Opening Kick

There will be no Opening Kick today. Feel free to browse around the archives and leave comments! Opening Kick will be back tomorrow.

Opening Kick

Opening Kick is a segment devoted to bringing you all Eagles and USA rugby related news in one location.

A little bit of everything!:

Belmont Shore may not have their top selection of players available of the Nationals Sevens Championships, but that doesn't mean they aren't still loaded.

The Women's Collegiate All-Americans played their Canadian counterparts last Thursday but came out on the losing end, 19-3.

Several organizations came together, included Bath RFC, to put on the first ever West Point Summer Camp.

Good news for viewers of the World Cup in America, all of the games will be broadcast in HD.

All-Americans at Navy SEALS Traning

Opening Kick

Opening Kick is a segment devoted to bringing you all Eagles and USA rugby related news in one location.

Eagles:

The U.S. has two talented scrumhalf's in Mike Petri and Tim Usasz. That hasn't stopped Robbie Shaw from trying to win the position. The Bristol player has been hurt recently but was included in the Eagles 36 man squad.

Todd Clever sat down with the people from the World Cup to talk about intensity, while the IRB sat down with 1991 U.S.A. Captain Kevin Swords to talk about his World Cup memories. You can see their videos here.

The IRB takes a look to see how U.S.A. rivals Canada were able to make the World Cup. Warning: it can be a tough read for Americans.

Here is a look at how some other teams are preparing for the World Cup.

7's/Super League:

U.S.A. 7's coach Al Caravelli would like to institute some sort of challenge system if a team thinks that other teams try was invalid. It sounds reasonable to me.

This Is American Rugby sat down with Mike Diamantopoulos of Boston Rugby Club for a chat about his team and the Super League.

All-Americans:

The High School All-Americans have finished their tour of South Africa with a 3-1 record after defeating Durbanville HS 26-17 in Cape Town.

Women:

Some Canadian players are sitting out of this year's Nations Cup to protest the 'pay to play' system in Women's rugby. Each player had to pay roughly $3,000 to participate. The U.S. coach says his players paid about the same amount.

Tidbits:

"Referee Appreciation Month" continues, this time with a profile of America's top male referee, Chris Henshall.

Rugby is the feature of another local paper, this time in Palos Verdes, California.

Video Wednesday! Todd Clever talks intensity, and Kevin Swords reflects on the 1991 World Cup

Captain America Todd Clever talks about intensity and preparing for the World Cup. If there is anybody on the Eagles that can talk about intensity, it's Todd. He segments starts about halfway through the video.

1991 Captain Kevin Swords was featured on a segment of this week's Total Rugby. He talks about his memories of the 1991 World Cup against opponents Italy, New Zealand, and England.

Interview with Mike Diamantopoulos, Director of Rugby at Boston Rugby Club for Boston Rugby Club

Mike Diamantopoulos, the Director of Rugby at Boston Rugby Club was kind enough to give a few minutes of his time to This Is American Rugby. In this interview, he talks about last year's season, the Super League, and 7's.

This Is American Rugby: How do you feel last season went for your team and the Super League?

Mike Diamantopoulos: We were disappointed to come so close against Life in the semi-final but that being said we were far more competitive than we were the previous year in our semi final loss to NYAC. Overall we were happy with the improvement but certainly not satisfied with the outcome.

TIAR: What are you doing to improve for next year?

MD: We're looking to continue to recruit and build the club on and off the field. We have a very successful 7s program that is coached by Kevin Imonje and our u-19 program is in its second year with Tyler Williams and Joe Dolan doing an amazing job with the kids. These programs will be the foundation for our sucess on the top end ( SL ) in the coming years.

TIAR: How does the team go about recruiting players?

MD: We are very dilligent in reaching out to local college players and encouraging them to play for us, we are constantly reching out to the local collges in hopes of getting players to come to boston to play. We have recruited an enviroment here where a player even from a lower division college side can come in an expect and opportunity to play for the super league side. Our current SL roster is littered with guys from D2 and D3 college programs.

TIAR: Does the team look to recruit national team players?

MD: Certainlty if the opportunity presents itself we would like to have national team players and have had some recently in Tony Purpura and Roland Sunuila. We want to be a high profile program that attracts those players and I think the practice and playing enviroement we have will facilitate that.

TIAR: Is your approach similar to other Super League clubs?

MD: I am sure it is very similar. I dont think we are reinveting the wheel here!

TIAR: There has been talk recently of expanding the Super League regular season to play more games, is this something that Boston Rugby would be in favour of happening?

MD: I am a huge proponent of more games for development. I realize that the finances can be overhwelming but we need to find a way to do it. I would have loved to play home and away in our current conference this past season especially since all the games were so competitive.

TIAR: Super Leauge expansion has been a hot topic recently, what approach does Boston Rugby take to the admission of new clubs? Does it favour teams like Glendale?

MD: Expansion has to be done in a way that make sense. Obviously the quality of the teams perfomance has to be a factor as well as facilities and club structure. Glendale should certainly be in the league in my opinion and they would strengthen the quality of play in the western conference.

TIAR: What do you think can be done to increase sponsorships and visibility of Boston Rugby and the Super League?

MD: Personally I think we all need to find a way to livestream our games over the internet. This will help us provide a tangible product to potentyial sponsors based on the number of viewers we pull in weekly. Some teams like Life have the capability and our already doing it. We need to make it happen for next season.

TIAR: What kind of youth outreach does the club have?

MD: We are in the 2nd year of our u-19 programs we are really trying to catch up in this area and are beginning to make some real progress.

TIAR: Your team was the number 1 qualifier to nationals from the Northeast. What impact is 7's having on the club?

MD: I dont really put any stock in "rugbymag" rankings especially in 7s but that being said the club has perfomed really well this season and it will be the 3rd year in a row we will be going to nationals and the 1st as NRU champions so that is a major accomplishment. Our recent sucess in the SL over the last 4 years ( 3 playoff appearances 2 semi finals) can be attributed to two things in my opinion college recruiting and the 7s program. Our best players on the SL team all play 7s together that continiuity and trust carry over to the 15's program.

TIAR: What do you think is the most important thing that will improve rugby in this country?

MD: A continued emphasis on youth and high school rugby will help produce better players at the SL level. Its all about more touches for these kids to develop the skills that need to compete at the highest levels. We also need to attract the top level athletes at the high school level. At the top end of the SL we need to have a domestic competition that is a worthy option for players to compete in and develop.

Opening Kick

Opening Kick is a segment devoted to bringing you all Eagles and USA rugby related news in one location.

Eagles:

The Glendale Raptors have released more information about their matchup with the Eagles on August 10th.

Eagles World Cup opponent Russia has taken to the wrestling mat to prepare for the tournament.

One blogger examines whether rugby players and fans will switch to wine from beer after Planet Bordeaux has signed on as a sponsor of the Eagles.

Super League/7's:

One team that may be dropping out of the Super League is Dallas Harlequins. Their exit has been rumoured since last Spring.

One team flying low under the radar at the National Sevens Championships is the Pittsburgh Harlequins. That hasn't stopped them from having a good time.

Here is This Is American Rugby's look at a possible Sevens Super League.

Women:

The Women's Collegiate All-Americans have assembled for their series against Canada in the Can-Am tournament. More information on the tournament can be found here. One person calls the tournament a "special gathering."

U.S.A. Women's Eagle player Kaelene Lundstrum is the subject of a feature in her local paper.

Youth Rugby is making its mark at the Women's Nations Cup. The Scrumhalf Connection has a profile on youth at the tournament.

Tidbits:

In another example of rugby bonding, the Union County Mudturtles Rugby Club (my vote for best name) are the subject of a local feature.

Nick Salaber, the captain of the High School All-American 7's team, has committed to play rugby at Cal.

One source of players for U.S. teams has been American Samoa. They are scheduled to participate in the 2011 Oceania Cup in December.

A Super League for 7's?

On the latest Ruggamatrix podcast Bruce McLane raised the idea of a Super League for 7's clubs. The idea was raised after host Alex Goff talked about clubs like Old Puget Sound Beach and players like Peter Tiberio that have sought out tough games over the last year. OPSB has played some tough Canadian teams as well as playing tough western teams like San Francisco Golden Gate and the Utah Warriors. Peter Tiberio played in the College Premier Division, with the U.S.A. 7's team in Hong Kong and Adelaide, the Collegiate Rugby Championships, and the All-Americans tour. The point being that these tough games help make the team and the player better. I don't think that anybody could disagree with that. One of the biggest difficulties in this country is that players don't always play against the toughest competition. In club rugby, it can be argued that the there are DI teams that are better than Super League teams. The Super League's 6 regular season games makes it difficult for players to gain a rhythm. The All-Americans only assemble a few times a year. Overall, it can be argued that the only true competition of the best playing the best is the College Premier Division, but even that has its detractors.

Domestic 7's is no different. Some teams that have qualified for nationals having never played a match against other opposition (Hawaii) or have only played in a few tournaments against lesser opponents, while other team like OPSB have been extremely active. Much of this has to do with the qualification process for nationals (here are the brackets for nationals). Awarding regions like the South and Mid-Atlantic more than one berth while only giving the Pacific Coast two spots seems counter-intuitive to the game. I have no problem with Hawaii gaining a spot, their inclusion can only be good for the game in this country (it is a hotbed waiting to explode), but as was mentioned in the Ruggamatrix podcast, it is hard to tell in advance (seedings must be given early for planning purposes) whether one region will have all their teams participating or not (for example some Mid-Atlantic teams didn't participate), or whether other regions may be extremely strong. The biggest example of the problem with qualification this year is OPSB being left out of nationals after losing to both SFGG and the Utah Warriors. It is hard to argue that Atlanta Old White, Middlesex, or Pittsburgh Harlequins are really any match for OPSB.

This is where the idea of a Sevens Super League becomes attractive. The best teams in this country need to be playing each other more often, and not just at national qualifiers and nationals. The league could become a selection tool for Al Caravelli and the U.S.A. 7's team. The best collegiate players would have a place to play in the summer (much like the PDL is to soccer). By having the best teams play each other the overall level of 7's in this country would improve. Not only would this make the USOC happy but it could also provide good viewing.

I envision a Sevens Super League to be divided into a Premier Division consisting of 16 teams and a First Division consisting of 8 teams with promotion/relegation of the 2-4 teams each season. There would be six stops in the series for the Premier Division and 3-4 stops for the First Division. Teams may also elect to play a second team in the First Division without the opportunity of promotion. The teams participating in the league would not have to necessarily align themselves with 15's teams. The new regulations have no made it possible for players to be registered for both a 15's team and a 7's team.

A Sevens Super League could be financially successful. The biggest impediment to this venture, and any rugby venture in this country, is the cost of travel. Taking a team of players from one coast to another is costly. However, the cost share for 15's Super League was only $20k. Of course this included only 3 away matches, but it also included double the number of players. Travel for a Sevens Super League will be cheaper than the 15s version. Still, the key to any successful rugby venture is television. The success of Las Vegas and the CRC has shown the rugby Sevens is a viable tv option. If the Sevens Super League were to be picked up by Universal Sports/Versus then it would make it easier for teams to gain sponsorship. While teams have sponsors currently, imagine the amount of money teams could raise by telling potential sponsors that for a certain amount of money their name would be prominently displayed to a national audience while on the front of a jersey. The exposure alone would most likely be enough to cover travel costs. The teams hosting the tournament could recoup the price of putting on the event through local sponsorship.

Where might potential stops be? It would be important to play in places that would have multiple participating teams (to reduce travel costs) and that have a passion for rugby. Obvious places like San Diego, San Francisco, and Denver come to mind. Chicago would be another place that might draw a crowd and have multiple teams participating. Also, it is almost impossible to have a national sporting event and not have a team/stop in New York. That leaves one spot left. Contenders for this spot include Salt Lake, Seattle, Kansas City, and Atlanta. However, I think that Kansas City might make the best sense. If the KC Blues are included in the circuit that might make Sporting Kansas City's Livestrong Park a potential venue. It would be hard to television to pass up on that spectacle. So here are my venues:

Stops: San Diego, San Francisco, Denver, Kansas City, Chicago, and New York

Who might the teams be? There are also obvious choices here. OPSB, SFGG, Utah Warriors, OMBAC, Belmont Shore, Boston, Chicago Lions, Glendale, and Denver Barbarians. There are also some consistent but lesser known teams that deserve consideration. These include Schuykill River and Youngbloodz. Others in consideration could be KC Blues because of their 7s tradition and their connection to Sporting Kansas City and their resources, Life, and the surprising Woodlands Exiles. Of course, just like the 15's Super League, participation would be the choice of clubs.

An interesting aspect to potential entry into a Sevens Super League are national teams. If the long-rumoured professionalization of the U.S.A. 7's team takes place, a Sevens Super League could provide playing time to these players. The U.S.A. Cougars would be a nice fit for the league. Also to be considered is a Canadian Maple Leaf team for the same reason. I also wouldn't rule out including a team like Mexico, Chile, or Brazil. These teams receive money from their national federation that could be put into covering some of the costs, as well as raising the international profile of the tournament. So here is my projected Premier Division and First Division:

Potential Premier Division teams: Old Puget Sound Beach, Utah Warriors, San Francisco, Golden Gate, Belmont Shore, Old Mission Beach Athletic Club, New York Athletic Club, Boston Rugby, Chicago Lions, Chicago Griffins, Glendale Raptors, Denver Barbarians, Hawaii, U.S.A. Cougars, Canada Maple Leafs, Woodlands Exiles, KC Blues.

First Division: YoungBloodz, 1823, Mexico NT, Schuykill River, Life, Olympic Club, and 2 more teams TBD (potentially 2nd teams of PD teams).

Sound crazy? Might work? Let me know what you think.

Opening Kick

Opening Kick is a segment devoted to bringing you all Eagles and USA rugby related news in one location.

HS/College All-Americans:

The High School All-Americans came out winners 25-14, in their encounter with Tygerburg on Tuesday. Tygerberg is a U-18 club from a underprivileged neighbourhood in near Cape Town.

Rugbymag.com has a photo gallery of the 2011 College All-Americans in their series against the New Zealand Universities.

Women:

27 women have been selected for the USA Women's Eagles Nations Cup assembly. The team will assemble on July 30th before taking on Canada in their first match on August 2nd.

For a full Women's Nations Cup schedule and viewing information, click here.

Maybe the most accomplished rugger in the country is Dana Teagarden, who has developed into a world-class referee.

Eagles/World Cup/Tidbits:

It's not just Americans that are signing overseas contracts. Jebb Sinclair, a Canadian back-row players has signed with London Irish. He will join Eagle Will Johnson.

Another Australian, and World Cup matchup for the Eagles, has gone down with injury.

And for those of you who are curious, here are the ITM Cup standings, and the Currie Cup standings.

Video: All-Americans game three wrap-up

USRugbyNZ, the excellent website produces by the U.S. Embassy in Wellington, NZ has been at the forefront of covering the All-Americans vs. New Zealand Universities series. Here is their video recap from the last match.

Opening Kick

Opening Kick is a segment devoted to bringing you all Eagles and USA rugby related news in one location.

Eagles/Super League:

Yesterday, This Is American Rugby sat down with Utah Warriors owner Sean Whalen to talk about the club, the Super League, and rugby in America.

The latest edition of the Ruggamatrix podcast is out. In this episode the boys interview college standout, and U.S.A. 7's player Peter Tiberio. They also talk 7's, the Eagles, and more.

7's:

College 7's is taking off all over the country. Denver 7's recently brought together all the teams from the region. The tournament was won by the Colorado Buffalos.

The ELITE Rugby camp, staffed by current and former U.S.A. 7's players, recently took their camp to San Diego.

Tidbits:

Former Eagle coach Tom Billups talks about never having a quitting mentality in sports in his latest column for RugbyRugby.

Buzz McClain sat down and talked with U.S. Ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa, David Huebner about New Zealand's preparations for the World Cup.

Interview with Sean Whalen, President and Founder of the Utah Warriors

Sean Whalen, President and Founder of the Utah Warriors was kind enough to sit down with This Is American Rugby for a chat. He opens up about the Super League, 7's, Highland High School, the Eagles, and more.

This Is American Rugby: Now that you have completed your first year, how do you feel it is going on and off the field?

Sean Whalen: I think everything is going fantastic. The Warriors have a few players that will be representing the USA in the World Cup this fall in NZ and we are extremely proud of our players. The Warriors came together very quickly under the leadership of Jon Law, and we did amazing things year one in the Super League. On and off the field it's amazing to see how much talk is still going on about the Utah Warriors and it's players. Utah has some of the best rugby players in the world, and the Warriors are thrilled to showcase that talent. The Warriors begin camp this fall, and will be bringing a team in 2012 that will be very difficult to beat. The attitude from the team has been to rise to the level we know we can play at because 2011 although a great year, was not how we wanted to finish.

TIAR: Are you pleased by the response of the rugby community in Utah?

SW: Rugby has a HUGE base of fans in Utah. We were able to put things together this year and get Warrior Nation started, and the Utah Warriors loves the fans and loves Warrior Nation!

TIAR: You stated at the beginning of last year that planned on playing at Rio Tinto Stadium (home of Real Salt Lake) but ended up playing at the University of Utah. What caused the change?

SW: There were circumstances that caused us to not have Rio Tinto work out as planned. We would have loved to play there, but because of timing, getting accepted into the league and other considerations it did not work for us to call that home this year. Maybe next year if things allow.

TIAR: Where do you plan on playing next year? Is the new soccer complex on Redwood Road and I-215 with its championship field a possibility?

SW: Rio Tinto is a great facility and we are still looking there as a possibility to play a game or two. Candidly the Warriors have many options around Salt Lake County for playing in 2012. One thing is for sure, the Warriors will have a schedule much further in advance next year and will be able to rally and grow Warrior Nation to be able to come support the team. We will absolutely have a top level facility next year where we will play our home matches.

TIAR: Does the lack of concessions and ticket sales at the University of Utah affect your ability to get sponsorships and your ambitions to one day professionalize the team?

SW: Not at all. In fact we did not seek out any sponsors year one, and have yet to seek out any sponsors in year two yet. That is not to say we will not consider or look at a sponsorship, but I wanted to build the value of this team before looking for a financial partner. We received a significant amount of press year one, year two will be an opportunity for us to grow that even more, and I believe it will be a great opportunity to start talking with some sponsors as they see the continued growth with the Warriors.

TIAR: Because the Warriors are a new kind of team in the Super League, some worried about the financial health of the club in the long-term. How are the finances of the team looking?

SW: Team and finances are looking good. I never intended to just toy around with the team, or with the Super League. I see the future of rugby growing in America, and I want to be an intricate part of that growth. Having the Warriors be a solid, stable and growing entity will allow us to showcase what can be done with a little vision and financing. I suspect there will be many more Utah Warrior type "teams" built as an organization in the near future.

TIAR: Do feel that lack in number of regular season Super League games has a negative impact on your visibility in the community? If so, how? How do you go about compensating for that?

SW: Absolutely. One agenda item for the summer Super League meeting is the expansion and growth of not only the league but of the games played. I absolutely want to see more games. I'd love to have a 6-8 game home season. I can see that happening over the next few years. In the mean time we compensate for that by making each home game in 2012 a MAJOR event! We have a few curtain raiser games before the Warrior games, and we produce each game as almost a concert like event. Lots of excitement, lots of "hands on" for the fans.

TIAR: How are you reaching out to the media?

SW: We have been fortunate to have a lot of media covering the team. We want to put out a good product, and we hope the media will report on the movements and growth of the team. Having the media cover the team is a big deal and we greatly appreciate the media support!

TIAR: What are you doing to lure new people out to watch Warriors games?

SW: Facebook has been a great marketing tool for us and we will continue to work the social media avenues. Next season we will roll out a few additional marketing efforts. Expect to see the Utah Warriors and Warrior Nation everywhere you look!

TIAR: There has been some debate about moving the rugby season to the Fall rather than the Spring. Would that be something the Warriors might potentially support?

SW: It should would help with regards to weather. I don't like the idea as much because it conflicts with Football, and truthfully rugby is not big enough yet to compete with football. It will be someday, but not yet. I like the fact we as a team, and the public now have a sport to attach to in the spring.

TIAR: You've had several players play for the national team since you began. Is it your goal to produce national team players?

SW: It's not the goal or ambition to farm the players or grow those players, but it's our goal to run an organization that will be competitive on a global scale that we can attract top national talent. I believe we have had some players seeking us out and wanting to come play with the Warriors because they know our organization will take care of them and treat them right. This is only getting better. With the opening of the Warriors training facility this fall, we will only be attracting more and more top level national talent to come play with the Warriros.

TIAR: Did John van der Giessen approach the team, or did the team approach him about playing with the Warriors after his time with Bath? (Would you like to approach more returning national team players?)

SW: John came home to get ready for the Cup. He did not really have anywhere to play, so instead of being up in Idaho working to stay in shape, we invited him to come play with us to stay in shape. I think it would be a wise move on every Super League's team to open up their arms to National Players. Look, we all want to win the Super League Championship, but everyone I know in the Super League is looking to grow and expand rugby. We would be stupid not to look for opportunity as a league and as individual teams to get those guys who will be playing on the National team, to play with us to stay in shape. The Super League has the best players in the country, plain and simple. Having John play with a D1 team, or a club team does him no good. He needs to be refining his skills with the best players America has, and that is why he and others should be playing in the Super League to get ready to represent the USA on a global scale. I would absolutely love to have John back and would love to have as many top level players who are interested in playing come talk with the Warriors.

TIAR: This is your first season of 7's rugby, how has that been going?

SW: This was our first season for the 7's team and we are 14-0 so far, and we just won the Pacific Region Championships. I believe we have the best 7's team in the country, plain and simple. We will shortly find out at Nationals, but if I was a betting man (which I am) I would put my money on the Warriors 7's being National Champions in their very first year. Not a bad way to launch!

TIAR: In your press release you stated that the Warriors 7's team would "consist of many of the best USA Sevens and US Eagles players." Which players have you been able to attract?

SW: Mike Palefau was with the Warriors 15's Super league team. He has been one the 7's team, and he is one of the best all around rugby players in America. He is a brilliant rugby talent and great guy to have on the team. We also have Jason Pye who has played for the Eagles 7's squad. Another brilliant rugby mind. There area few more players that have dabbled with the National team, but these tow guys are probably the best in the business.

TIAR: Have you approached either BYU or Utah about staging an exhibition 7's match during halftime of one of their football games? If not, is that something you are looking to do?

SW: Not yet, but that is a great idea! We will have to look into that!

TIAR: Do you think the future of rugby in this country is in the 7's game or in the 15's game?

SW: I can see both taking off. I see rugby as a sport generating momentum at a rapid pace. I think 15's will be easier for America to grab on to. It's so close to football, I think it'll be easy, but 7's has the sheer excitement that people will love. I can see 15's being set up and structured much like the NFL with multiple teams across America, and 80 minute games being played in big stadiums. I think that concept is close to happening. I can see 7's being more of a circuit structure where you will have 2-3 day tournaments across America multiple times a year.

TIAR: You recently took over the Highland rugby programme. What are your plans for the programme? Do you plan to change much of what Coach Gelwix has put into place over the last 30 years?

SW: Larry Gelwix has built a dynasty. He is the most winning coach in the world. It will be hard to top what he has done. Whatever the Warriors can do to help Highland rugby to continue on the tradition to stay on top of rugby we will do.

TIAR: What do you think is the best thing for growing rugby in this country?

SW: I believe rugby just needs a chance. Without exception every single person I know who has ever seen a rugby game in person has loved it! I think that is what we need. We need people to just give it a small chance, and I will grow on them. The rugby community needs to know that right now money is not the name of the game, it's exposure. The more exposure we can give rugby in America, to America, the faster and larger it will grow.

Eagle's Abroad Weekend Review

Here is how the weekend shook out for Eagles abroad:

Chris Wyles saw action with Saracens as they competed in Pool B of the Premiership 7's. They went 3-0 on the day with wins over Wasps, Saints, and Gloucester. Wyles had four tries on the day. By winning the pool Sarries booked themselves a place in the final. Wyles, however, will not be participating as it conflicts with the U.S.A. camp.

James Paterson was not a part of the Southland squad that defeated Canterbury for the Ranfurly Shield. He is still out injured.

Opening Kick

Opening Kick is a segment devoted to bringing you all Eagles and USA rugby related news in one location.

Eagles/7's:

The Amlin Challenge Cup fixtures have been set. Scott LaValla and Stade Francais are in Pool 1, while Kevin Swiryn and Agen are in Pool 4.

U.S.A. 7's coach Al Caravelli has stated that the way to be spotted for his teams is through the National All-Star Championships. So-Cal has already released their plans to participate in the tournament.

Surfside 7's, one of the largest sevens tournaments, was played over the weekend. Six teams won their brackets.

Youth:

Youth rugby tournaments are popping up all over the country. One such example is the 12th Annual American Flag Rugby Youth Festival.

Tidbits:

U.S.A. Rugby President Nigel Melville gives a closer look at the Chula Vista Olympic Training Centre.

Apparently American scalpers have bought their fare share of World Cup tickets.

Video: Total Rugby

Opening Kick

Opening Kick is a segment devoted to bringing you all Eagles and USA rugby related news in one location.

Eagles/7's:

Nigel Melville takes on his critics that say the U.S. Development strategy is not working. He says that these things take time and he points to some recent successes.

USRugbyNZ shows President Obama giving his encouragement to the Eagles.

Deciders for spots on the National Sevens Championship took place all over the country this weeked. Here are some of the results:

Schuylkill and Pittsburgh were the qualifiers out of the Mid-Atlantic Rugby Football Union.

The Chicago Lions, a team that features collegiate standouts Peter Tiberio and Rocco Mauer, defeated Youngbloodz for the Midwest title. Both the Lions and Youngbloodz will go to nationals.

The Woodland Exiles, Denver Barbarians, and the Glendale Raptors all advanced to nationals out of the West.

Boston and Middlesex were the winners out of the Northeast.

OMBAC defeated Belmont Shore to take the last qualifying spot in the So-Cal territory. Belmont Shore was hoping to qualify a second team but injuries and absences, plus a good OMBAC team, prevented that.

OMBAC, a club will deep rugby tradition, is pleased to be back at nationals.

And with everything all decided, the 7's national brackets are set. Group A looks to be the 'Group of Death' with SFGG, Utah Warriors, Chicago Lions, and Glendale Raptors all facing off against each other.

High School All-Americans:

The High School All-Americans fell short against Glenwood High School 18-4 in South Africa. Zach Miller had all of the Americans points.

Women:

The Women's U-20's fell short against England 48-11 in the Nations Cup final. Overall, it was a good showing for the team.

The Boston Belles were the winners of the Northeast 7's title.