LAFAYETTE, Colo. - Four teams from the Atlantic North can begin to make travel plans for Denver after qualifying for the 2016 USA Rugby Club 7s National Championships at Dick's Sporting Good Park. Outside of the Atlantic North, teams like the Oklahoma Elite, Old Mission Beach Athletic Club and Schuylkill River did their part to improve their chances at a berth to Nationals.

Atlantic North
Saratoga 7s - Saratoga, NY

It was New York Athletic Club's day in the sun in Saratoga over the weekend, but it has been the summer of Old Blue in the Atlantic North. The men of Old Blue fell to NYAC in the Final of Saratoga 7s, but their body of work over the past month was good enough to earn the club the No. 1 seed to Club 7s Nationals. Mystic River, the team Old Blue narrowly defeated in the Semifinals of Saratoga 7s, hold onto the No. 2 seed in the Atlantic North by defeating the Village Lions in the Plate.

The women of Old Blue also punched their ticket to Colorado to play in Nationals after missing out on last year's Championship event. Old Blue's top side went undefeated throughout the summer, and regularly submitted two teams to Nationals, while three Old Blue squads competed in Saratoga. The club's first unit continued its impressive winning streak at the Atlantic North's final qualifying tournament. 

After accumulating a plus-119 scoring margin during three pool play wins, Old Blue eliminated New York Rugby Club in the Semifinals. The other Semifinal saw New England rivals Boston Rugby and Beantown butt heads, but it was Boston prevailing towards the Final. In that final game, Boston threw everything it had at Old Blue, but the 2014 Club 7s Cup Finalists posted one more try than Boston and took the title, 10-5.

Boston will join Old Blue at Nationals, and will be anxious to touch down in Denver to improve on last year's results. 2015 was Boston's first appearance at a Club 7s Championship, and the team was not able to post a victory. Its five-point loss to an impressive Old Blue side should give the women of Boston some added confidence going into the club's final stretch of preparation for Nationals.

LAFAYETTE, Colo. - Six qualifying events for the 2016 USA Rugby Club 7s National Championships at Dick's Sporting Good Park outside of Denver highlight the weekend's action of club sevens. The Pacific Northwest, True South, and Western portion of the Midwest play their final qualifying event prior to Regional Championship tournaments, while the Mid-Atlantic and Pacific South compete in the ever-important third leg of their four-tournament series. In the Atlantic North, four teams will punch tickets to nationals in the region's final men's and women's qualifying events of the summer.

Atlantic North 
Saratoga 7s - Saratoga, NY

Tournament victories at Monmouth 7s and Newport 7s have Old Blue in fine shape to earn one of two men's qualifying spots for Nationals in the Atlantic North heading into the fourth and final qualifying event in the region. Although the boys from New York settled for third at last week's Hell Gate 7s, Old Blue would need to miss out on the Semifinals of this weekend's final qualifying event to be in danger of slipping out of the coveted top-two places in the Atlantic North standings, and with the potential return of Eagles Harry Higgins and Luke Hume to the lineup, it does not appear to be a likely scenario.

Mystic River's win at Hell Gate 7s boosted its hopes for Nationals, and the Division I National Champion currently stand five standings points ahead of New York Athletic Club. An appearance in the Cup Final this weekend books Mystic's ticket to Nationals, but with capable squads like the Connecticut Bulldogs and Village Lions capable of pulling off an upset, there is plenty to play for in Saratoga.

LAFAYETTE, Colo. - June 25 begins a two-week stretch when each of the eight competitive regions will host qualifying events for this year's Club 7s National Championships. Saturday also marks the opening tournaments for half of the regions. Still, series standings points and positioning for entry to regional championships are crucial from the get-go

Atlantic North
Newport 7s - Newport, RI

A week after taking an early lead in the Men's Atlantic North sevens standings with a first-place finish at Monmouth 7s, Old Blue of New York hopes to make it two-for-two this weekend at Newport 7s. Not surprisingly, Old Blue and second-placed Monmouth finishers, Mystic River, will be entering two sides.

Bulldog Rugby and New York Athletic Club are true contenders in the qualifier bracket, as well, but it will not be easy. Old Blue received a potential boost to its sevens squad when fly half James Bird was released from Eagles camp to return to the east coast from California.

A couple of very strong women's teams will have to deal with a loaded bracket at Newport, as teams attempt to earn a spot in the Women's Atlantic North Championship event at Saratoga 7s. Beantown and Boston Rugby are two of the best on the East Coast, with Beantown getting the better of Boston this season on its way to a conference championship in 15s.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic North women's sevens action, Flower City 7s in Rochester, N.Y., and Tri-State 7s in Danbury, Conn., are taking shape June 25.

LAFAYETTE, Colo. - Five qualifying events are set for June 18 as teams make their initial push towards a place in the 2016 USA Rugby Club 7s National Championships, to be held August 13-14.

In the Midwest, the western half of the division gets its first crack in sevens at the Madtown 7s in Madison, Wisc. In the Southern Competitive Region, both the Florida and True South Division get underway at Fiji 7s and NOLA 7s, respectively.

Some of the very best teams on the east coast, and in the country, fill out a must-see men's field at Atlantic North's first qualifier Monmouth 7s. At OMBAC 7s in San Diego the field is equally strong, boasting three Pacific Rugby Premiership teams - including the reigning two-time champion Glendale Raptors.

FIJI 7S - MIAMI, FL
The Florida region of the Southern sevens competition begins its first of three qualifiers for the July 23 South 7s Championship at Saturday's Fiji 7s. The home team, Miami Rugby, will be flexing its numbers with three teams entered into the men's 14-team field.

Naples Hammerheads and Central Florida University could make a run at the Final. The Hammerheads finished second in the Florida DII conference, while the Knights of Central Florida bullied their way to D1AA National Championships in 15s in both 2013 and 2014.

​In the women's qualifying tournament, Fort Miami and Orlando Rugby lead a four-team race for first place at Fiji 7s. In 15s, the two squads tied for top of the points standings during the 2015 Florida DII season, with each team winning on home soil over the other.

Date: August 9-10, 2003
Location: Founders Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Men's Final Standings:
1. Riverside Rugby
2. Olympic Club Rugby
3. Denver Barbarians
4. Maryland Exiles
5. Washington Rugby
6. Hayward Griffins
7. Gentlemen of Aspen
8. Northern Virginia Rugby
9. Old Mission Beach Athletic
10. New York Athletic
11. Middle Tennessee Rugby
12. Montauk Sharks
13. Atlanta Renegades
13. Louisville Rugby
13. Metropolis Rugby
13. Red Mountain Warthogs
​​​​

Date: August 12-13, 2000
Location: Conshohocken, Pennsylvania

Men's Final Standings:
1. Old Mission Beach Athletic
2. Kansas City Blues*
3. Northern Virginia Rugby*
4. San Mateo Rugby*
5. Elvis at the Opry Rugby*
6. New York Athletic*
7. Metropolis Rugby*
8. Philadelphia-Whitemarsh Rugby*
9. Huntington Beach Unicorns*
10. Washington Rugby*
10. Orlando Rugby*
12. Charlotte Rugby*
12. Kansas City Blues II*
12. Old Blue of New York*
12. Olympic Club Rugby*
16. Sacramento Capitals*

*After the tournament was concluded, the Sacramento Capitals were found to have used ineligible players. As a result, their 2nd Place finish has been wiped from the records, and all other teams were moved up one spot in the final standings.​​

Date: August 22-23, 1992
Location: Alexandria, Virginia

Men's Final Standings:
1. Old Puget Sound Beach Rugby
2. Old Blues Rugby (CA)
3. Northern Virginia Rugby
4. Maryland Exiles
5. Kansas City Blues
6. Metropolis Rugby
7. Dallas Harlequins
8. ​Louisville Rugby