis Prior | KLC Fotos BLAINE, Minn. - The Rugby Utah Selects' 22-21 come from behind win in the Cup Finals earned the squad its second consecutive USA Rugby Emirates Airline Club 7s National Championship, while ending the Denver Barbarians' sevens season in heartbreaking fashion.
The Barbarians put themselves in a hole when Landon Peterson was sent to the sin bin, and the Selects took advantage by connecting a few accurate offloads that sent Joseph Nicholls into the try zone for the game's first points. Soon both teams would have to rely on just six players, though. A pass too high for Maximo de Achaval's reach forced Denver's leader into the air to make the catch, and Eagle Sevens athlete Don Pati hit de Achaval before he returned to the ground. The offense put Pati on the bench for two minutes, and Michael Al-Jiboori made Utah pay, as he backed himself on the way to a converted try. Article by Alex Solomon | Originally published at usarugby.org  Photo by Travis Prior - KLC Fotos The sevens action begins Saturday, Aug. 12, and 86 of the total 96 matches will air live on The Rugby Channel, while the remaining 10 will be available on TRC for re-air. LAFAYETTE, Colo. - Sixteen men's teams have qualified for the 2017 Club 7s National Championship, but only one will raise the Cup Sunday, Aug. 13 at the National Sports Center in Blaine, Minn. The sevens action begins Saturday, Aug. 12, and 86 of the total 96 matches will air live on The Rugby Channel, while the remaining 10 will games be available on TRC for re-air.
POOL A Rugby Utah Selects, Bulldog Rugby, Beltway Elite and Austin Huns The Selects of Rugby Utah have a legitimate case to be labeled the team to beat this weekend. After all, the squad won last year's Club 7s National Championship in the National Development Academy's first-ever appearance. Rugby Utah's attack ought to be as relentless as it was in 2016 when Club 7s Dream Team member Jared Whippy made winning restarts look easy, and tournament MVP Don Pati ran circles around defenses. Both are back with the team in 2017, and are joined by Jared' brother Joshua, as well as University of Utah All-Americans Chad Gough and Gabe Ruflin. Considering the Bulldogs had to battle Old Blue, Mystic River and the New York Athletic Club for two Atlantic North spots to Nationals, few outside the Bulldog camp expected the team from Connecticut to finish in the top-two of that four-team field. However, respected rugby mind Stephen Lewis took over as head coach at the beginning of the summer, and the team's results continuously improved as the summer progressed. Lewis' impact has no doubt been felt, but it also helps having capped Eagles Tim Stanfill and Lorenzo Thomas, as well as collegiate standouts Corey Jones (University of Arkansas) and Jihad Khabir (American International College). Article by Alex Solomon | Originally published at usarugby.org  Photo by Travis Prior - KLC Fotos The women’s bracket initiates Nationals Saturday, Aug. 12 at 10 a.m. CT, and concludes Sunday, Aug. 13 in the Women’s Cup Final at 4:05 p.m. CT. All 96 matches from the 2017 Club 7s National Championship will air on The Rugby Channel. LAFAYETTE, Colo. - Sixteen of the very best women's sevens teams in the country will descend upon the pitches of the National Sports Center in Blaine, Minn. Aug. 12-13 to compete for the 2017 USA Rugby Emirates Airlines Club 7s National Championship. This summer's tournament field includes three previous National Champions (American Rugby Pro Training Center, San Diego Surfers and Scion Sirens), and two squads making their very first championship appearance (Atavus Academy and Minneapolis Rugby).
The women's bracket initiates Nationals Saturday, Aug. 12 at 10 a.m. CT, and concludes Sunday, Aug. 13 in the Women's Cup Final at 4:05 p.m. CT. All 96 matches from the 2017 Club 7s National Championship will air on The Rugby Channel - 86 of the games to be broadcast live, while 10 matches from Sunday, Aug. 13's Shield and Plate competitions will be available for re-air on The Rugby Channel. POOL A Scion Sirens, Life West Gladiatrix, Glendale Merlins and Tempe Ninjas Reigning Club 7s National Champions the Scion Sirens headline Pool A in Minneapolis. After winning each of the four Mid-Atlantic qualifying tournaments, Scion is coming into Nationals in excellent form. Still, the Sirens might not be the same dominant force that won all six of its games at the 2016 National Championship. Five players from last year's Cup-hoisting squad are with the Eagles in Ireland competing in the Women's Rugby World Cup. Fortunately for Scion, 2016 Club 7s MVP Kiki Morgan will be lacing up her boots at Nationals with the Sirens again. Article by Alex Solomon | Originally published at usarugby.org  Photo by Travis Prior | KLC Fotos The 2017 USA Rugby Emirates Airline Club 7s National Championship will take place Aug. 12-13 at the National Sports Center in Minneapolis. All matches from the two-day championship event will air on The Rugby Channel. LAFAYETTE, Colo. - The 32-team field for the Aug. 12-13 USA Rugby Emirates Airline Club 7s National Championship is solidified after July 29's Midwest and Pacific North Regional Championships qualified three more teams for Nationals.
MIDWEST 7S CHAMPIONSHIP Youngbloodz Rugby's legacy as one of the best women's sevens programs in the country lives on - but under a new name. The newly formed Minneapolis Rugby 7s, which is essentially the Youngbloodz's player pool competing under a new brand, won the Midwest 7s Championship over the weekend, and will make its first appearance at Nationals following a run of five consecutive appearances by the Youngbloodz. Minneapolis' run to the Midwest Final was made a bit easier with the Chicago Lions having already qualified. The Lions, winners of the region's three qualifying events leading up to the championship tournament, were awarded the women's Midwest No. 1 seed on the 'Golden Ticket' law. Cincinnati Rugby, hosts of the Midwest Championship, gave its fans something to cheers for when its women's team raced to the Final. However, the hometown squad's impressing outing fell shy of a bid to Nationals when Minneapolis downed the Wolfhounds, 33-10. Article by Alex Solomon | Originally published at usarugby.org  Photo by Travis Prior - KLC Fotos The 2017 USA Rugby Emirates Airline Club 7s National Championship will take place Aug. 12-13 at the National Sports Center in Minneapolis. All matches from the two-day championship event will air on The Rugby Channel. LAFAYETTE, Colo. - Twelve of the 16 spots in the men's bracket of the Aug. 12-13 USA Rugby Emirates Airline Club 7s National Championship have already been awarded. Saturday, July 29's Midwest and Pacific North 7s Championships will determine which four teams stake claim to the final four places at next month's championship event at the National Sports Center in Minneapolis.
MIDWEST 7S CHAMPIONSHIP A series of three regional qualifiers have determined the top six teams from the Midwest competition that will play in this weekend's championship event. The Chicago Lions head into the qualifier the favorite to nab one of two Midwest seeds to Nationals. After opening the summer series with a second-place finish, the Lions have reeled off tournament wins at Rock 'n' Roll 7s and Legacy 7s.Led by nine-time capped Eagle JP Eloff, the Lions also have a host of talented players representing D1A Rugby schools like Davenport, Indiana, and Lindenwood. The only team outside of the Lions to have won a Midwest event this summer is Metropolis. The men from Minneapolis opened the summer in winning fashion by taking the top prize at Madtown 7s, and have not finished worse than third during the Midwest series. Metropolis has not qualified for the Club 7s National Championship since 2003, but with this year's event being hosted in its backyard, the team will be desperate to reach the Midwest Final in Cincinnati. Article by Alex Solomon | Originally published at usarugby.org  Photo by Travis Prior - KLC Fotos The 2017 USA Rugby Emirates Airline Club 7s National Championship will take place Aug. 12-13 at the National Sports Center in Minneapolis. All matches from the two-day championship event will air on The Rugby Channel. LAFAYETTE, Colo. - Saturday, July 29 represents the final day of qualification for the Aug. 12-13 USA Rugby Emirates Airline Club 7s National Championship, and the day the Midwest and Pacific North 7s Championships determine which three women's teams claim the final three spots at the championship event at Minneapolis' National Sports Center.
A fourth berth to Nationals was expected to be in the balance this weekend, but that designation has already been de facto awarded to the Glendale Merlins. The Frontier Region, home to the Women's Premier League team formally known as the Raptors, has struggled to organize a formal sevens series to determine the region's Club 7s National Championship participants. Already plugged into Pool A at Nationals, Glendale will send two teams out to the pitch during its host tournament that will also include 2015 Division I 15s National Quarterfinalist Denver Black Ice, as well as a motley side consisting of mostly players from the University of Colorado Buffaloes. MIDWEST 7S CHAMPIONSHIP Two teams from the Midwest Region were originally slated to qualify for Nationals at the Midwest 7s Championship, but that number is down to just one after the Chicago Lions already managed to qualify via the region's 'Golden Ticket' law. First-place finishes at each of the three Midwest qualifiers earned the Lions their fourth Club 7s Championship appearance. Article by Alex Solomon | Originally published at usarugby.org  Photo courtesy of Dallas Rugby Facebook page The Mid-Atlantic wrapped its series of sevens tournaments in Philadelphia by rewarding five total bids to Nationals. LAFAYETTE, Colo. - Fourteen ore teams have officially qualified for the Aug. 12-13 USA Rugby Emirates Airline Club 7s National Championship following the results from the Saturday, July 22, regional qualification tournaments.
After winning each of the region's first three qualifying events, Belmont Shore's sheer appearance at the Pacific South's fourth and final tournament - Santa Monica 7s - qualified the boys from Long Beach, Calif., to yet another Club 7s National Championship. The big question in Southern California entering the weekend was who would join Belmont Shore in Minneapolis next month - Old Mission Beach Athletic Club or the Santa Monica Dolphins? Article by Nick Dugan | Originally published at d1arugby.com  Photo credit: Chicago Lions Twitter page Throughout the summer months, many top college players join club teams to hone their skills and stay sharp against fierce competition. As summer play heats up and the 2017 USA Rugby Emirates Airline Club 7s National Championship approaches, the Chicago Lions look to capture one of the two qualifying spots out of the Midwest region. As one of the premiere club teams in the Midwest, the Lions attract college talent from schools throughout the region. These college standouts are selected by former USA Eagle and current Lions 7s Head Coach David Fee on the criteria that they can add quality talent and depth to the Lions and may join Lions 15s after graduation.
From Indiana University, the trio of Tyler Sousley, Alex Dorrier, and Jake Hidalgo are each contributing to the Lion’s run at a national title. After helping lead Indiana to a Big Ten Championship in the fall, the three Hoosiers, each in their first year with the Lions, are getting their first taste of club competition. Both Sousley and Hidalgo tore up the competition at Grand Rapid 7s on July 22, notching several tries each as Chicago took first-place in the tournament. |
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